UNIVERSITY OF YANGON DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF YANGON

DE PA RTM ENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY

T HE P RO DUCTI ON AND UTILIZATION OF

GOLD LEAVES IN MYANMAR

HNIN NU NU AYE

MRes-Anth-3 (2008-2009 )

M ASTER OF RESEARCH (ANT HRO POLOG Y)

UN IVE R SIT Y OF YANGON

DEPARTMENT OF ANT H RO POLOGY

THE PROD UCTIO N AND UTI LI Z ATI O N OF

GOLD -LEA VES IN M YANMA R

MA HNI N NU NU AY E

MR es-Ant h-3 (2008-2009)

MA ST ER O F R ESEARCH (ANT H ROPOLO GY)

UNIVERSITY OF YANGO N

DEPARTME NT OF A NTHROPOLOG Y

THE PRO DUCTI ON A ND UT I LI Z A T I ON OF

GO L D-LEA YES I N MYANMA R

ResearchThesis issub mi tted forthe Degreellf Maste rof Resea rch in Anthropology

Subm itted

Ma H IIin N Il Nu A ye

Roll N o. MR es-A II th-3 (200 8-200 9)

YA NGO N

2009

ii

I,

TH E PROD UCTION AND UTI LI ZATI ON OF G O LD L EAV ES

I N MYANMAR

MaHoin Xu NuAye

~IRcs.An t h-3(2008 -2009) MAST EROFRESE AR CH () IRcs:)

Anthro po logy

Department ofAnth ropology May,2009

ApprovedbyBoard ofExaminers

Ch ai rp erson

Dr.Myu MyuKhin

Lecturer, Head ofDcpart mcnt Departme ntofAn thropology Univers ity ofYango n

Superv isor DawTh a n Pule Lecture r

Depa rt m ent ofAnthro po logy University of Vango n

ExternalExaminer Daw Sanda l'Win

Lecturer,Head of Department Depar tm ent of Anthropology Universityof'Ea stYangon

Internal Examiner Dnw Kyin Krill Lecturer (parttime)

Departm entof Ant hropology Unive rs ityof Yangon

T HE PROD UCTIO N AN D UT ILIZATION OF

GO L D- LEA YES I N MYANMA R

Abslracl

Acknowledgcmcnts Introduction

ChapterI

ChapterII

ChapterIII

ChapterIV

Listof maps Reference

Listoflnforments

CONTENT

u

LiteratureReview 3

1.The meaning of "ShweSoing"and its 3 terminology

2.Historicalbackgroundofgold-leafcraft 3

3.Materials andMethods 5

TheproductionofGold-leaves 7

I.Themakingofraw materials 7

2.111Cmakingof gold-leaves 12

3.Observationofthe lives of thegold-leafworkers 18

Theutilizationof Gold-leaves 20

I.Gold-leavesofferingat theShwe-da-gonpagoda 22 2.Gold-leavesofferingatMahaMyat Muniimage 24 3.Nat images aredecoratedwith gold-leaves 25 4.Gold-leaves are used by humanbeingsfor health 25

andbeauty purposes

5.Useof gold-leavesinarticles 26

ResultandDiscussion 27

Abs tract

Myanmar is a country where Buddhism nourished and in regions where many Buddhists reside. Manypagodas, images, monasteries and lakes can be found. They are significant symbolsof the Buddha delicate to have memory byhisdevotees.On boththe pagodas us well as the images, gold leaves arc applied as a robe offering became intcrested in this traditional emit in Myanmarculture.This isnamed as "The production and utilization of gold-leaves in Myanmar" is the outcome of my research. This thesis will be written from the view-point of cultural anthropology. Sagaing, Mandalay and Yangonarc chosen asresearchareas.It is composed with four chapters; the meaning of ..Shwe Saing", its historical background. the region where is produced, and the gold- leaves workers' livelihood, the various steps of gold-leaf production and for what purposesisgold-leafusedarementioned. The benefitsderived from thisresearch through theperspectiveofcultural anthropology willbe explored.

Acknowledgemeuts

MayI tender myheart felt gratitude tothe following persons for helpingme write the M.Res thesis, "Th e Production and Utilization of Gold-Leaves in Myanmar".

successfully.

Firstly my benefactor parents and aunts Daw Kyi Kyi 00. Daw ~i Ni Mar.

DewWinWin MyintandDawTinTinWin.

To Daw Kyin Kyin, Lecturer (Head Retd), Department of Anthropology.

UniversityofYangon and Daw SeinSein (Retd)Director. Ministry of Iligher Education (Lower)for her kindsupervisionand advice.

To Dr. Mya Mya Khin. Lecturer, Head of Department of Anthropology.

University of Yangon. Dr. Thidar Htwe Win, Lecturer. Depa rtment of Anthropology.

University of Yangon. Oaw Than Pale, Lecturer. Department of Anthropology.

University ofYangon, DawSandar Win, Lecturer.HeadofDepartment of Anthropology.

UniversityofEastYangon,teachersof Yangon Univers ityand YadanarBon University.

Gold-leavesexpertsand gold-leavestradersMyat-pa-yet.Mandalay.DawTinTin.

Sekutan quarter Mandalay, who explain to me about shwepwa paper made.

Daw Hla Hla Maw. who explainedto me aboutShwe-hlaung pape r. Nyaunggon village.

Sagaing. Daw Than Than 00.who explained to me about how nat imagesaredecorated with gold-leaves.

rxrnonucrrox

Mvan ma r hia countrv where Buddhism Ilcurished and in regions where many

- -

Buddhistsreside.ManyZedi (pagodas),stupas, monasteriesand lakes canbefound.They

are significant symbo lsofthe Buddhadelicate tohave memorybyhisdevotees.On both ihc pagodas

as

v..-cll as the images, gold .lcaf is applied

as

a robe offering became interested inhowthese gold-leafare produced, where and howare the producersof this tine craftand for whomare theyproducedandits purposesabove allwhat isthe place of

gold-leaf in Myanmar culture andtradition.Thisthesis"Theproductionand.utilizatinn of gold-leaves inMya nmar"istheoutcomeof myresearch,

This paper will be written from the view-point of culturalanthropology,Sagaing:

wh ere the raw materials arc made into gold-leaf is one ofthe data collecting areas by interviewing with the owners or producers and the workmen in their workshops.

Photographs of gold-leaf production, tapes ofconversation with the aged persons, who gave theoral historyof geld-le af and itsorigin arecollected.

The pagodasare alsothe places to interview with male andfemale regard lessage to understand the attitude of Myanmar in their use ofgold-leaf As a literature review, hooks written by learned persons in .tra cing its historical origin wiJJ he Jearned and photographsare used fortheir respective sections.

In Chapter (l ), the meaning: of "Shwe Saing" or gold-leaf is given. The craft of gold-leaf, itshistoricalbackground,the region where isproduced, andthepeople whoare involvedinthislivelih oodwillbediscussed.

InChapter(2),how the gold-leaf is produced, the raw materials needed and the variousstepsof production will hedescribed. The interview with big producers.medium producers and small producers, the men and women involved in it, division of responsibility and income will bediscussed.

InChapter(3~\ how gold-leaf isutilizedor for whatpurposesissold-leafused are mentioned as the following. (I) Gold-leaf is applied to Pagoda andstupas as offering a gold-robe. (2)Imagesofthe Buddhaandnetsalsoare appliedwithgold leafin thesame way anoffering the rcbc and apparel, (3) Gold-leafis also used hy human beings for health and beauty purposes and (4) it is also used for articles people use in thei r daily lives.

