Initially a grave, memorial and sacred burial mound shaped like an inverted round bowl, it first appeared in India to contain the relics and/or the ashes of important Buddhist persons. It later evolved into a massive reliquary with a spire in its top, an axis mundi symbol of the imaginary line through the earth’s center around which the universe revolves. Small stupa or other shaped images (reliquaries) are used as ritual objects. The top of a Burmese offering container called a hsun ok recalls the shape of the height of tall decorative stupas.
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A stupa is a memorial shrine and a sacred burial mound to house sacred relics associated with the Buddha or other Buddhist saintly persons, a symbol of the Buddha’s enlightenment and a model of the Buddhist cosmos (McArthur, p. 179). Initially they were hemispherical mound-like shapes and were transformed in East Asia into a pagoda…
Artfully shaped hsun ok pieces to hold offerings to monks and make merit reveal much about Burmese artisans: exceptional lacquer ware skills, support for monks and devotion to Buddhism. This large elegant Hsun Ok has a flaring pedestal, lid with a finial symbolizing a Buddhist stupa and applied mythical animals and floral decorations. Early 20th century pieces with these special details are harder to find and copies abound.
This elegant hsun-ok reveals much about the Burmese: their profound belief in Buddhism and commitment to support the monastic life, remarkable woodworking and lacquerware skills and sense of simplistic elegant design and form. This has a simple yet striking silhouette with raised circular layers on a pedestal base and woven vertical bands topped by a tall round finial recalling a Buddhist pagoda or stupa. This graceful piece is a perfect accent for any décor.
Made in Pagan this miniature hsun ok demonstrates the remarkable sense of design of Burmese wood carvers. It is crafted in two separate parts and replicates the shape of larger hsun-Ok, which traditionally have covers with spired lids topped by elegant finials that imitate the soaring outline of Burmese stupa finials. This modest piece has circular tiers repeated on the foot and the stupa finial top.
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