Mosaic Art of Myanmar

By Amy Nair

Myanmar is proud of the variety of its traditional crafts, which range from beautifully designed hand-painted umbrellas to making puppets for puppet dances. These skills have been handed down from one generation of artisans to the next. Their creations not only reflect their expertise but the rich heritage of the art.

One art form that stands out is the glassware mosaic art, the roots of which date back to the times of royalty. The tradition started during the Bagan period when it was established as a noble art and used to decorate royal and religious buildings and objects. It prospered during the Amarapura and Ava eras. Today, mosaic art is used to decorate lacquerware, furniture and accessories. The best examples of mosaic art today can be seen in Mandalay Region, Mon State, Dawei, Bago and Shan State.

There are 4 main disciplines of artistic workmanship in Myanmar – Knut (flower style), Kapi (monkey shape), Nari (femininity) and Gaza (elephant base). The same principles apply to the country’s other art forms such as painting.

The shining glorious colours of the mosaic bring every design to life. Sometimes, apart from mosaic tiles, items are studded with precious and semi-precious stones to add glamour to them. During the times of royalty, utensils were embedded with jewels to make them fit for royal use.

Today, the tradition is being continued by the rich and famous who invest money to embed their utensils with such stones to show off their wealth. Varied kinds of gems are used such as jade, rubies, pearls and corals. Even gold is used at times.

Mosaic art involves high levels of workmanship to exude brilliance and splendour. Skilled specialists have been practising this art for ages. It takes finesse and expertise to embed stones of different shapes on glass and create exquisite designs.

Lacquer starch is used as the main ingredient for attaching the pieces on the glass. At times, a glue-like substance called thit-say is used. Thit-say comes in 3 main colours – green, black and red. It is a very sticky and heavy substance that is highly effective in holding heavy stones in place for a long time. Usually, thit-say is mixed with ash obtained from burning cow bone to create the final version of the glue termed theyo. The entire process of creating theyo requires great expertise.

Techniques of mosaic art have been handed down over generations. The expertise lies not only in knowing the design but also in the proper use of pearls, precious gems, coloured glasses and other precious metals in bringing each design to life. Great attention must be provided to each step in order to obtain the best of designs.

Most artists in Myanmar are experts in the ‘kyo-kin spread’ or creating floral designs using valuable gems. Special attention needs to be provided to the weight of each portion to ensure the design holds and is durable. In case of gilding a design with gold, quicksilver needs to be mixed into the thit-say pulp. Otherwise, the gilding will not be held in place. Many times, gold leaves are included in a design.

The subtle work of mosaic art involves various related disciplines that an artisan has to learn. It requires the highest level of expertise, which was why kings used to present the highest rewards to mosaic artists. However, today, mosaic art is a dying art due to low demand. Apart from a few luxury hotels, not many people incorporate mosaic designs in their environment. Due to shortage of funds, pagodas opt for more affordable materials. Nonetheless, the country is putting efforts into reviving the art.

When you visit Myanmar, I strongly recommend visiting a mosaic art workshop to see an artist in action. It is fascinating to see how they bring the designs to life. Do pick up some items as a memento of your visit. It will be your contribution to keeping the art alive.