In CbapterGj.the benefitsderived from this research through the perspectiveof culturalanthropology will heexplored,

2

CIIAPTER I

Literatu re Review 1. Themeaning of"SlowSaillg" and itstermin ology

According to Uni versity Myanmar Dictionary

"Shwe Saing".

m eans a .packet of

j00sheets ofgold foil on thin sheet of paper. These I 00 Meets ofgoldarecalled "Shwe-

la-Smug"."Saillp," _me~U1Sapacketor a group.

In ancient times, gold-leaf

"S nwe Saing"

is called

"Shwe-Myat-Pa",

In archaic

130£ 11.1£1:, "Myat-Po" means "any metal that is beaten into a thin sheet". In archaic

language. the term "Myet-Pa-Khut" means "to beatgold to extremely thinsheet, to make gold-leavl.::s".

In Bagan era, making gold-leaf is said as "leaf-gold, pour gold, apply gold". In

Kon boung era, in the early region of king Aknmg Mintaya •it is said as "beat gold".

When itbecame Mandalay,Yadanaponera,theysay,"Shwe Saing"gold-leafmaking.

:!.lIistoric :tl background of gold-leafcraft

The craft of making gold-leaf is presumed to have originated in India and Sn l.anka.Myanmar had inte rcoursewit h these two count riesfrom Bagan era.According to Saya Thaw Ka. "This craft of making gold-leaf is presumed to have come from the valley ofthe Ganges in Central Asia, where the Buddha gained Enlightenment..Itmust have been brought to Myanmar together with the Buddha

Sasana.

But, evide nce from antiques and strong inscriptions points to the Madras shore in southern India and Sri t.anka. This craft was first found and nourished in Pyu race lived in Thtrikhiuaya and ancient Mon race lived in Thuwunna-bumiThaton. But these races could not establish a united country.It is only later whenMyanmarracecameafter themthat theycouldset up a united Myanmar naing-ugan-da w, the craft of gold-leaf making spread all over the

country.

Myanmar came into the country about AD.SOO and settled in middle regions of thecountry.Theylearntthecraft ofgold-leaf makingfrom thePyuand Mon.In AD.II00 , they were able to unite lower and Upper Myanma r and establish a grand and strong Bagan dynasty. From that time the Kingdom ofBagan had greater intercourse with the craftsmen of ancientIndia and Sril.anka. The pagodas and stupas inBaganresemble the

pagodas and stupas ofIndia and Sri Lan ka. So it is presumed that those arts came from there.

The gold-lea f craft probably came to Myanmar with the missionar ies and merchants ^\\'110 came to Myanmar in those days. The Pyu and Mon learnt from the Indian. Beside!', it comes. fr om SouthAsian countries Eke Siam and Cambodia because Myanmar and Siam have a long history of contact with each other. Thuwunna -bumt Thaton in those days was a sea-port town, giving easy access to foreigners as seen in ancienthistory.

Somescholars believethat gold-leafmaking in Siam, whichmayhavecome form India andthen from Siam to Myanmar through to Ihuwunna-bumiThaton.The craft of gold-leafcan he found in th ese regions. In AD. J057, when King Anawmhto conquered Thaton(name of the country),he took back craftsmenofthe ten craftsto Haj!,an.

The art of.gold-leaf m.ak ing together with painting, sculpture, lacquer ware and the others appeared. The craft of gold-leaf making is a branchof the goldsmith's art. In

Haj!,w/era, purifyin g gold and making gold jewellery became popular.PeopleofHaf!,an

wore a lot of tine gold jewellery.Sothe goldsmithswere able to make gold-leaf whichis gold thatisbeatento a foil.

In the history of Man Shwcsettaw, it is recorded that "Hti Hlaing Shill", King Kyansittha donated two golde n Zayats (Resthouses) and the two to ot-prints of the Buddha applied with gold leaf'. "KingZeya Thein Kho" also came to venerate the foot- prints andhadthemapplied with gold-leaf'. This gold-leaf craftdid not disappeareven applied when Hagan dynasty disintegrated. It can be said that this craft of gold-leaf is applied inInwa era.Because, th ey had th eir clothes boxesinlaid withgoJd and precious stones.

This craft of gold-leaf flourished in the late lnwa era and Toungoo era. In U Kala's, Mahayazawin Vo1.3,itsays King Thiho presented Sinpyushinmin with thesacred tooth, who had the sacred tooth enshrined in Wizaya pogoda and donated . Then he donated 13vis 70ticalsofgold to be beateninto gold-lea f and appliedto the pagoda.So againthe craftof sold-leafis flourished in Toungoo era

In the time of Anaukpha-l.un-mintayugyi, in AD.3605, a king by the title of MahaDhamma-raza, came to the throne who built a gold monastery, Kaung-mhu-daw

4

pagoda and Mahamyatmunipagoda and had them (applied withgold-leaf fully). He also donated the gold umbrella to the pagodas. He was a donor ofgold-leaf tor Ponyashin pagoda too.These evidences prove that the craft ofgold-leaf flourished in the latter part of ToungooeraandNyaungyanera.

Gold-leaf continued to he used m Kon-baung era and AJIJIJJ7K-Min/o}'o U Aung Zeya, (1752-1760), built Maw-da w-myin- tha (Shwcbo myo-dount pagoda). He ordered the gold-leaf department. to take the responsibility for the gold robe of the pagoda. InKon-baungera, thegold-leaf craft was..encouraged and rewarded In YatQnQ-

pon era, because of King Mindon is encouragement and patronage the gold-leaf craft reached its highest demand. He donated many gold-leaf packets to the Shwedagon Pagoda. His majesty gave Jumpsof gold from his treasury to he madeinto gold leaf He gave a particular place for the skilled craftsmen to live and work in. It was named

"Heyma malar-myet-pa-yat" meaning "S hwepywint, Shwepan(gold flower)production

quarter". The quarter still exists till today. the posterity of those craftsmen carrying on theirtrade.

According to veteran craftsmen. theirpatron is

Sa ya Men

who honorable person came from Shan States. He first began this craft in Myanmar, having learnt itfrom the Siam. So till today, people who work with gold remember their indebtedness to saya Mon.Soin their workroom.andtheir houses, glutinousrice, laphet(pickledtea).bananas andabottle ofjuiceare dedicatedto saya Mon andgold-leafmasters.

3. Materia ls nod Metho ds (1).Study Design

This research will be conducted by direct observa tion. indirect observation, and participant observation, and key informant interview. tape recording and taking photographs.

(2).Study Sitesand Population

The place of observatio n fur gold-leaf ind ustry is Myat-par -yat quarter, Maha ..lung Myae Township, Mandalay. Myat-par-ya t quarter is like a

g rant

from King

Alil/dom,.who earmarked-the place with a gold cha in for his royal gold-leaf bea ters, producinggold-leafforhis pagodasandpalace.

There are (10 18) families in My at-par-yat quarter and (130) families are in the business of gold-leafproduction. There are (50) big producers, (40) medium producers and (40) small producers. The big producer needs a capital of above k. 500 lnkhs (Myanma r currency), and 8 or 9 workmen. A medium producer needs above K.30 lakhs and 6 or 7 workm enand asma ll fam ily run business needs above K 10 la khs.The daily wa geworkers are abou t(RO) men and (102) women.

The paper production quarter in Maha Aungmyae Townsh ip are chosen to stu dy about the production of gold-leaf paper. There are (25) families working in paper industry. Nyaungknn village in SUX(Jing division are chosen 10observe how the three kinds ofpaper used in the gold- leafare produced.There are (32) families, among the m (25) families produce the "SbweHlauflg" paper;"Thanote" paperand"Lay"paper.

