Antique Burmese Lacquerware Plate

Dimensions: 20cm diameter, 4cm high.
Code: WOOD 7521

This distinctive black Burmese lacquerware plate was handmade by specialist artisans in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in the late 19th century/early 20th century. It is a gorgeous piece, all black except for the red rim on the top of the steep sides. On the side of the bowl is engraved a Tamil name, this would have been 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 their name to clearly indicate ownership. The plate is in very good condition, with some minor cracking on the rim consistent with age.

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 Over time porcelain, plastic and metal have superseded lacquerware and very few of the workshops remain.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