The art of tapestry or “Shwe Chi Hto” (gold embroidery) as we call it. is said to have originated in Myanmar about a thousand years ago. It is a form of needlework to create a variety of pictures and patterns so delicate and detailed that it requires skill. artistry and patience. It is a highly decorative embroidery that employs gold thread as its name indicates. but in fact silver and colored threads as well as other materials such as tinsel,sequins, semi-precious gems, colorful cut glass, seed pearls and beads go into the making. The earliest record of such embroidery is the Pyu Period during the reign of King Mahayaza. circa AD 800. The centre of this craft was and still is Mandalay,the long-standing hub of Myanmar culture and art. The ancient ceremonial royal raiment known as the “Maha Latta”,worn from time immemorial by kings and queens is a very heavy gold-embroidered and gem encrusted robe. The Maha Latta was worn by King Thibaw and Queen Suhpayalatt. the last reigning monarchs of Myanmar. Their robes were the creation of skilled seamstresses. goldsmiths and other artisans of Mandalay. These raiment are on display at the National Museum in Yangon. The embroidery of […]
Chinlone, which is also known as caneball, is the traditional sport of Burma or Myanmar. Chinlone is a team sport which is a combination of sport and dance. Chinlone is more on creativity and not competitiveness. Chinlone in Burmese means basket-round or rounded basket. The ball is made from rattan. The game is played by two teams with six players each. They pass the ball back and forth using their feet, knees, and their heads as they walk around a circle. While the rest pass the ball around, a player goes into the middle alone, and the player creates a dance of different moves strung together. If they drop the ball to the ground, the play should start again. This game is usually played barefoot or using chinlone shoes that will let the players feel the ball and the ground. The players can make contact with the ball through the top of their toes, the inner and outer sides of the foot, the heel, the sole, and the knee. The sport requires extreme flexibility, agility and fitness as well as exceptional coordination. Chinlone has played a prominent role in Myanmar for about 1,500 years. It’s style is so performance based […]
As I am working at the Hotel by the Red Canal Mandalay, gives me a chance to interact with people from many other countries. I realized that most of our guests praised to their room keys which are made up of “Palm Leaf”. Then I got an idea to write about the “Palm Leaf” and started collecting the sources, history and data related to that. Surprisingly, one of our valuable guests from UK asked me why I did not have a last name. In fact, I was a little puzzled by their questions and a little embarrassed because I had no answer to give. I just said that it’s not our custom to name a child after his or her father’s name, although some people do.I realized again that the traditional Myanmar way of naming children is quite unique. The technique is an astrological calculation that includes a person’s virtues, the day they were born according to the Myanmar lunar calendar. These calculations are called a “Zartar” in Myanmar language and are etched or inscribed into a palm leaf with a stylus. I had seen the leaves on a wall at my house but had never paid much attention to […]