To actua lly see where and how gold leave!' are put to use at the pagodas and images, Malia Munt payagyi in Mandalay and the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon are .chosen. And then inte rviewin g with a nat-medium in Manda lay,perso n who is using the gold-leaves as a medicine, [e.g. gold-leaves are used for bean disease). and are studied the beautyparlo rsto observehow gold-leaves are used forbeauty.

Chapte r II

The prudu cti un (IfGuld- Ieaves

Inthischapter.what areessentialforthe production ofgold-leaves,wheretheraw materials for the production ofgold-leaves can beget, how they are produced. and the processofgold-leavesmilking are presented. Furthermore,theproducers of gold-leaves, theirworkers.their relationshipandtheirincomeare also mentioned.

1. The ma kingofraw materials

In describing how gold-leaves an: made, Shwe-pwa paper, Shwe-hlaung paper , Thanotepaper and

Lay

paperandotherrawmaterialsaredescribed.

(I). Makin gSkwe-pwa paper

Shwe-p wa paper is a kind of paper used in making gold-leaves. This paper is added to increase the gold. It is made ofHm.vi" bamboo (name of bamboo). obtained from Nyaung-baw TO..vn ship. Shan State and Pyin-Oo-Lwin. Mandalay Division. The processofthe makingShwe-pwapaper is illustratedhyphotographs (See.photo.I to 13).

a. Immersionin limewat er tomake pulp

The bamboo are cut up into IV2feet length and made into strips and tied into small bundles.Theyarepressed into potswith limeandkept for3 years.Itisto make the bamboo soft after (3) years. The bamboo is washed clean ofthe lime and boiled in earthe n ware pots for (2) nigh ts to mak e it soft. The n the bamboo pulp ispounded in a.

motor about (20) ticalsofthe bamboo pulp is mixedwitha bit of water inanaluminum bowlandstirred with adalet(It lookslike blade ora fan.).Thisbamboo pulp mixture is pouredonto adoth stretched on ateak woodframe.Itis.spread evenlybybound.ThenIt is lowered into concrete water tanks, 5 feet x 2 J;2 feet x 2 inches. The cloth sheet with bamboo pulp hasto bekept still in the wa ter and the pulp evenly spread with a round stick. Most of the cloth frame is lifted just above the water tank and drained for (3) minutes. Next the cloth frame is stood up and covered with an absorbent cloth which soaks upthewater. Next. itis sunned out forone day. when the paperisdry tobepeeled off the doth. This cut into 6" squares wh ich are sand papered to he free of dust and

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Photo.S.Boiling earthen ware pots with thebamboo

Photo.4. Pounding thebamboopulp

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Photo.6. Dalet

Photo.7. Balls ofbamboo pulp mixed with a bit of water aodstirredwith aDale'

Photo.S.Spreadingbamboo pulp mixture ona teak wood frame

Photo.9.Spreading the cloth sheet with bamboo pulpwith a round stick

Photo.1O.Drainingthe water

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Photo.12.Peel otIthe cloth from the frame

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Photo.13.Polishingthe paper

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fibers.They are polished in a brick underground vault to be sate from dust and sand. If the paper is not clean, itspoil s the gold-leaf This pa~r is a very important item ingold-

leaf making.

b.polishingsteps in theearthva ult

In the earth vault is an eight feet square shee t of brass on which the paper is beaten over and over again with 1\\'0 sticks. They are made from Thaminthapho tree (mime of tree). The wood is hard and light and does not pray like other woods. These ThrmlinlhfJp ho wooden sticks polish the paper. WhCJ) the paper is beaten th us, the originaldraft paper gradually becomesclear. Before beati ng them theyrubthe paperwith oil from the cheeks and head forthe on content not todryup.They beat the paper until it looks like oil-paper which is ready to he mixed with gold. They need (1200) shee ts of Shwe-pwapape r to a packet ofgold. Since, making this kind of paper is not strenuous work, it can be done easily by women . In Mandalay, street no (80) is the street of traditional^J\1pcTproducersfrom olden days.

(2).MakingShwe-hta ungpa per

Shwe-hlaung paper is used in preparing gold.It is made [rom paddy stra w.Inthe past. the straw is brought from the landown ers in PatheingyiTownship but today it is brought from, Shwebo region because it is the biggest agricultural zone. The price of straw isK.5000 (Myanmarcurrency) per 100bundlesof straw(200 8record). Becauseit is mostly done by women as it is notstrenuous work. Sometimes the men may help out whenmore labor is needed.

To make Shw e-hlaung paper, the bundles ofstraw are put and in the heatofthe sun for one day. Thentheyare pressed down with lime inglazed earthenpotsfrcm (5)to (8)days.Then, itisboiledwithstrong tine for oneday,and left to coolfor3days. Then it is putoutto dryinthe sun.Nextitisputin basketsand taken to theriver hanks to wash .ofTthe lime. They have to tread on the straw.To finish in timejust family labor is not enough. So they have to hire daily wage laborers at K.lOOOper day after washing they havetopick off the rubbish and sun it thenext day.When it isdry, they have to separate the roughandthesoftandkeep fora night.

The next day it is pounded in the motor. lttakes the whole day and four labors.

Again they have to hire daily 4 wage workers at K 1500 a day and supp ly with food for that day. Someti mes if there are shortages of laborers, the members of fam ily may volunteer to hel p out.The pounded pulp is pressed into a pot for one day.The next day, about (10) ticals ofpulp is mixed thoro ughly with water. Then itis poured onto a cloth stretched on frame.This frame is putona waterta nk 6 feet or 5 feet x 3 feet or4Y: feet and 3 inches in deep.The pulp is spread even lyand sunne d for a day when it is dry the paperis peeled off the frame cleaned ofrubb ish and soul and folded a hundred bundles ofstraw yieldsa thousand sheets ofShwe-htoung paper.Theprocess ofthe makingShwe- Mal/figpaperwillbe explained again by photographs(See.photo. 14 to 24).

(3). Milking Thunote pap er

Gold is put intoShwe-pwa paper and hammered. But Thunote paper musthe put on top and bel ow so that Shwe-pwapaper can bear the beat ing. Thanote paper is made from the scraps ofShwe-hlaung left afterthey have cut up the required size .Th ey use these scrapand left. over pieces.

To make Thanote paper, the Shwc-hlaung scraps and leftover are collected and pounded to a pulp. Then it is socked in water for one day. Next it is squeezed dry and poundedwithThammthupho woodstick.

Foreach sheet of paper,35 ticals ofthe pulp is mixed with waterand thoroughly stirred with

a

doles.Then it is powered on to the piece of cloth stretched over

a

frame. The pulp in evenly spread dry hand and putout inthe sun to dry.It ispealed ofthecloth when dry and help folded. Next it is cut up into 6 inches squares and again soaked in water. Then they have to make packets of one soaked sheet and (5) wet sheets and pressed down at the top.This makes all the sheets wetevenly inside.Then the paper is put on an iron sheet and beate roverand over again with Thamintha pho woode n stick to polish it.Thisworkisdone bythe men of the family.When it is done the lhanotepaper is readyforuseingold-lea f production (See.photo.25).

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Photo.18.Pounding the soft straw

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Photo.24.Foldinga bund leof straw

Photo.25. Thanotepaper, yellowone andLaypaper,red one

(~).MakingLay paper

Laypaper is used in making gold-leaves (See.phOlO.25). Itis made in the sa me way as Thanotepaper. Butthey use stra w pulp abo ut 50 ticals pulp is mixed withwater and thoroughly stirred with a dalet,The mixture is poured onto a cloth pieces stre tched over a frame and sun dried.The dri ed sheetofpaper iscutlip into 6" squareand polished bybeating overand ove ragain with Thamtnthapho woodenstick.The finish ed products,

Laypaperare used in makinggold- leave s.

