“Lord of the Gold Turtle”, or The Myanmar Lacquers’ Inscriptions from the State Museum of Oriental Art Collection

Abstract

Features of the peculiar “lacquer epigraphy” of Myanmar, i. e. lacquer inscriptions are considered in the paper on examples of artworks from the collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art. The appearance of inscriptions in lacquer art, called pan-yun in Myanmar, dates to the ancient tradition of accompanying cult monuments with donor texts, which was largely associated with the Buddhist idea of acquiring merit that affects a person’s future life. In the medieval period, lacquerware’s inscriptions were applied mainly to religious objects, and only in the 20th century did they become traditional in the domestic sphere as well. The “lacquer epigraphy” contains good wishes, comments on pictorial narratives, messages about the traditional and high quality of products, the place of manufacture, the name of the workshop, customer, or master, and less often, the date of production. An analysis of the inscriptions leads the author to the conclusion that, overall, they remain within the Buddhist paradigm of accumulating and passing on religious merit.