Antique Burmese Lacquerware Bowl

Dimensions: 18cm diameter, 8cm high.
Code: WOOD 6921

This black and red Burmese lacquerware bowl was handmade by specialist artisans in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in the late 19th century/early 20th century. This lovely bowl has a flared base. The inside of the bowl is red, and the sides and base black. Very faintly etched on one side is a name most likely of the artisan. Hand-painted on the side are the initials V.R.M added later, this is because the Chettiars typically belonged to large joint families, with each branch of the family owning very similar objects of their diasporic heritage. It was important to etch their belongings, valuable or utilitarian, with initials clearly indicating ownership. In very good condition, with no noticeable chips or cracks.

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 Over time porcelain, plastic and metal have superseded lacquerware and very few of the workshops remain.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.

This would pair perfectly with WOOD 7021 as it is identical in size and made by the same person.