(5)..OtberRaw Muterlals

(1).Sulph ur puwder

Blocks of sulphur are mined in the mountains of Ban Mauk Township, Kachin State. While blocks ofsulphur are ground by hand onslabsofrocks,the powder is puton a piece ofcloth to pick offlists of stones and sand. The powderis carefully packed in a piece ofclothto avoid sand

from

gett ing in.It isused byrubbingthe hands with it. so as to avoid gold fromsticking on the flesh rockslabs.so it is donebythe men ofthe family.

Sometimes,a woman grinds it

(2).Dan(an inst r u ment or foolmade ofbuffal ohorn s)

/Jun in an instrument made ofbuffalo hum to handle pieces (If guld in making gold-leaves. It is made bymen.They cut6inchesx ll2inch of the horn.To make the lip flat.they use a gold smith's chisel after.~e lip is flat and thin.the end past is rounded likea pen. So they make a Dan tool(See.photo.26).

(3).Tabl e for workinggold

This table isa special table to put guld and other things needed to make g.old- leaves. First, they need a teak wood plank one inch in thickness for the surface. The length and brea dth isthe choice ofthe worker after the surfacehasbeen plann ed smooth, il is rolled with a mila In ma ke: it very smooth.Then itiscoated three: limes wilh black..

resin.They make the surface black. so that they couldpick up thethin lightpieces ofgold easily.

10

Photo.26.Dan

Photo.27.Sbwe-pvin ^{1'0 0 111}

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(4). Room (orworking wit hgold

This room for working with gold is called Sltwe-pyin-khun in Myanmar (See. photo.:!7).The female worke rsonly workin it. Ineveryhouse of gold-leavesproduction, this roomis essential. Itis at the head partof the house.Theroom is screened with cloth curt ains. or glass to present air nnd dust from coming in. The young women who make gold-leaves work inthis room. They must avoid fromthe takingthe round bamb ootray orsieve into this room.Theyhave a superstition that when they beakgoldinthat room, it will not he round and smoo th, hut have holes. like those trays, the gold-leaves. will have looks andwillnot be beautiful.The quantity also will be less and sotheir profitwill also beless.

(5).Shwe-Khut-Kyunk-Saing

This is the men's domain and the business term fur this mum is Shwe-khut- kyauk-saing (See. photo. 28).This Kyauk-saing is not in the house. It is separate room from the house and onlymencan enter.It istokeepitclean andnobody must wearshoes in it. Women also demand to complete attention and must not be disturbed by the presence of women. They also believe that gold wit h increase only is they work with con centratio nandhonestly.So.theydo not want any distractions from their work.

(6).Sto ne onwhich the gold is beaten

Thisstoneonwhichgold is beaten, isobtainedfrom"runkin mounta in,to the east of Mandalay.They are a kind of alabaster stone.Ablock ofthis stone mustbe(3) feet in circumference and(I I) inches a surface of is necessary.With chisel and hammerstone is made even and smooth. Tt has toberubbed witha small stone to make itsmoo th. When thestone is smooth.it hastotake L18"xB12"xT2feetandbury it2 feet intheearth.

(7).Hammer to beat gold.

The hammer used to beat gold packet on the Slone is "called Shwe-khut-tu or hammer. The iron head is 2.5 in weight and the handl e is made ofPadauk tree wood.

Otherwood cannot beused forit. When the personis beating the goldwith this ham mer,

11

Photo.28.Shwe-khut-kyunk-saing

his handle become hot because ofhaving to hold ittight. Padaukwood is cool to touch andabletosuckup the sweat and oilfromhis handle.Thishelps the goldtoincrease.

In the K)'aukSatng,there are the stones on which to put the gold packet, Chc- Kan-taing,Myinkhonand

ractna,

which arethingsused inbeatinggold.Che-kan-taing is a brick placed as out atside of the ston e.Myinkhon is the scat for the gold-heater to sit which beatinggold.Theseat inplaced 18inches awayfromthe head of thestonea plank infirmlyattachedto theMyinkhonorseat Pachalisapiece of wood placed onthe front surface of thestone.Itis lied withaniron chainto the postbelowthe Myinkhon.Then, it has two leather string

on

each side. The right side is tied

loose

and the left side istied permanently to stumps in the ground.The packet ofgold is tied with thePachur string firmlytoth estone.

(7). Deerskin bag

The deer skin bagisalso essential item for gold-leaves making.IL isdried in the sun andthe hairisremoved by scrapping with abrokenglass.Then,puttingin a big sheet of Shwe-pwa paper into the deer skin 3 feet lengt h by 4.5 inches breadth. fold, and stickled into anopen bottom bag. Then,'Put in another deer skin bagcross-wise. Using two bagssafeguardstheShwe-khut paper. Deer skin isused because itcansta nd the heat ofthe hammer anddoes notbreak orshred, somakesthegold increase.Ifdeer skin isnot available,stagorgoatskinmayheused.

By observing how the raw materials are obtained and prepare to make gold- leaves,(1)the termsused inthe production ofgold-leaves,(2) how the naturalthingsare useful, and (3) the taboos ofShwe-py in room and Kyauk-saing room in the gold-leaves making can he explored. And then, the making of gold-leaves will be presented continuously.

2.The making ofgold-lea ves

There aretwosteps inthe makingof gold-leaves.They are preparation [or gold- leaves making and actualproductionofgold-leaves.

12

(1). Preparnt lcn for geld- leaves makin g

Forthepreparation,bamboopaper beatingis called Achun-khutandbeating gold into thinsheets is calledShwe-let-saunt-chin.Theprocesses of these areas the following.

a, Bea tingbamboo paper tA cttan kltu/)

Bea ting bamboo paper is a strenuous job and is done only b.y men. To be able to put gold into newShwe-pwa pape r, the paperhas to bebeaten tobe readyfor use.

Thetradeterm is(AcJl(lt/~khut)and the man who does thisjobiscalled(Achan khu tsoya) and hiswage is K(7500/.) pera bundleof paper.

To beat the paper, a bund le of Shwe-pwa paper about (1200) sheets in divided into three portion s. andcovered witha wetdoth for(40)minutes.Next. it is packed ina drycloth and weighed down with a stone for oneday.Next itisput into deer-skinhag!'.

Next, the bags are put between bamboo sticksand tied up and put on gold beatingstone.

