Bagan is famous for its ancient cultural heritages as pagodas, temples and its architecture. Now, we are going to present the process of manufacturing Shwezawar Lacquer-ware, one of the traditional handicrafts of Bagan Gift Centre. This Shwezawar Lacquer-ware is made from pure gold.

Wood or bamboo is vanished to give a glossy surface using resin obtained from the tree. The obtained material is called Lacquer-ware.

Then on that surface, with the help of sharp iron rod, various significant designs are drawn and painted. First of all, bamboos are split into thin strips. These thin strips are then matted into various shapes.

Afterwards, resin is applied and kept in the basement for 5 to 7 days. To get a durable one, resin is applied again and again and later dried. On the black surface, men draw Myanmar traditional floral motif and scenes from the Ten Jatakas. The datials of the art work are left for women.

Later, gold leaves are pressed on to the patterns. Unnecessary parts are coated with yellow paint.

These are kept for 15 minutes and then washed away. Now beautiful and precious Shwezawar Lacquer-ware is ready.

Compare with other ordinary lacquer, Shwezawar Lacquer-ware looks more magnificent. So, there’s no wonder that Shwezawar Lacquer-ware becomes everyone’s favourite.