Terms and conditions of use
Male courtier's skirt cloth
(Luntaya-aceik taung shay-pahso)
(20th century)
Medium
silk, dyes (interlocking tapestry weave)
Measurements
112.0 × 345.0 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, NGV Asian Art Acquisition Fund with the assistance of Graham and Vivien Knowles, Charles Goode AC and Cornelia Goode, 2013
Gallery location
Level 1, NGV International
About this work
Intricate silk textiles called luntaya-aceik were worn by both men and women at the Burmese royal court. Luntaya means ‘one hundred shuttles’, referring to the small metal or wooden shuttles that are used to weave the double-interlocking tapestry structure, while aceik refers to their wave-like motifs, purportedly inspired by ripples on the Irrawaddy River, Burma’s principal waterway. The high value of these textiles was not only measured in their expensive silk material, but also in the extreme labour, skill and time invested in their production. Sumptuary laws dictated which members of Burmese society could wear these special fabrics. This men’s garment, called a pahso, was elaborately wrapped about the wearer’s hips in various configurations.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Burma
Accession Number
2013.881
Department
Asian Art
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Gordon Darling Foundation
Physical description
The multi-coloured silk textile is woven in interlocking tapestry weave (Burmese: luntaya) in an undulating-line pattern (Burmese: acheik).