Achankhu tsoya sitsonthe seat calledMyinkhon and beatsit witha hammerfor about(5) hrs.Next,the bags arc piliintoa lug earthenjar buried in the ground,Jor about(4)hours Then it is returned to Achan kIWIsaya for a secon d beating.Then it is sent to thegold-

leaves prod ucers, who hang them onbamboo sheets andsunthem torhalfaday.Then he clean sthemof bamboo ti ber with arough cloth andsends ithack thepaper to the Achan kiWIsoy a who beats itlike the firsttime and sends it back to the producer.Thistime, he rubs earthpowderonbothsidesofthe paper,suns them forhalf adayandsendsbackfor third time10AchankJWIsayo only after the third beating the paperisgiven 10 theShwe- KIWIsayabythe produc ers. The Shwc-Klna sayanow puts gold onthesmooth paperand hasto beat it onthe Shwe-Khut stone for half a day.Then,he sto resit in the bigjar.The nextday,the paper isreadyforuseinmakinggold -leaves .

b.Shwetetsumelfin(Beatinggold into thinshee ts)

Shwe let sunt mea ns to turna lump of gol dinto thi nlung sheds.This job is done by men. 3 ticals of pure gold is put on the sto ne and beaten until it becomes pointed at oneend. Then itisput into a cruciblewhichisput onlive coals afte r(15-20) minutesthe gold heg ins to meltwhile it is onthe tire the workmanhas to stirthe melting gold with a carbon stick. It isto make thebits iron and dust inthe gold to stick to the bottom ofthe

crucible whenall the gold has melted.And it has to be taken offthe tire and let is cool and solidify. Then it is beaten on the stone again.This proce!'!'of melting, cooling and be3ting hasto be done (5-6)times while it ison thefire.Theyhave to sprinkle salt on the gold. It iscalled "Sa-cha", and done to clean the gold of impurities. The gold sheets are rolled in a machine and put on th e fire in fum. When the gold sheets become very thin, theyhaveput coconut oil, so that the goldsheets will not st ick to the roller.Thisvery thin sheet of gold is called Shwe thew. These are put in tire to clean off the oil. When it is cold, nne has to rub his hands with ash and stretch the be nt Shwe thwe.The 3 ticals of goldsheets is divided into fourShwcthwe,eac h we ighing)!..ticals.Then,eachShwc thwc

isfolded and beatenand put on tire and cooled.This Shwe thwe is unfolded and cleaned by hand.Jtis putinto thefire again and watersprinkled onit when thegold becomesred.

Tben. Jt istaken off the fireandcooled and unfolded. Now it is readyto be used ingold- leaves making.

(2).ActUlJIPro d uctionof gold-leaves

There are (8) steps in ma king gold-leaf In the various steps.. the light and sma ll detail wo rk is done by the women and the heavy worklike beating gold is done by the men. So me workare shared by all. one must work with a steady mind and bealert.It is also important to have a good eye-sight. The pay is different acco rding to the kind of workand the skill of the worker. Aslow female worke r may earn (K. 1200-1500) fo r a day whileaskilled quick wo rker mayearn (K.2500·3000) fo r aday.Mostof the workers live in Myet-pa quarte r,buttherearealsowork ers fromother quarters.

Ayar-khut, Paza-khut and Shwc-khus are jobs that are strenuous, long ho ur of concentratedwo rk.Ayor-khtu takesV:hour andPaza-khut is one hour long. So a man can manage it alone. He gets kyats (2500) for beating a packet ofPaza. But in Shwe-khuc, (Beating gold) takes much longer than fourhours, so theyhave to change andtake turns and rest.Ittakes fourmen to beata packetof gold.One mustnot becalculating shirk,but work in harmony

• .

and with comolete understand

.

amonu them

...

. The workers are strone

...

young men and middle aged men.The old men cannot do thestre nuous work, but they become mastersofthe anandremainas directors.

14

1.Ayar-tillchi ll (Inserting gold between PazaandLaypapers)

Theyoung girl takes one Shwe Thwe weight in 31.tical ofgold and cuts il inlo (200) pieces the size of a tamarind leaves (See. photo. 29). She then inserts one gold piece between Paza paperand Lay paper 3 inches square in size (See. photo.30).They usea"[Jan"made ofbuffalo horn topickIII'thelink pieceofgold.

2.Ayar-htuchin ( BeatingAyar packet)

After Ayar-tin chin, the packets of gold are sent for Ayar-htu to the I'azu-khut saya.

H e

puts theA)'(tr packets (the packets ofgold) into the small deer-skinbag, puts it onthestone inthe Kyauk Saingroom.He ties it tirmly with the Pachut strings.Then he sirs on the seat and heats it with th e hamm er for half an hom (See. photo. 3]). The tamarind leafsize ofgold has become the size of a kyat coin. It is called Ayartone(See.

photo.32).The Pozo-klnesaya then sends the Ayor packets to the gold-leaves producer.

3. Pazatin chin(Cuttin g and putting the ball of gold(A)' arJollt:) in thePaza-kho n Paza lin chin is the following process. The young girls take the sulphur powder with theright fore finger and rub on the both sides of Paza-khon.It is called Paza-khon i'utchill(See.photo.33).Paza-khon is a bamboo paper, three inchessquare in size. They take the Aya r ball or Ayartone from the Ayar packet, and cut it into (6) pieces (See.

photo.34). Each piece is about the size ofa finger nail. They put (1200) pieces of this gold are piece in each paperevenly(See.photo.35). This packetiscalledPa::a packet

4. Paza-khutchi n(BeatingPaw pack et) .

The: Puzu-khut saya takes thePuzapacket and putsitin thedeer skinbag.Hepuls the bag onthe stone and ties it firmly with Pachut strings. He sits on the Myinkhon and begins to beat thebundle of gold. He has to beat about (4800) times. It takes about an hour and the gold balls had become th e size ofa big chicken egg. TheP,c fJ-kh1JI saya returns it to the producers.

15

Photo.29. The cutting ofShwe-thwe

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Photo.30.Ayar-lin-chin

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Photo.3\.Ayar-htu-ehin

Photo.32.Ayar-lones

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Photo.33.Paza/chonputchin

Pholo.34.Cutting ofPaza chin

Photo.3S.Paza tin chin

5.SekuputchinandShwetin chin

Sekuput chin isthe rubbing the Shwe-p wapaper with sulphur powder.Shwe lin chin is the putting thePa::a lone into the Shwe-pwa papers.The young women prepare the paperby cutting them into 6 inchessquares. Then they rub the paper on both sides withJJ)'aeHtou: a small pillowmade by cloth, dippedin sulphur powder(See.photo, 36).Next shetakesthePa::apacketsfrom the KyauJc Saing andtakesout1200gold balls.

Sheusesa "Dan" to take themout. Then she picks the biggold ballsand divides these into(3)sections.Thenshe pick...the smallgoldhalls andplaces oneinapaper.Nextshe putsone section of the gold ball oneither side of the small gold ball to make itinto a square-shaped gold ball. She makes 700 square gold baits. Next, she puts these square gold ballsin...Sbwe-khur paper neatly. takingcarethatnosand ordustgetsinto them (See.

photo.37). If sand ordust should get in the goldballs,they willbe spoilt when they are beaten.

At thi.s stage,thegold plateletshave becomeso thin thatthey cannothehandedhy hand.They have to hold theDaninthe right hand and the left hand islike a fistwith the thumb and little finger straight out. The Sulphur powder rubbed on the hands must be very fine and clean. It Is done topresent thegoldfrom .stic.kiog 1(l the hands although there are(1000) sheets ofgold paper,only (700) sheets contain the gold platelets.The extras 300 sheets are left to use asDan-khan. The packet is again sent to Shwe-khut- kyauk-satng.

6.Shwe-khut-chln (Beat inggold)

The goldbeating master takesthe gold packetand tiesitfirmlywithPachutstring tothestone.Thegold masterhas (4)otherbeaters tohelp him.Theybeatthe gold for(5) hours amountingto (12000)strokes.Theyuse awater-clock to count thestrokescoconut shell with a small hole are the bottom and a handle is placed in a basin of water(See.

photo.38).They place thiscoconutcup,as soon as they start beatingthe gold when the cup sinks,it is400 strokes and (18)cup is(1) hour. One person beats for(18-24) cups.

