Antique Burmese Lacquer School Case

Dimensions: 30.5cm wide, 20 cm high, 11cm deep.
Code: WOOD 0622

This gorgeous Burmese lacquerware school-case was handmade by specialist artisans in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in the late 19th century/early 20th century and today is a scarce and highly sought after object. The case is richly decorated on every external surface. There is bird motif on the top side and a floral motif on the bottom side. The owner’s name has been hand painted near the handle of the case. The interior is black lacquerware The antique case is in very good condition consistent with age, the latch and hinges work well, and the hand-paint work is vibrant. The underside has some wear and tear as per the photographs.

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 Over time porcelain, plastic and metal have superseded lacquerware and very few of the workshops remain.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