lacquerware

Brought to Myanmar from China in the 1st century AD, Bagan is famous for lacquer ware, known as Thitsi named for the Thit-si tree from which a non toxic, straw coloured resin is ‘tapped’. When exposed to air the resin turns as black and syrupy as treacle, acting as a water and heat proofer when applied to many different surfaces.

Bagan thitsi begins life as thin strips of bamboo split from hollow stem lengths. Coiled into tight, increasingly sized concentrics each strip joined by a thin v shaped notch and used to make vases, bowls, plates, offering vessels and boxes.
Bamboo woven on a mandrel is used for small cups and bowls and the crème de la crème of vessels as used by Myanmar Royalty a combination of bamboo and horsehair making cups so pliable the lips can be pressed together without damaging the cup. These are really beautiful and exquisitely delicate.

The lacquer process is long and time consuming with each piece passing through several stages of resin application, drying, washing, mixing with ash and charcoal until some 12 to 15 coats of lacquer later the vessel is ready for engraving and colour application.

This young thanaka anointed girl is engraving a bowl free hand based on designs from the Jataka reincarnation Buddha stories. She will add further layers of engraving as red, yellow and green colours-and perhaps finally some gold leaf- are applied.
A piece will take six months to complete, from the initially stripping of the bamboo to the final washing away of the last layer of unwanted colour.
At $30 for a tumbler to be used for wine or tea, an absolute bargain!