Every time a man changes. the geld packet has ¹¹⁾ be turned around a man must concentrate hisattentionandcount the nwnber ofstrokes as hebeats the gold.The gold beater's palms mustbeoilyto easethe hardship and to be able to beat a longtime.The

16

ell

Photo.36.Pasaput chin

1

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,

^{[, .}

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Photo.37.Shwe tin chin

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hammer's handle is madeofPadauk wood which is hard andcool. It helps to lessenthe heatof the hands, The palm oilsnot onlyhelps tokeepthe hands fromsplitting hut also believedto help increasethe gold,that is in their terminology,makes the gold beautiful, spreading without breaks or faults after(5) hours of beating the gold has covered the whole sheer of paper (See. photo.39). They also believe that getting beautiful gold depends on the luckof the producers and the weather conditions. By thistime, thegold

balls have becomeverythin.Thebeaterof goldpacketsends itto the producers.

7.Shwe-htochln (puttingingold Between layers ofLa)'paper)

The young women take gold balls from the paper and cut them into half.Then they stick ahalf of gold on toShwe hlaungpaper. Thenthey put it onLay paper.They cover it with another Lay paper. Then they put another half on it and cover with Lay paper again(See.photo.40).This

proces s of

puttinggold halvesin betweenLay papersis calledshwe-hto chi".

8. Shwepyinchin (Fillthegold inShwe-hku mgpaper)

When the Shwe-hlaung paper is completely filled with gold-leaf is ready to be offered as gold robe at the various pagodas and Buddha images (See. photoAI). Those gold leaves areneatlyand tied with thread in(laO)sheet packets (See.photo.42).They are called to"Saing". This packinginto (100) sheets package is the last stage of gold- leaves productionand isready forsale at pagodas. Itissent to pagodasall overMyanmar, forBuddhistdevotesto offeras gold robe to the images andpagodasindedicationtothe Buddha.

Byobservingthe various steps ofproducinggold-leaves,(I)whatare essential for the production of gold-leaves, (2) where the raw materials for the production of go\d- leaves can be get, (3) howthey are produced,(4) the processofgold-leavesmaking, (5) the terms using in this craft, (6) how the work is divided between the man and the women, (7)how difficultand painstakingthisancient craft isand (8) can be presented.

11

,

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Photo.38.Water-dock

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Photo.39. Shwe Jehu/ chin

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Photo.40.Shwe htochin

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Photo.41.Shwe pyin chin

Photo.42.One hundred sheet packets

3.Observat ionof thelife ofthegold-lea fworkers

Here, the producers of gold-leaves, their workers, their relation ship and their income are alsomentioned. There are (130) families inMyet-pa-yatwhotrade us making gold-leaves in them. There are (3) types ofproducers. The big producers work witha capital of over 500 lahks. The medium size producers.work with a capital of over 30 lakhs and the small family run - producerswork with over 10 lakhs.

(I).The big producers

There are about (50) bigproducers who are now working with a capital uf 500 lakhs.They are traditional workers who have carried on thistrade since their forefather's time when the price of gold was K (300) a tical. Theysell(4000-5000) packets of gold- leaf every year.When theysellhy tendersystem,they shareit among the otherproducers in the quarter.They also sell to single regular customers also.They produce most from August to February.Sales fall in June-July because of the rainswhengold-leaves cannot apply to pagodas. Sales an: fairly good in the remaining months. Then: are (R-9) workmen in the producer's house. The relationship between them is good. They lend money to the workers when they are in need and it may be deducted from their daily wages gradually. The producers also donate generously to their quarter Dhammoyone (Dhanuna house). Pagoda festival holdby people living in Myat-par -yat

w

the grandest festival in Mandalay. They invite about (1200) monks to their soon-gyi-Iaung (Comm unal offering of nrovisions and various articles to monks). The big gold-leaves producer s contribut e the donation for Pahtan pwe (Reciting ceremony of Buddhist scriptures) and giving sermons and meditation center and offering alms meals to the monks. The gold-leaves merchants get together for a Soo n-gyi-loung at Maha1\;~valmuni

pagoda in Mandalay andalso do charities atShwcdagonpagoda in Yangon. Kyait-htt-yo pagoda in Monstate and other socialaffa irsof thecommunities.

(2).The medi umsize producers

There art:ubout (40) geld-leaves producers.. working: with a capital of about (30) lakhs. They started their business when gold was K.6000 per tical. They produce about (3000-4000)packets a year. Sales aregood from Augustto December and fair in

l R

the remain ing months. They have (6-7) workmen . Some producers have come up from daily- wage earners.The relationship between the producerand the workmen .is good..The workmen are fed everyday with tea and laphet, They are given bonuses in April and Octobe r. On the days when gold is beautiful that is more geld-leaves are produced,they are given more wage.'\. These medium

size

producers also give in charity plJ1

elf

their income to their quarterfestivalas well the socialaffairs of theirquarterin joyous or sad occasions.

(3).Th e small producers

There are nearly (40) small producers. They work with a capital ofabove 10 lakhs, usually a manageable family run trade. They produce about (400-500) 10(1000) gold-leavespacketsa year. Sales are good from Augustto December andfairin the other months.

Theproducersare differentandaccordingto their capitaloutlaybuttheir attitudes are the same.It is traditional familycraft carried on fromgeneration togeneration.which they feel will last aJI their lives.They dependonly on their trade for their families needs andspare evenforcharities.The relationship betwee n the prod ucer and workmenis good whether it is a big or medium or small one. The workers are kept happy with daily snacks. bonus and little extra. When trade

is

dull,

the

workmen can always depend on loans. The gold-leaves making is sedentary work and indoors. So they are also given holiday trips likepilgrimages to pagodas.

19

CHAPTERHI

TheHtiliza ticn

or

Guld· lcaves

In this chapter, it intends to mention "where and whygold-leavesare used", the relationof Gold leaves and Myanmar Buddhist's religious beliefs,and theusing of gold- leaves for health and beauty, and articles.TheMyanmarBuddhisr believes firmly in the benefitoffering the robes tothe Sangha(Monks).This practice of providing the Sangha with robes is from the time of the Buddha. The Waso rode is offered before Waso adduring the three month!'of lent. They also believe that the donor of Waso robe will neve r goto hell.

Furthermore.they bel ievethat one who takes refugein the Triple Gems.one who keepsthe five precepts, on e whodonates "S(JY~fan _m~" (Thegjftin areligious offeringto Buddh ist monks), one who offers alms daily to the monks, on his alms round,aile who .oilers the Waso robe, drinking water pond donor, one who builds a monastery tor the

Sangha, thesepeople will neve rhehom in thefour abodes of hell.

Another robe isthe Kahtain robe (The name of Robe). It is offered to the monks after the end of lent, from Thedingyut I^st waning moon day to full moon days of Tazasmg....wn withinn periodofone month.Here,both the recipientmonk^;1.Swell asthe donor can receive equal blessings.

The blessingsor privilegesfor themonkare thefollowing- (I) He can go aboutfreely without aski ngfor permission

(2) He can travel about freely without takin gallthe three robes (3) Heca n partakeofthe meal which is ,wrongly worded offering (<})He can keepextra robesbesidesthethreerobes

(5) He hasa right tosharethe robesbelongingto the Sangha Thedonor of the robe hasthe tollowingblessings. (I) Thedonorcantrave lany"vherewithout harm.

(2) Noenemy can destroyhisproperty

(3)He willhave bountifulfood andsafelyfrom poisoning. (4) NoJossof one's property.though longforgo tten.

(5) Will be rewarded inheaps and boundsin earningfor one'slivelih ood.

