Antique Burmese Lacquer Storage Box Large 9 ½” Tall Intricate Design

Description

This is a large and beautifully decorated storage box
that I bought
from a
well recognized
antique dealer
in
Yangon,
formerly known as Rangoon,
on a trip to Burma in 2002
.
There is an inscription (in beautiful Burmese script) over each of the drawings.
It is in very good condition for its age, there are several cracks in the lacquer lid which are very hard to detect.
The box has an interior
cinnabar bowl.
This bowl has a number of white “blobs” which I have not tried to remove.
The sides of the
interior
cinnabar bowl
is in fair condition.
The bottom
of the
interior
cinnabar bowl
has a beautiful design which is repeated on the bottom of the primary storage box.
Please look carefully at the pictures, and ask for more if you like.
These pictures are incorporated into the description by reference.
Lacquer in Myanmar is called “Thitsi” meaning the sap of a Thitsi Tree (Melanhorrea Usitata), which is native to Southeast Asia.
T
he Thitsi tree grows wild in the Shan State and hilly regions. The resin of this tree has been extracted and used for coating and varnishing by Myanmar folks since the beginning.