Beauty In Everyday Things: Burmese Crafts

Ms. Fraser-Lu tells us that "a visitor to Burma cannot but be impressed by the wealth of traditional arts and crafts still in existence throughout the country.  A casual stroll up the stairway of any of the larger pagodas will reveal a host of simple, finely-crafted local objects for sale."

In the morning Ms. Fraser-Lu will discuss the historical development and role of crafts in society. She will also talk about the influences and contributions of Buddhism and of Burma's regional neighbors such as China and India. Following lunch, we will examine specific objects.  Members are welcome to bring in objects, excluding textiles, for "show and tell". Note that all objects must be registered at the desk at the Museum’s side entrance on McAllister before being brought into the museum.

After graduating from Otago University, Sylvia Fraser-Lu, a New Zealander by birth, spent many years as an educator in a variety of teaching and administrative positions in East and Southeast Asia.  In recent years she has turned her attention to Burma with publications such as Burmese Lacquerware (Orchid Press, 1985 and 2000, Bangkok), Burmese Crafts: Past and Present (Oxford Press 1993, Singapore), and Splendour in Wood: The Buddhist Monasteries of Burma (Orchid Press, 2001). She continues to write and lecture on Southeast Asian art.