20

Besides.there arealsosevenblessingfor the charityof givingtherobe.Theyare (I) to he free from fear or worries (2) he as'beautiful as gold (3) have a'brilliant personality(4)have asoft tenderskin(5) be clearand pure(6) have plentifulclothes (7) cangainanoblemonkhoodin Buddha'stime. suchutterance ofBuddha can makeaman become instantly and aged venerable monk of 60 vassas, complete with the eight requisites ofamonk. Inthe time oftileBuddha.a womanrobe donorlike Withakha had a chance to wear a precious dress called Mahalata. It is jeweled garb which took five hundredgold smiths, fourmonths to make it and worth millions and thecost ofmaking alone inone lakh.

The Myanmar Buddhists offer robes of alt kinds. such as cloth. robes, limewash., discogold,gold paint,gold-leaves,to thepagodas,BuddhaImages.Theybelievefirmly in the blessings. Sogold-leaf robe is ofthe highest qualitybecause itisrealgoldbelonging to the sevenjewels.

Myanmar Buddhists use gold-leaves formany reasons, hut their attitude towards gold-leaves is the same. They offer it at the pagodas and Buddha images an important days asfullmoondaysofWaso(July), Thadingyunt(October),Tazaungmon(November).

Tobodwe (February), Birthdays, Sabbath day, Saturday, Sunday, andschool and office holidays.

Accordingtothe keyinfo rmant interviews (28-2-2009 );

(I) Some want to do meritorious work with their pay first before using it for self. Soonpaydaytheygo to a pagoda and offergold-leaves to the Buddha

imageorpagoda.

(2) Berich orpooralike they wanttogive incharity generously withtheir hand earned money.

(3) To avert harm or geta wish. Theymake an offering ofgold-leaves. Very often they apply gold-leaves to the chest of the Buddha image to have peacefulness.Some apply to thekneesandwaist.toget relieffrom kneeand waist pains.Peoplewhowant tomakemoneyapplyittothe rightarm ofthe image and those who wish for fame apply it on theleft ann, Those who want to be attractive and popular apply it on the face ofthe Buddha (See.

photo.43). Students also often use the gold-leaves to be good in their

21

Photo .43. Appling the gold-leafontheforehead of Buddha image

Photo.44. Scaffold

education. So, people using gold-leaves for an offering to the noblest person, the Buddha, canachieve something orto safeguardthemselvesfrom misfortune orjustto gain merit for Nibbana.

Gold-leavesare used in all things concerning the Buddha. That is the Buddha Images and relics enshrined in the Pagodas The pagodas all over Myanmar made beautiful and golden bright with gold-leaves.These Pagodasarevery important symbo ls of theMyanmar Buddhist.Where funds are low insome Pagodas.and since gold-leaf is expensive, .islime or discognld or gold paint are used for robe as an Jnexpensive substitute.If theobj ect isunder a roof, the goldpaint may last(4 or 5) years.If the object leavesto the windand sunwithouta roof, the gold paint maylast (2 or3)yearsonly. In ether hand, if lb. gold-leaves will last(J0) years,.ifitkeeps under

.a

roofandwalls itIs observed to last even (40) years.So it can be said that technologyproduced modem gold

paintismuch inferiorin quality to the traditionalcraft produced gold-leaves.

1nMyanmar.wherethepagodasare well funded, Buddhism 113sannually applied gold-leavesto thesepagodas.Thereisalsogold-leavesapplication offeringto the images as well.So,theutilizationof gold-leavesat theShwe-da-gon pagoda and theMaha Myal MuniBuddhaimage are studiestogiveexamples,

1.Gold-leaves offering atthe Shwe-da-gon pagoda

Shwe-da-gon pagoda is a good example because in it is enshrined relics of the four Buddhas. It is also the pagoda visited by the greatest number of pilgrims from Myanmaras weltas abroad.

TheShwe-da-gon pagoda

W"-'

builtin theIifetimeoftheBuddha,in otber words, it existed more than (2500) yearsago. In it is enshrined (8) hairs of the Gautama paya, walking stick ofKak uthanpaya, water sieve of Kaunag on pay a,bath robe of Kassapa paya. TheBuddhistfeelsgreat veneration forthe Sbwe-da-gonpagoda becauseofthese

relics.The height of the pagodafrom thefootto the diamond bud is(326)feet.There are (64) small pagodas surrounding itand(4) entrancesaseach withan entrance pagoda.Itis appliedthicklywithgeld-leavesfrom the foot base10 the

bell.

Peoplewho wishto offergold. leavesrobe to the pagodamay put theirmoney into the donation boxes for geld-leaves placed at the four entrances. They can also go to

22

donate to-the departm ent on the pagoda platform and donate it to the pagoda trustees. They collectand save the moneyand every four years.TheShwe-da-gon pagoda and all the surrounding pagodasare offered gold-leaf robes.

The other pagodas like the Naung-daw-gyt and surrounding pagodas _too are offered gold-leafrobes.. Wind and rain may wash away or breakthe surface ofa pagoda all these arepicked upas gold rubbishand auctioned to the public.The moneyby getting from auctionisused to buythe gold-leavesand to renovatethe pagodas. When the whole pagodais covered with scaffol ding,the man may climb the scaffoldsand apply thegold- leaves to renovate the pagoda . At that time, people can offer gold-leaf robe personally (See. photo.44).

TheShwe-da-gon pagoda has four entrancesand GlInt/aJ(1di(Special chamberfor the useof the Buddha). In the eastside entrance Guntakuti, Kakutha nda paya image and others. altogether numbering (32)can be found.They have placed threedonation boxes for gold-leaves. Tn the southern entrance hasKau nagamahapaya image and (33) others and they have placed (3) donation boxes for gold-leaves. In the western entrance Gundakun is the Kassapa paya image and others nwnbering (43) plus one standing Buddha image.. They have placed (3) donation boxes for gold-leaves. In the north entrance Gundakun isthe Gautamapaya image and (120) others plusand. (1) standing Buddha. They have placed (4) donation boxes fo r gold-leaves. In the (4) entrances Gundakuu buildings, one can persona lly apply gold-leaves to two images and two reclining Buddha inthe eastern entranceGundakun, one image in the southernentrance, one image and one standing Buddha in the western entrance and three images in the northern entrance arc earmarked Th ere are official gold-leaf stalls at the places. If a donor wantsto apply to the whole image, they will calculate the number ofgold-leaves required and the costand the pagodatrustees willtaketheresponsibility todo itfor one.

Resides, the pagoda on the terrace ofthe Shwe-da-gnn pagoda such as Shin saw pupaya, Naylapaya,Po minkoung pay a, KyaChiruhe ' paya ,Buddha 'sfoot print,Haudi

Mandaing passage way. its throne. all the Myanmar handicrafts displayed in the east, west, south passages such

as

the posts, decorative wood work are all gold-leaves (See.

photo.45to 46).These traditional art worksin the north passageare left in theiroriginal stateto preserve withoutgold-leavesfor fearof damagingthem.

2)

Photo.45.Decoratedwood work andpostswithgold-leaves

Photo.46.Decoratedwood work and postswithgold-leaves

On the Shwe-da-gon pagoda, from the bell to the banana bud, one toot square gold plates have been'fixed,'However, the gold sheets are very expensive.So gold-leaves are stillwithin the reach of the poor.Thereis fearof the craft of gold-leaves. dyingaway because of it.So the craft of gold-leaves will still drive for the many people who still prefer thereadilyavailableandaffordablegold-leaves.

