Tapestry - 72 cm - 63 cm

This object is a Burmese Kalaga tapestry (traditional to Myanmar) handmade with raised embroidery (shwe chi doe), beads and sequins, whose production period generally dates to the mid-20th century (roughly between the 1950s and the 1980s). Although the Kalaga tapestry technique has historical origins far older, dating back to the 19th century, the vast majority of these square framed pieces that have arrived in the West belong to the artistic and artisanal production of the second half of the twentieth century. The work depicts a classic scene from Buddhist mythological art or the Ramayana, with a deity or ceremonial warrior riding a sacred elephant.