Myanmar, also called Burma, is in the western part of mainland Southeast Asia. In 1989 the country’s official English name, which it had held since 1885, was changed from the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar which is in the Burmese language. About 90% of Myanmar is Theravada Buddhist which is reflected in its art, architecture and culture. In our write ups we refer to items as Burmese in recognition of their more recognized cultural and historical tradition.
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In traditional Theravada Buddhist practice, Shakyamuni Buddha was depicted in simple robes of a monk representing his renunciation of worldly goods and desires. In contrast in Burma/ Myanmar, Buddhas were depicted with lavish royal attire known as the Jambupati Buddha. According to legends, King Jambupati wished to be the most powerful ruler in the world and…
Nats worship was integral to indigenous beliefs in Burma/Myanmar since before the arrival of Buddhism. Burmese-carvings of these mythical or deified humans are seen in Buddhist temples, pagodas, government buildings, and in nat centers throughout Burma. Nats existed in early forms in shamanism and animism beginning when life was associated with agricultural pursuits and the…
Smoking tobacco in Burma/Myanmar and Thailand has been an integral part of Southeast Asian cultures for centuries and are usually found underground by hill-tribe farmers when ploughing their fields in Northern Thailand and Burma. They usually have small chips on the bowl, body and stem and are otherwise very good condition. The bowl often has…
Smoking tobacco has been an integral part of Northern Thailand and Burma/Myanmar Hill-Tribes culture for centuries. Unglazed mould made black earthenware clay pottery pipes like this are found buried by farmers when preparing their fields. This pipe was made in two parts, a rounded bowl on a flat-footed base and an extended stem. The bowl…
Smoking tobacco in Burma/Myanmar and Thailand has been an integral part of Southeast Asian cultures for centuries and are usually found underground by hill-tribe farmers when ploughing their fields in Northern Thailand and Burma. They usually have small chips on the bowl, body and stem and are otherwise very good condition. The bowl often has…
Oxen/bullocks and their carts were the primary means in Burma/Myanmar for plowing, hauling or transportation. Inexpensive and adaptable to any terrain, they were used to tend fields and carry goods, agricultural products, lumber, and people. Two or four-wheeled carts were pulled by one or a pair of oxen that were hitched to the cart by…
Artisans from Burma/Myanmar are masterful carvers of lyrical teak figures in action, whether they are dancers, nats, attendants, or deities. Although there is a metal hook on the back ostensibly to attach the piece to a surface or wall to embellish architectural religious, governmental, or secular structures, it was fashioned to be viewed in the…
Nagas are powerful folk art serpents similar to dragons who live in the underworld or in waters, move through the earth as if it were water or fly through the heavens. Often described as a half-serpent, half-human, these semi-divine mythical animals have a past in animism and were object of rituals, worship and devotion as a…
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…
A hsun ok is a spiritual vessel used in Theravada Buddhism by families to carry food and other offerings to monks in monasteries or temples and, in the past, to members of the royal family. These spiritual acts are to gain merit: good deeds that improve one’s life and inner self and attract other positive…
Used in Theravada Buddhism in Burma/Myanmar a larger hsun ok is a vessel with a round bowl set on a pedestal that flares out to a circular foot-ring, with the top surmounted by a stupa like spire finial. Referred to as an offering vessel, traditionally many Burmese households use large ones to routinely bring offerings…
Burmese women always have taken part in demanding strenuous work, but they rarely see themselves as farmers. This is because of Burma’s old patriarchal culture, narrow Burmese laws and social limitations of rural beliefs that define them as workers who labor for men: their father, brother or husband. This wonderful painted folk-art wood panel of…
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