Decorated Lacquerware Pyi-Daung BLW30

$525.00

This handsome antique lacquerware container, referred to in Burmese as pyi-daung, was made in Bagan, the center of lacquerware production. A Pyi-daung is a large bucket shaped vessel used for carrying rice to a Buddhist monastery. It has been decorated with diamond shaped pieces of dried palm leaf along with incised floral motifs filled with pigmented lacquer over natural black lacquer. The condition is excellent with just a little natural wear as shown in the photos.

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Availability: In stock

The tradition of lacquerware is centuries old in Burma. To make lacquer containers, sap is drawn from the Melanorrhoeausitata tree found in north-eastern Burma. Pigments such as ocher, cinnabar, orpiment and indigo are added and mixed to achieve the desired color. A dozen or more coats are then applied to the object resulting in a beautiful luster that is waterproof and very durable. The object is then deftly decorated with a fine metal point which is used to etch grooves that are then filled with colored lacquer. The object is left to dry and then polished. This process is repeated several times and requires great skill, experience and time. A vessel of this size and level of detailed decoration would have taken 4-6 months to complete.

Characteristics
Height: 36cm, 14 in
Diameter: 18cm, 7 in
Materials: jackfruit wood, woven bamboo, lacquer, pigment, palm leaf
Provenance: Antique dealer, Bagan
Period: Mid 20th century

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