ARTS oF MYANMAR BY sathtsh1495 Arts & Crafts of Myanmar Gold Leaf The square gold leaf tissues used for centuries and fragile enough that a breath of the softest wind could crumble them are all hand made in the lovely ancient capital of Mandalay. Only 24 carat gold is used. First, about 200 gm is pulled into thin wires, and then pulled through a press to form a ribbon 90 cm long and 2 cm wide. This is cut into 200 squares. Each is placed between thin sheets of bamboo paper about 7 cm square and the whole stack wrapped in two pieces of deerskin to firmly hold it.
The packet is placed on a stone and beaten for 15 minutes with a hammer weighing kg, by young men who work in rows. The stack of papers after the first beating is handed over to girls working in a separate, closed room. There, without a breath of wind to disturb the gold tissues the girls sitting on the well-polished floor around a low table, separate the gold from the paper and cut them into six pieces with mother of pearl or horn cutters. Then, each piece is placed between bamboo papers once again and given over to the boys for two and half hours long pounding.
After that, yet again the paper thin pieces are placed in 13 cm square bamboo paper and finally ounded for five hours. Some shops cut the gold foil again before the final pounding. Lastly, the girls cut the final fragile gold leaf into neat squares and carefully transfer them between squares of ordinary cardboard papers to be sold in packets of tens. The gold leaf is so thin and light that to smooth out wrinkles, the girls Just blow gently on it. The gold leaf is a sacred thing and can be offered to religious buildings, and shrines, or for Royal use in the days of monarchy.
Myanmar Harp The Myanmar Harp is one of the oldest known musical instruments. It is a boat- haped wooden instrument, highly decorated, and sometimes gilded. It can have 7, 9, 13 or 16 strings. In addition to being used to make music, the harp often decorates homes and offices. Since antiquity, it has been presented as a gift to foreign guests, with tenderness. It is one of the most cherished instruments for Myanmar people. top Triangular Gong The triangular gong is a brass instrument hanging from a string that is struck with a wooden mallet to announce important events.
It may be struck to remind the public in religious matters or may be struck to share merits with all who hear. Buddhists strike the gong after prayers or giving alms or food and light to Lord Buddha. The gong is also used as a gesture to remind people of infirmity, illness and death among sweet and pleasant sound and is remembered poetically as a song to Nirvana. Myanmar Knife Myanmar knives come in various shapes and styles, but a typical utilitarian knife is the machete-like knife carried by most rural and laboring men.
Metals heated in bellows then pounded on an anvil are molded into blades. Blades are reheated to strengthen the metal. They are dipped into water to cool the metal and ultimately itted with handles, which may be made of bamboo Myanmar Toys Myanmar is famous for its handicrafts, and one of the most popular forms or craftsmanship is the production of toys. Traditional Myanmar toys include elephants, cows, tigers and other animals made of paper mache and wood. The toy Po Wa ( Little Fat Boy ) is the most popular among Myanmar children and is the best example of traditional handmade toys.
Po Wa has two ponytails tied over his ears, a gold necklace with medallion around his neck and a plump little body wrapped in a sarong tucked into shorts. It has a thin bamboo frame shape covered with strips of aper soaked in a rice paste glue. Once formed, it is left to dry in the sun then painted in bright colors. Other popular toys include the owl, which always comes in golden colored pairs. It is believed to bring good luck to a shop or home and is not necessarily for play.
A trip to a Kyaikhtiyo ( Golden Rock Pagoda , South of Myanmar ) is never complete without buying some bamboo toys for children. Bamboo toys from this area are decorated with a burnt design and formed into gums, bags, snakes, necklace, etc. Myanmar traditional toys bring spiritual fulfillment to adults as well as joy to children. These marvelous folk toys of Myanmar make ideal souvenirs, gifts and collection pieces. To learn more about Myanmar toys, or for purchase information, contact : SST Tourism Co. , Ltd TRADITIONAL CANE WARE OF MYANMAR Cane can be attained from forest in any part of Myanmar. ut they are particularly abundant in Tanintharyi Division, Kayin State, Mon State, Chin State and Rakhine State. Cane is generally grouped into large species and small species. La Mae Kyain is a large species, which is particularly suitable for making frames of large wicker furniture items such as beds, chairs and trunk. Yay Kyain and Kyain Ni are more suitable for weaving and fastening. This type is traditionally used to produce household utility items such as baskets, chairs, trays, cane balls, etc. , by village people and small town cottage industries.
Myanmar now exports cane products to other country such as Holland, Germany, and France and is now an important factor in Myanmar economy Myanmar traditional orchestra instruments (Saing waing) Myanmar music which features strongly any pwe can be rather had for unaccustomed Western ears to enjoy. There are from seven to ten or more musical instrument in the saing waing. They are pat waing, bass gong circle, gong set , main drum ,xylophone, oboe, flute,si drum, cymbal and a bamboo-clipper. The main instrument and possibly the handset to play is the circle of drums (pat-waing).
The circle of brass gongs (kyay- waingO are found to the right of the patwaing. The gong set(kyay moung) has countersunk holes in the gongs for hanging. The xylophone(pattala) is an instrument consisting of a series of bamboo strips strung up with cords. The main drum(patma) is the beam, carving of the dragon. The obve like instrument(hre) is made of plum wood in the past, today they are made of Accacia, it as a full musical scale. The bamboo flute (Palwe) is used especially in musical pieces of a rural nature.
The cymbals (linguing) are made with copper and singapore lead. It is made into a bowl with broad brims and holes are made on top of the bowls through which cords are fixed and the instrument played with both hards by holding the cords. It regulates the beat of all singing and dancing. With the bamboo clipper, they regulate the music. The instrumental players beat all the instruments in rhyme & rythm So Myanmar saing waing gives harmonious & melodious sound to the listeners for enjoyment. More Detail Myanmar Cart Bullock cart and pony cart are widely use in Myanmar.
There are 2 kinds of bullock cart. One is to carry things & the other is fancy bullock cart for passenger service only. Carts are made of wood and bamboo, tie with string. To get a good cart, a carpenter must skillful at art of woodcarving, craft of black smith, turnery. The main part of a cart are; wheel, axle(made by hard wood or iron-rod), shaft, yoke, wooden pins used to harness a draught animal, appendage, thong for tying the yoke to the shaft, compartment. A cart prove that Myanmar craftsmen are skillful in their field.