2. Gold- lea roffer ingatMahaJl fy at Alu m'image

In contrast to the Shwe -du -gunPagoda, theMuhuivlyul Munl isan image. It was consecrated since the late time ofthe Buddha. who had blessed itseven times. Anyone can personally offergold-leaf robe at the great image.The pagoda trustees have.cpened gold-leafsale counters where one can purchase the gold -leaves and make the offering personally. The least number of sheets is five and above. There are donation boxes for gold-leaves placed inthe Gundakudi.The average sale of gold-leaves per day is (IOO) packets but more on Sabbath and spe cial days. For exarnble, (130-150) packets on Sabbath days, (400-500) packets on Tabodwe fullmoon or Kason fullmoon day, Waso fullmoon day and on New Year's day.The year roundavera ge is (42000)Saings(Accor- ding 10data collection,2009)-

In the Gundakuti which house the Maha Muni paya has seven tier roofs (See.

photo.47).The gold-leaves areapplied every (IO) years and user(8600 )Saings of gold- leaves. It has (120) 7.edi yan around it Each Ze diya n is offered (60) Saings of gold- leaves. The Zediyansin the west, north and south passages too have their umbrella s appliedwithgold-leaves .

Every year the old goldis collected,cleaned andreusedfor the pagoda.For those people whooffer gold-leaves to Buddha images andpagodas accordi ngtotheir birthday, and to obtain their wishes or to safeguard themse lves from harm. There are Jopyae- nanpye Payas (Name ofBuddha images) on the southwest comer of the terrace (See.

photo.48).Jopy ae-llatlpye means that something done to obtain relief from malevolent intluences of certain planets or stars.Gold-leafis see n not only on famous pagoda s but also on images in household shrines where it is a yearly ritual to renew the gold. The offering of gold-leaf robe and its place in Myanmar Buddhist religious ardour is seen wherethey have disfiguredthesacred inMandalay.

24

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48 Jopyae-nanpyepaya Photo, . Y.

3. Nat imagesare decorated with gold-leaves

There are many people in Myanmar who worship nats (spirits) and there are supposedto be (111)natsin all of these in Tagaungera,Therearesevenhouse-holdnats, in Pantaungera, Kog gyi Kyaw nat. Sithu Shin nat, Thein kho Min nat. Lay kyun Mg Mg nat, Kamya

Shin

nat" Ma Pale'yin

nars,

Papa Medaw, Mandalay Bo-daw, amayyae-y m

and the four Medaws Gyis, Maungdaw ah/one Bo Bo , U Byat Wi, UByaua, Ma Ngwe taung, Shwe kyaukSaung Mg daw, Ma 1vIya Hnit, Than Phomin nat, and Avaera Amay Kyan.nat,are wellknown.

There are traditional natworshippers allover Myanmar. According to the region and their belie fs, the images ofnats are decorated with clothes and gold- leaves. There

are also

nat

medium s

who

are some times p ossessed by th e

natandmake

communication

betweenhumanbeing and the nats.Iftheycannot affordgold-leaves, they use goldpaint.

These nat images aresometimes housed in grand palaces or Nat-nandaws.For example, Pa khan guni village, Man dalay Taungbyon;Ko-myo Shin have grand places and altars

applied thick with gold-leaveswhich are donatedbytheir worshippers.

Besides, in homeswhere worshipof the home guardian nats, these are carried onas a tradition, the altar andthe green C()C(Ul!Jtandhangermaybeappliedwithgold-leaves(IT

painted with gold.They areadored with greatveneration and pray for fulfillmentof their wishe sand safetyfrom harm.

. 4.Gold-lea ves are used byhuman beings forhealth an d beauty purposes

Gold-leaf is used in many Myanmar traditional medicines especially concerning heart ailments such as narrowing of the heart veins. Most traditional medicines for strengt hening the heart contain gold-leaf. Some cook the whole goat's hean with gold- leaf inside it- Some aged people ear banana applied with gold-leaf to relieve their

tiredness and children eat them to presen t small-pox and measles. Gold- leaf is also massaged. mixed with tra ditional Myanmar medicines used for rubbing the body to relieve bodyaches and pains.

With advances in technology,gold-leafis used in many beautifying medicines and operations.It isespeciallyusedtomake the faceskin young and smooth byrubbingit in.

Expectant mother eat geld-dustto give birthher childrenwithbeautiful skin,

5.Usc of gold-leaf inarticles

Gold-leafis applied to many things used by people lacquer-wareand all articles inlaid withglassand appliedwithgold-leaf. Pan-p utcrafts (Craftof aturner)andcarved articles and statues. tn the passage way of Ananda at Maha Muni pagoda. this trade of inlaid CQIQr glassand temples for Buddha images. the throne or pallin oftbepreacher, royal bed.goldcoveredbowl for offering soondaw (thericeandcurry). goldalmsbowl.

gold Hintha bird bowl,goal goblet,gold betelboxes for gold-leaf fan handlesand fans.

goldshoulder pole. gold letter boxand stand.goldvasesaccordingto theoldexperienced craftsman of thisart,all thingsused by royalty is applied with gold-leaves(See. photo.

49 to 50). Their most beautiful work of art is seen today in the Myanmar traditional orchestra.

26

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Photo.49. Gold alms bowl

Photo.50. Pallin of the preacher

CHA PTERIV Results and Discussion

This thesisisaboutthe production and utilization of gold-leaves.It intendsto give the knowledge concern with this ancient craft and how it has come down to us almost unchanged.this craft fPIgenerations, Even the tools they use are the same a,s

their

ancestors, likethebig2Y2viss weighthammerwith thePadaukhandle andtheteakwood table andthe stoneonwhichtheybeatthe gold. Also thedeerskinbaginwhichthe gold to he beaten in putand how the skin is^$0 tough to stand the heating.Anothe rcurious instrument is the"Dall" made of buffalo hom to pick up the goldflecks.Thereis no other modemsubstituteto rit.

Thebeliefforsuperstitionofnot allowing anybamboo round tray('IIsieve.is also very interesting.Thecoincidenceofthe wholesin thesieve causing thegold tobreakand have wholesisbeyondunderstanding.

Thenextis thetaboo ofwomenentering the ShwekinuKyauk..Saing; the men's work shop is another well-preserved tradition, as it affects the gold-leaf yield and destroyingthequalityofthe product.

Gold-loafproduction .is cruapletely a traditional Myanmarartandcraft Iren the time ofthe Myanmar kings.It is something Myanmar takes pride in and preserves it for posterity. It isa very very strenuouswork, even for men, but they feel they are working for a meritorious work as most gold-leaf are used for religious purposess, Gold-leaf production is done by not highly educated men and women. The work is physically strenuousandmentally boring as itisrepetition ofthe samewait overand overagain.But therecompleteharmonyamongthework withDOthoughtof shirkingandcarelessness, ^3$

seen in the workteamoffive men beating(12000-48000)strokes forhours.The business owners also treat them well with snacks during work time and outdoor pilgrimages to pagodas and so on. They are alsorewardedifworkgoes well withextra payandloans in hard times. So the social conditions are good. But the pay is small compared to the strenuous work theyhave to do.

Today, the

cusrcm

oftheapplyinggeldsheets tothefamouspagpda,c; in Yangon areprevailing.The priceofthesegoldsheetsare(5)lakhs for(1) tical of gold,(15) lakhs for(3) ticalsof gold. So they are very expensive where asone (2- inches square)gold-

27

leaf costs onlyK300/- which is anaffordablecost even to thepoor. So whatevergold-leaf craft: will survive for a long time, especially as Myanmar Buddhist, there is no other substituteforgold-leaves.

Gold-leaves are used for not only traditionally and culturally, but also modern technology especially in the field of medicine and beanry. 1t is said

that

this ancient traditional craft ofgold-leaves making will surviveand also need to preserve the art by making it less strenuousby modernizationin production.

2R