betel-box

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Object Type
Museum number: 1998,0723.137
Description: Betel-box made of woven and coiled split bamboo and lacquer. With slightly domed lid and base in the Shan style and with one interior tray. The interior is covered in a plain cinnabar red lacquer coating (the interior of the drum is marked with the remains of some deposit, rather like solidified wax - perhaps some betel ingredient). The top of the lid is decorated in the yun technique with the 'Chinese cloud-collar' design in black. This is on a red ground which has been dotted with yellow; at the edges are bands of yellow yun decoration which imitates the inlaid bamboo strips seen on the side of the lid. The latter appear above and below a register of red with black 'scribbled' and dotted yun decoration; there are also further bands of imitation inlaid bare bamboo. The exterior of the drum is decorated with six registers of yun fish-scale pattern.
School/style
Production ethnic group
Production date: 20thC (early)-20thC (mid)
Production place: Made in: Shan State
Materials: bamboo; lacquer
Technique: woven; coiled (basketry); yun; lacquered
Dimensions: Diameter: 14 centimetres; Height: 9 centimetres
Bibliographic references: Isaacs / Unpublished Lacquer Catalogue; Isaacs & Blurton 2000 / Visions from the Golden Land. Burma and the art of lacquer (p. 110) (Photograph only; given here in error as representing 1998. 7-23. 140 which is the betel-box described in the text.)
Location: Not on display
Condition: Crack across the domed surface of the lid; chips to base of lid; lacquer surface missing on part of tray, exposing basketry; deposit in bottom of drum (see Description); worn on exterior of base, and crack.
Acquisition name: Donated by: Ralph H Isaacs; Donated by: Mrs Ruth Isaacs
Acquisition date: 1998
Acquisition notes: Bought by Mr. Isaacs from one of the market stalls beneath the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda at Ywama on Inle Lake, southern Shan States.
Department: Asia
Registration number: 1998,0723.137
Additional IDs: Miscellaneous number: Isaacs 139

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