Antique/Vintage Black Lacquer Monk’s Offering Hsun-Ok, Burma/Myanmar (6211BSK) SPECIAL PRICE

Description

A hsun ok is a graceful, lidded lacquer vessel used in Theravada Buddhism in Burma/Myanmar by devotees to carry offerings for monks to monasteries or temples to “make merit” toward Buddhist enlightenment. Filled with items such as rice, fruit, boiled eggs, and other gifts, they are traditionally carried by women who place them in altars or next to Buddha images. The spire’s circular levels of this piece are lined in red cinnabar, its wide spiral base is intricately decorated with four evenly placed quatrefoils with mythical animals and interspersed with flowers surrounded by elegant curving elements topped by a tall finial representing a Buddhist stupa. Lacquerware is a traditional Burmese craft dating from the 13^th century, and was the preferred gift by Burmese kings to foreign envoys.  Constructing a hsun ok is very labor and time intensive, especially for pieces with intricate designs. The skeleton is wood, bamboo, or lacquer and the surface is covered black lacquer covered with multiple layers of red cinnabar lacquer (hinthabada) sometimes ending in a black surface. Lacquering takes weeks and applications to make pieces resilient. Raised decorations are formed from mixed lacquer sap and ash hand rolled, and carefully applied. This large hsun ok in very good condition with a fine patina, some surface losses, and minor damage on the top edge of the bowl.