Umbrella is a utensil to protect oneself from the heat of sun and drenching with rain. People wear them over their heads as a shelter. So umbrellas are useful items that can make people cool and feel secure.

Pathein Umbrellas, possessing these characteristics, are made of Myanmar handicraft. It’s named after the capital city of Ayeyawaddy Division in lower Myanmar where they are produced.

Production of Pathein Umbrella has been a family cottage industry since over 100 years ago. As time goes by, umbrella makers innovate new designs and new types. The most wonderful type is a water-proof one.

Ko Min Naing
Shwe Sar Pathein Umbrella Production

We produce Pathein umbrellas. The one made of cotton and satin are targeted for local markets. In addition we are producing water-proof umbrellas and those for nuns and monks. Besides, we now produce Bagan Era umbrella, Mandalay Era umbrella, etc to expose ancient traditions with people by learning method of old designs from my grandpa and father.

Although the types and designs of umbrellas may vary, the parts of an umbrella remain unchanged. If you set your eyes on an umbrella, you’ll learn that bamboo is mainly used. Especially they use Tharaku bamboo. The advantages of Tharaku bamboo is having compact stem and resistance to warm, weather and water that make the umbrella durable. In an umbrella, only the part where the ribs converge and are held together called Htee Goung and the frame work of the ribs called Htee Ohn are made of wood. You can observe technique of smoothening bamboo ribs until they have capacity of bending. They are very skillful in adjusting long bamboo ribs bend in the same position at the same length. Only then the curving round edge of the umbrella’s roof will look beautiful.

Pure cotton is used for the roof of the umbrellas because cotton is cool, can be used roughly and has a resistance to water. The natural colour of cotton is white. You have to colour it with a mixture of resin and dye. Resin is obtained from persimmon fruit. They are very useful in making an umbrella. The significant fact of a Pathein umbrella is the use of natural raw materials and handicraft. You can use a Pathein Umbrella for at least 3 years.

It’s interesting to watch drawing floral designs on the umbrellas. Hand made floral designs on the round roof of the umbrellas are so neat and nice that they seem to be a machine work. The standard of Myanmar painting is excellent. Nowadays, designers have begun to use the pattern of floral motifs that can be seen on the walls of ancient pagodas. That’s a kind of preserving and exposing artworks of successive eras.

Our main customers are from Germany and French. They use them as decorative items in the gardens, at dinners and when they throw parties and also in hotels. They mainly use large umbrellas. The designs of these large umbrellas are starting to penetrate international market. I think 99% of tourists like Bagan Era designs. 50% of tourists like Mandalay Era designs while 30% love Pathien umbrella.

They decorate the umbrellas with dark colours drawing horizontally or diagonally. Those dark colours make the viewers feel tranquil beauty. The flower designs are bright and beautiful. Although the technique of handicraft has never changed, designers innovates new floral designs and the structure of umbrellas.

Besides the round umbrellas that you’re ever seen, they are producing square, hexagonal and octagonal umbrellas. We must preserve our handicraft industry that has flourished a long time ago with good intention. Myanma traditional handicraft can now stretch its legs into the whole world because of smooth transportation, market oriented economic system being practiced and the producers’ creative and innovative ideas.