W45D30H60mm, Mynmar
The Zee Kwet (or) the Myanmar Owls are believed to bring luck and prosperity to a family. The owls usually comes in pairs, a male owl and a female owl. But there is something more. At the base of the female owl, a tiny owl is also painted on it, to make it looks like a family.
SOIL X MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
ASIAN FOLKCRAFT COLLECTION
L200xW130mm, Myanmar
This note book is made entirely by hand in Shan State, eastern sector of Burma. About 11 miles from Hsipaw in Shan State South lies Kyinthi Village beside Mandalay-Lashio Union Highway. Farming and orange is the economic mainstay of the village. Besides, there is a traditional cottage industry there which is production of Shan paper or Mongkai paper in which every house in the village is engaged for extra income.
Shan paper is made from the bark of tree called “Sar”. Such trees grow wild naturally. Shan paper or Mongkai paper is manufactured over one million sheets per month. Some Shan villages make the paper to be thick enough to use as bed sheets whereas some use it as waterproof wear after coating with lacquer.
Item from Soil for the ASIAN FOLKCRAFT COLLECTION
Don’t forget our collectable jewellery event is still on.
Newly arrived pieces with will be featured in the posts of the next following days.
These pieces of jewellery are carefully put together with the art of Chinese knots with the strings all handwoven for the design.
Stay tune!
To see all our jewellery collection, click HERE!
DIA200xH150mm, Myanmar
ASIAN FOLKCRAFT COLLECTION
SOIL X MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
It is almost certain that Burma acquired the technique of lacquer production from China where it has a three-thousand year history. However, the use of lacquerware was not confined to royalty and the monkhood in Burma. Lacquer objects were used daily by commoners. Food, refreshments, clothing, cosmetics and flowers are all put in lacquer receptacles.
The importance of lacquer to the Burmese is probably equivalent to the modern uses of porcelain, glass and plastic combined. Indeed, lacquer has many of the characteristics of modern plastic. It is light, waterproof, easily moulded and dries to a hard state. It can be applied to virtually any surface: plain or carved wood, bamboo, paper, fabric, even metal and stone.
This fruit bowl is made by coiled bamboo, covered by over 20 layers of lacquer and decorated with the Burmese astrological symbols. Process of producing green lacquer ware is rather time consuming: One part indigo was added to ten parts of orpiment to produce a traditional green color. With age, many such green lacquer wares have come to assume appeasing opaque turquoise hue.
DIA130xH90mm, Myanmar
Veronica Gritsenko is a British-Ukrainian artist and scholar. In 2000 she set up the Black Elephant studio in Bagan, Burma and eventually developed her own unique technique and designs based on ancient methods and materials. Black Elephant Lacquer is collected by private connoisseurs and was acquired by the British Museum and The Royal Botanic Gardens Museum.
These bowls are made with horsehair woven in between very thin bamboo splints, with further application of lacquer mixed with rice husk ashes. Burma is famous for a special type of incised lacquerware called “yun” – It’s engraved with a sharp iron stylus and the incisions are filled with colouring matter to create a design.
Item from SOIL for the ASIAN FOLKCRAFT COLLECTION
W90xL200xH230mm, Myanmar
Burmese paper mache is usually made by applying layers of thin, tough, paper and rice paste to a clay model of an elephant. After drying for a day or two, the object is then given a coat of white paint. The body is painted with brightly coloured enamel paints.
These paper maches are not only toys. A donor may commission objects in different shapes for presentation to a pagoda or monastery on special occasions. They are usually made by craftsmen or their families in the vicinity of the pagodas.
This animal paper mache collection from SOIL is avaible at Mountain Folkcraft during the ASIAN FOLKCRAFT event.
DIA60xH50mm, Myanmar
For the first item of the Asian Folkcraft Collection, we have a miniature of Burmese’s traditional lacquer betel box from SOIL.
Betel, tobacco and pickled tea is an expression in Burmese language that speaks of hospitality and welcomes a visitor to one’s home.
The circular betel box at first glance, looks solid, but is in reality nicely fitted with a lid over a small container for holding betel nut. The top of the bowl is fitted with two shallow trays, one on top of the other. The upper tray has four little cups to hold ingredients for making betel nuts: cloves, cutch, and seeds, shredded wild Licorice or sweet creeper.
In the second tray is a layer of dried tobacco leaves. Only when the tray is taken out of the main bowl are green fresh betel leaves revealed.
ASIAN FOLKCRAFT
SOIL x MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
Come to see a collection of folkcraft from all over asia; China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar.
DIA80mm, China
Did you also grow up with Smarties? Those that come in a paper tube with an alphabet on the cap? For me M&M is just not the same, some how this bracelet just bring back all the old memories…
The 
Mountain Folkcraft 
