There are 10 Myanmar traditional arts which are metaphorically called "Ten Flowers".

Panbe (the art of black smith)

The art of Panbe (black smith) is the tempering of iron in the furnace to make necessary items. The artisans make ox cart axle, ox cart iron, tyres, scissors, hammers, adze, pick axes, knives, hatchets, axes, digging hoes and mattocks.

The Myanmar’s traditional black smith craft emerged in the early part of the Bagan period (11th century A.D) and it had improved in the mid Bagan, Ava and Yadanapon periods.

Myanmar’s traditional black smith craft, from Inlay region was famous in the Yadanapon period. Many types of the black smith craft articles were available, such as military armour, weapons, files, pick axes, mattocks, hoes, swords etc. The Myanmar’s traditional black smith craft is very famous in the South East Asia.

Panbe Black smith

Panbu (the art of sculpture)

The art of Panbu (Sculpture) means the one which produces figures and floral designs made of wood or ivory. The artisans make the figures of humans, animals and floral designs. Myanmar’s traditional sculpture emerged before the Bagan period and it improved during the Bagan era. Myanmars’ sculpture base the religion of Buddhism which arrived from Southern India in the 11th century A.D.

Most of the wood sculptures of the Bagan and Ava periods have been lost under various circumstances and only a few are left today. One outstanding wood sculpture belonging to the Bagan period is the one at the old portal of Shwezigon pagoda at Nyaung-U. Those who want to see wood sculptures of Yatanapon (Mandalay) or latter Yadanapon periods should visit following places:

·         Shwe-inbin Monastery, Mandalay

·         Bakaya Monastery, Inwa

Myanmar’s traditional sculpture contains wood sculptures, stone sculptures and plaster sculptures but more wood sculptures will be seen in many arts and crafts shops, in many cities of Myanmar.

Outstanding works of Panbu can be seen at Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan.

(refer left)

Pantain ( the art of gold and silver smith )

The art of Pantain ( gold or silver smith ) is an enterprise of making items of gold or silver. Silver smith is the art of making drinking bowls, receptacle bowls, prize-cups, shields and belts. Gold smith is the art of making ear-plugs, ear-drops, ear-rings, with a screw-on back piece, finger-ring bracelets , pendents and necklaces.

Myanmar’s traditional arts and crafts artistic creation of gold and silver wares come under the genre (ba-dain) art of making items in gold or silver. Creating silverware had been with Myanmar for the past one thousand two hundred years, and judging from the workmanship of the silverware that belong to those early years, it is indeed something for the Myanmar’s to boast about.

According to the crystal palace chronicles, during the reign of King Anawrahta the relics of Buddha and the three repositories of Buddhist scriptures were brought to Bagan from Suvunna Boumi, the Mon capital, along with them came Mon artisans and works of Mon arts and crafts, gold and silverware etc. Going further back into the past, we find Pyu silver works of art discovered from the mounts of old shrines of Sri Ksetra.

Pantin ( the art of bronze casting )

The art of Pantin is an enterprise producing materials of copper, bronze or brass. The artisans make triangular brass gongs, and brass bowls for monks, weights in the shape of ducks, trays, copper pots, cup bowls, cymbals and bells.

 Myanmar’s traditional coppersmith’s craft emerged before the Bagan period and it improved during Bagan and Ava periods. Every pagoda in Myanmar has bells, which were struck to tell the people of good deeds done.

They are triangular bells which twirl when struck and ring with a sweet rising and falling tone, which gradually fades away.

Moreover there are gongs, slung from carved ivory or wood elephant trunks, which are prized as dinner gongs.

Different sizes and shapes of bells, all unmistakably Burmese in design, are popular as souvenirs. So are other castings such as weights and cow bells.

Pantaut ( the art of making floral designs using masonry )

The art of Pantaut ( stucco sculpture ) means a handicraft of making decorative floral designs in relief with stucco. The artisans make the figures of lions, dragons and floral designs with stucco.

Myanmar traditional stucco carving emerged before the Bagan period and it improved in the Bagan, Ava, Amarapura and Yadanapon period. According to the historical records, Stucco works were very famous in Bagan period. Stucco works of Bagan period have detailed decorations.

After Bagan we had Stucco carvings of mid-Konbaung or Amarapura period, which are very Burmese in style and very fine. The curled leaves and buds, though few, look very beautiful. The buds and flowers in bunches in the centre of the portal at U Kin-danke are unique.

