Antique Burmese Lacquerware Water Bowl

Dimensions: 10.5cm diameter, 7.5cm high.
Code: WOOD 5421

This black and gold coloured 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 floral designs. The central band has a repeating black vine like stalk with leaves and a lily flower at the top. Around this is gold crosshatching, which repeats in the top border above a design of black rolling semi circles. On the base, middle and top are repeating gold lines with a black band giving the design a beautiful cohesion. The inside of the cup is lacquered in red. Hand-painted on the cup are also Tamil initials 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 good condition, with minimal wear for its age, there is some chipping around the rim.

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 Over time porcelain, plastic and metal have superseded lacquerware and very few of the workshops remain.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