Description
An extremely fine, rare and very attractive square-shaped, Hinged lid, lacquerware box from the famed U Aung Myint workshop in Myinkaba Village, Pagan Burma (Myanmar), from which the British Museum has commissioned pieces for display in London.
Burmese Black lacquer betel-box / trinket-box finely decorated and hand painted
Square hinged black lacquer betel-box.
"Yun" lacquered betel box with incised design of royal intricate design Lacquered body, a finely decorated lid with hinges on top lifting to reveal an inside with a heavy lip and black lacquer inside blue and green outside, original used to hold betel leaves along with ingredients used for making betel quid which is an indigenous form of chewing tobacco. Burma, circa 1900 to now..
In many Southeast Asian cultures, offering guests a betel quid to chew was the fundamental symbol of hospitality. A blend of leaves, nuts, seasonings, and sometimes tobacco, betel was kept in finely worked and decorated boxes. Crafted in early 20th century Burma, this square betel box is decorated in a style known as "yun" ware. Cloaked in layer upon layer of brilliant black, red-orange cinnabar lacquer, the box was then finely etched with intricate line work.
A beautiful display of Burmese Lacquerware, the delicate box remains vibrant.
This current piece is done in the yun style.
It is executed in four colors of rust-orange, black, light green and dark green. As aficionados and collectors of Burmese lacquerware know, the more colors, the more time consuming the piece, as each color must go thru its own separate application process and drying cycle. Done in a painstakingly meticulous yun execution, the closer one looks, the more one realizes that literally thousands upon thousands of tiny etches went into creating this piece. You need a jeweler's loop to appreciate all the fine detail. The photos might not fully capture all the intricacy. Even a modest size item like this took several months to complete.
There are many Burmese-style imitations these days coming from China and Thailand, with painted enamel designs being passed off as lacquerware to the unwary....For those who understand the tedious intricacies of genuine Burmese lacquer production, there is no comparison. This is a superior quality, genuine Burmese lacquerware item sourced directly from one of the best. This is truly a connoisseur’s item:
Measures: Square 5.5", height: 2.5"
