Descriptions

A hmok’ is a ladle/drinking cup with a long handle. This ‘hmok’ has been covered in red lacquer, and decorated in the ‘yun’ style with alternate flowerheads and parrots. An image of the ladle was assessed by Ralph Isaacs who suggested that ‘the style of the pleasant ‘yun’ decoration of flowerheads and parrots would be consistent with a date of around 1930-40’s’ (Pers. Comm. 2005). The donor of the object is Mr R. Waterfield of Teignmouth, Devon; however an exact provenance is unknown.

The ladle is usually located on a private or public drinking pot shelf. Public spirited, charitable people provide these drinking places (a public shelf is known as a ‘yay gyan zin’) and are donated as a deed of merit.

’Yun’ is a form of decoration whereby the lacquer ware is incised with a sharp iron stylus. The incisions are filled with coloured matter to create a design. A detailed description of the ‘yun’ technique is outlined in ‘Burmese Crafts Past & Present’ (Fraser-Lu 1994:232). An example of a lacquered ladle has been documented in ‘Visions from the Golden Land’ (Isaacs 2000:88).




This object is not on display.