Panyan ( the art of bricklaying and masonry )

The art of Panyan (Mason) is an enterprise which constructs the buildings using bricks, stones and cement. The masons build brick houses, Pagodas and bridges.

Myanmar’s traditional masonry works enjoys world wide renown for the ancient Pagodas and other religious buildings around the Bagan region. The Burmese traditional masonry of the Bagan period is the highest developed of all the historical periods.

Their works are remarkable for their strength, grandeur, beauty of form, immensity of volume, detailed and appropriate decorations and the power to hold the spectators in awe.

The Burmese traditional masonry has been derived from the Mon culture of Suvanna Bhumi and in the Southern Indian’s culture of the 11th century A.D.  Burmese Masonry has emerged since the Pyu period in the 1st century A.D.

Pantamault ( the art of sculpting with stone )

The art of Pantamault ( stone sculpture ) is the one stones curving. The artisans make Buddha images pole for sima, pillars, elephants, deers, circular flat stones, pestles and mortar and tables.

Sculpture in stone is a significant feature of Myanmar fine arts, has to this day been the pride and honour of Burmese people.

There are sculpture studios or workshops in Yangon, Mandalay and other towns in the country, but the majority of studios are concentrated in Mandalay. There are very fine works of art in stone to be seen at plaques depicting the life of the Buddha at Ananda, Bagan.

Flower designs in the interior of the portal at Kyawkku-U min, Naung-U Nanhpaya, Myinkapa plaques portraying the 550 Buddhist birth-stories at Puhtotawkyi, Amarapura and the great image at Kyauktawkyi, at the foot of Mandalay Hill.

Panpoot ( the art of turning designs on the lathe )

The art of Panpoot is an enterprise to make wooden utensils turning on a turners lathe. Such as making shafts of umbrellas, table legs, and legs of beds and turnery posts for Pavilions and railings.

Myanmar’s traditional crafts of a turner emerged in the Bagan period in the 8th century A.D. The craft of a turner is an art which is made by rubbing the woods on the turner’s lathe. Crafts of a turner artists are based on the traditional styles of Bagan, Ava and Yatanapon period.

Besides that, Myanmar’s craft of a turner artists are very interesting. Diversity in the shape of the craft of a turner, food containers, boxes, bowls, taunglon tables, chairs etc. all makes them attractive. The Myanmar’s traditional arts and crafts owed a great deal of influence of Mon, the people of suvanna Bhumi-artists and artisans the Southern India’s culture in the early Bagan period.

Panchi ( the art of painting )

The art of Panchi ( painting ) is the one which illustrates living animals and inanimate objects using different colours. The artists paint the figures of human beings, animals, objects, scenery designs and cartoons. Myanmar traditional painting developed with the religion of Buddhism in the Bagan Region. Thus, Bagan become a repository of ancient Myanmar traditional paintings and sculptures in the 11th century A.D. Because of Myanmar artist’s achievements, we have more paintings of Konbaung period than those of Ava, they are more colourful and lively. During Yadanapon of Mandalay period more painting were done in folding books called purapaik and on canvas than on the wall. The wall paintings at Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay were executed in later Yadanapon period. Most of these paintings have been copied and collected by the Archaeological Department, Myanmar.

Panchi

Panyun ( the art of making lacquer ware )

The art of Panyun ( Lacquerware ) means a handicraft which produces materials made of bamboo, wood and thick black varnish (sis-se). Lacquerware artisans produce alms food bowls, bowls for monks, and bowls of pickle tea, lacquer vessels, drinking cups, betel boxes, and cheroot boxes.

Myanmar traditional lacquerware emerged in the early part of Bagan period. Myanmar traditional lacquerware drawing styles derived from many stories of Buddha’s life.

Burmese lacquerware is one such product, whose art goes back to the 11th century. On a framework of woven, finely cut strips of bamboo, mixtures of thit-see resin with clay and ash are carefully built-up and finally polished with the ash of fossil wood.

The designs are then etched or painted by hand. The most traditional Burmese lacquerware is of a unique terracotta colour, with scenes from the jatakas, the Buddha’s former existence, etched and then filled in with green pigment. More modern designs are in deep, velvet black, with simpler figures laid on in genuine gold leaf. Many types of Burmese lacquerware articles are available, such as boxes, vases, trays, bowls and even coffee tables. Bagan, site of the architectural wonders of the East, is the home of this craft.