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Monywa is a city in Sagaing Region, Myanmar, located 136 km northwest of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the River Chindwin. River transport on the Chindwin has always been important as it is navigable for 640 km

There are in Myanmar ten traditional arts, called pan sè myo. In addition to the traditional arts are silk weaving, pottery, tapestry making, gemstone engraving, and gold leaf making.

MOLDING the raw pot.  Many potters in Burma still utilize a kickwheel or hand-turned wheel.  The potter put a certain amount of RAW CLAY on the kickwheel and try to get the shape she wants by one hand while turning the base by another hand or by feet

This particular step is called TRIMMING where the potter uses a wooden paddle to beat the pots to to smooth and make it thinner. A small clay tool called an anvil is held inside the pot so it does not collapse. The anvil is dipped in sand now and again so it does not stick to the inside of the pot.

Beating out a water pot

Pottery, earthenware as well as glazed, is still in common use in households in Myanmar – Burmese households.  Most are in the forms of cooking pots, flower pots, drinking water pots and storage pots.

DRYING process is just a simple step.  The pots are being exposed to the ambient room temperature to occur the dehydration of the moisture in the raw clay

The pots are fired in an open area, with wood, grass and possibly old broken pots piled around them…  This step can be referred to as FIRING process… It is to make the pots free from WATER and MOISTURE content…

The final step is called FINISHING or BAKING.  Yes, the potters bake the pots inside a kiln.  It is a cross-draft kiln, beehive-shaped with a domed roof, made of unfired bricks and mud with a sloping floor. There is no division between the fire and firing chamber.  The kiln is supported at each side by a high brick wall and each is protected by a bamboo roof. The baking temperature is probably about 1,000°C

There are 10 traditional arts, called pan sè myo, listed as follows:

•1. Panbe (the art of blacksmith)•2. Panbu (the art of sculpture)•3. Pantain (the art of gold and silver smith)•4. Pantin (the art of bronze casting)•5. Pantaut (the art of making floral designs using masonry)•6. Panyan (the art of bricklaying and masonry)•7. Pantamault (the art of sculpting with stone)•8. Panpoot (the art of turning designs on

the lathe)•9. Panchi (the art of painting)•10. Panyun (the art of making lacquer ware)In addition to the traditional arts are silk weaving, pottery, tapestry making, gemstone engraving, and gold leaf making.

Colonial Burmese Silver Bowl

The art of Pantain (gold or silver smith) means that making items of gold or silver.

Silver smith is the art of making prize-cup, drinking bowl, receptacle bowl, shield and belt. Gold smith is the art of making ear-plug, ear-drops and ear-ring

Myanmar’s traditional arts and crafts artistic creation of gold and silver wares comes under the genre (ba-dain) art of making items in gold or silver.

Bangle decorated with Pyinsarupa, Museum Yangon

British Museum

An example currently displayed in the British Museum

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

Silver bowl, Burma - late 19th century

Silversmiths workshop Ywahtaung village (home of the silversmiths' guilds)

Near Sagaing is a village named Ywahtaung which is the center of silversmith craftsmen. They are well-known for their engraving of beautiful figures and scenes and for their silversmith skills. Here you can see silver workers producing bowls and other silver items by traditional methods

The Chinthe is a form of a mythical lion. In Myanmar legends, lions are noted for their bravery thus considered as the best guardians for religious shrines

Myanmar's rivers and streams as well as various mines have been producing precious metals for centuries. There are no big gold mines but there are two silver mines in Myanmar, one near Namtu Town in Northern Shan State and another called Baw Saing, in the Southern Shan State near Pindaya. Chronicles record that the Baw Saing mines had been worked since 1426.

It takes years of experience and dedication to work in silver but judging by the amount produced in Myanmar from all over the country there seems no lack of talent for the present or for the future

To polish the silver, the fruit of a certain type of acacia is boiled in water, and the silverware washed in the resulting soapy water with a hard brush. Sometimes soot is applied to some areas so that the embossed figures stand out. Although the process is slow and must be done carefully, the silversmiths however take pride in their work, content to produce works of quality.

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 crow about.

As in all crafts, apprenticeship starts early in boyhood, first by working at the atelier merely fetching and carrying for about a year or two, during which the master judges if the boy has any promise.

Then he is allowed to do more important work, still basically fetching and carrying or working the bellows and would not be allowed to use the tools as yet.

He practised drawing, beginning with the 'Kanote' design, the first of the four basic Myanmar patterns. Kanote means flower and next comes Nari, human figures; Kappi, monkey; and Gazza, elephant.

Akka headdress

Burmese bracelet

Burmese traditional scenes

Burmese Silver Teapot early 20th century

Burmese Silver Bowl

Burmese Pierced Bowl, Late 19th century

Burmese Cream jug - late 19th century

On the road to Monywa

Monywa Beautiful lake and bridge

Monywa is a major centre for trade and commerce and for agricultural produce from the surrounding Chindwin valley, especially beans, orange, pulses and jaggery (palm sugar).

The name Monywa comes from "Mon" meaning "cake or snack food" and "Ywa" which is the Myanmar word for village.

There is a legend which says that in the old days a Myanmar king fell in love with a seller of cakes from this town and made her his queen. The original name some say is Mon - thema- ywa or "Village of the woman cake seller". There has been a big village at Monywa from the Bagan Period. The classical name for Monywa is Thalawadi. The chronicles mention that Monywa was one of the places where King Alaungphayar encamped for the night on his campaign to Manipur in 1758. During the Myanmar kings' time Monywa remained just a big village as the administrative centre for the region was at Ahlon. It was only a year after the Annexation of 1886 that Monywa became the Headquarters of the Lower Chindwin District. In the last few years with the legalizing of the border trade with India, Monywa has grown into a bustling trading.

Bogyoke (General) Aung San (1915 –1947) was a Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, founder of the modern Burmese army (Tatmadaw), and considered to be the Father of modern-day Burma. He was responsible for bringing Burma's independence from British colonial rule in Burma, but was assassinated six months before independence. He is recognized as the leading architect of independence, and the founder of the Union of Burma. Affectionately known as "Bogyoke" (General), Aung San is still widely admired by the Burmese people, and his name is still invoked in Burmese politics to this day.Aung San had a daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is a Burmese politician and the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize

Monywa Shwe Gu Ni Pagoda dating from the 14th century, famous for its magnificent architecture. The 33 meters high Buddha Image is sticked by gold foils

Monywa Shwezigon Paya

Monywa Shwezigon Paya

Monywa Shwezigon Paya

Monywa Shwezigon Paya

Monywa Government Technical College

Aung San Suu Kyi, 2012

Aung San Suu Kyi, 2012

Aung San Suu Kyi, 2012

Supporters of Myanmar opposition

leader Aung San Suu Kyi dance before the start of a public rally

with her attendance in

front of Letpadaung

mine in Monywa

town, northwestern

Myanmar, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012.

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu & InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound Hlaing Win Maung - Serene mountain scenary