Description
OASM/B018
Burmese, Bamar people.
Mandalay, Burma/Myanmar
Ceremonial offering vessel, hsun-ok
Bamboo, wood, lacquer, gold leaf, metal and glass.
17 inches x 7.25 inches x 7.25 inches. 1.12 lbs (770g)
Good condition, slight wearing of the gold leaf on the base due to age and use. The bird’s wings have been bent
Offering receptacles such as this one are called hsun-ok. Mandalay is known for this style with heavy inlayed glass and gilded with gold leaf. Just about every Burmese home has some form of these elegant vessels that would be used to transport and offer gifts to a monastery or temple for merit.
This hsun-ok is made from a coiled basket and wood core and then layered with natural lacquer. Decorated with ribbons of lacquer called thayo. 8 embedded glass “jewels”, mintzi technique, surround the lid and is mimicked on the base below. Smaller pieces of fragmented glass accent, hman zi shew, accent the rings interlaced with ribbons of thayo work. Then finished with gold leaf. Its further embellished with the hintha which give the vessel additional importance. The small size suggest that this vessel was used to transport money or other precious items to be presented at a temple.
Written on the bottom of the tray insert in Burmese “Ma Khin May”, more than likely the woman’s name who made the donation.
46.5 cm x 19 cm x 19cm
