box
- Museum number
- 1998,0723.268
- Description
-
Small rectangular basketry box with close-fitting lid, 'pachok'. Made of woven split bamboo (plaited basketry) decorated with lacquer, red on the inside and black on the outside. The lid and the base are strengthened with additional splints of bamboo diagonally placed (lid) and longtitudinally (bottom). Several coats of lacquer inside and out serve to stiffen the whole and make it waterproof.
- Production date
- 20thC (mid)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 9 centimetres (max)
-
Length: 15.80 centimetres (max)
-
Width: 4.20 centimetres (max)
- Curator's comments
- Isaacs and Blurton 2000:
Such boxes, with or without a coating of lacquer waterproofing were, until the advent of plastic, the common storage containers in Burmese houses. The largest were woven from strips of toddy-palm leafstalk, sometimes in chequered weave of white with dark brown or black. These little boxes would have held almost any small item, including lucky charms or talismans. Such talismans might even include a lump of nickel-iron meteorite, constantly carried around to provide protection from thunder and lightning.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Good.
- Acquisition date
- 1998
- Acquisition notes
- Bought on 14 January 1994 by Mr. Isaacs from the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Market at Ywama, Inle Lake for 200 kyats.
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1998,0723.268
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: Isaacs 272
