Silver Art Myanmar Handmade Silver

In Myanmar, arts and crafts are known as (ten kinds of flowers or Pan Se Pwin) Amongst them is Pan Tein or silver smith, creating silver wares. Creating silver wares dates back more than a thousand years.

Silver works in the form of hollow silver casket and votive offerings were discovered in the mounds of old shrines in Sri Khestra of the Pyu period. Figures of Buddha and Arhats in low relief were also found there.

The Glass Palace Chronicle (Hman Nan Yazawin) also described that when Bagan King Anawrahta sacked Thaton and brought Buddhist sculpture and other artifacts back, the King procured also sculptures, turnery works, painting, decorative works in relief with stucco, gold and silverware, etc. These material evidence are concrete proof beyond doubt that silver art is existing since the days of yore.

Various items were made such as betel boxes, bowls, container of lime used in the quid of betel, cover for votive offerings, decorative hilts sheath of dagger, sword or knife and many others.

Buddha Altar

Silver art relief

handmade silver

The people have a high esteem of silver. Large silver bowls are indisputable in maniate ceremonies, alans-swing and Shinbyu (Naritiaher) ceremonies. At the Buddhist shrine and alters, flowers are placed in large silver pots or vases.

Handmade silver ware

had won high reputation even before World War II. In the Art Exhibition held in New Delhi there took the spectators by storm.

To make superb silverware three special skills and qualifications are required:-
1. wealth of folk lore
2. active imagination
3. highly developed skills
Without these expertise, one would not be able to create a real art of making silver wares, based on depicting special design illustrating scenes and episodes from Jataka Tales (Birth Stories of Buddha), rural Myanmar life and life-style, famous fables and legend and artistic floral motifs and realistic scenes and designs.

The type of silver

in Myanmar crafts is sterling silver of 95% purity. In its pure state, the silver bullions in Myanmar are its natural as scenes. However, it is too soft for general use and therefore it is hardened by alloying it with refined copper, in the proportion of (9.25) silver and (0.75) copper. Which is the legal standard the resultant alloy in known as sterling silver and is almost the ideal metal for the handicraft. For certain silver, it may be necessary to further harden it by alloying.

Silver specification

1. First Grade : (99.9%) Sterling Silver
2. Second Grade : (95%) Sterling Silver
3. Third Grade : (50%) Sterling Silver
4. Fourth Grade : (25%) Sterling Silver

Today, artistic silver bowls with embossed figures, flower vases, pander boxes, tea and coffee sets with artistically embossed figures, wine cups, embossed salt pepper sets

Silverware set

Silver Silverware

creating bowls

embossed flower vases

silver silverware shop

Silver Art Myanmar