Silverware

Burmese silver smith workshops are manufacturing silverware such as Boxes, Plates, Cups, Baskets, Ceremonial Bowls, Bangles, Bracelets, Earrings, Rings, etc. All are made by hand with no machines used.

The value of the silverware is depending on weight and quality of workmanship. Some silverware such as Baskets are made by weaving small silver threads/strips. Some are in plain and engraved design. The most popular style is embossed figures on the surface of Boxes or Bowls. Those figures are the expressions of stories e.g. Ramayana (a Sanskrit epic poem), etc. and the lifestyle of Burmese people.

Silversmiths in Myanmar are one of the traditional arts. Silverwares are usually adorned with figures from religious stories and folklores and floral designs. To make silverwares, silver is mixed with brass and melted. When silver and brass are melted and mixed, the alloy is transformed into ingots, which in turn are hammered and cut as required.

Figures and floral designs are drawn on the outer surface with pencil. Sealing-waxes are used in filling up the inside and cover the outside of item. The desired figures and floral designs are then curved and embossed with chisel and awl. After the curving work is completed, the silverware is polished and washed to shine.