Antique Burmese Lacquerware Water Bowl

Dimensions: 10.5cm diameter, 7cm high.
Code: WOOD 5221

This black Burmese lacquerware water bowl was handmade by specialist artisans in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in the late 19th century/early 20th century. The thin-walled bowl has been delicately engraved with a beautiful whiskered fish on one side and a flower on the other. The fish maybe the Makara, the zodiac symbol for Capricorn. Around the rim are repeating fine lines of gold. The base is solid black and the inside of the cup is lacquered a red colour. Also written on the side in Burmese is “Teacher Thun”, which was perhaps the name of the owner or the artisan. In very good condition for its age, there is no cracking or chips.

Yun-de, or lacquerware, is an ancient craft of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It was made using an elaborate and technically complex process by master craftsmen starting with gathering the sap from the varnish tree or thitsee that grows wild in the local forests. The finished objects are all handmade and the designs are engraved free hand. It may take three to four months to finish a small vessel but sometimes over a year for a larger piece. The lacquerware came to India through the Chettiar trading community who took up residence in Burma during the 19th and 20th centuries. The traders kept their links with their home region of Chettinad in Tamil Nadu, South India and often went back for family events and festivals. Their ancestral homes were filled with lacquer vessels from Burma. In Burma, the lacquerware was used by royalty, monks and commoners, indeed it was ubiquitous. Over time porcelain, plastic and metal have superseded lacquerware and very few of the workshops remain. The antique pieces are in high demand from collectors across the world.