Antique Burmese Lacquerware Plate

Dimensions: 16cm diameter, 2.5cm high.
Code: WOOD 7221

This black Burmese lacquerware plate was handmade by specialist artisans in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in the late 19th century/early 20th century. This small plate is decorated with floral and geometric designs in red and gold. In the centre is a flower design around which are concentric foliate, spirals, fine lines, and semi-circular designs. Around the flat rim, the same spiral designs are repeated in different colours. There has been some wear to the piece and fading, see photos, and so is priced accordingly. It would be a lovely addition to a dining table to use as a wine coaster or would look super with a large candle.

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 Over time porcelain, plastic and metal have superseded lacquerware and very few of the workshops remain.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