Museum Items

This intricately carved teakwood gateway recreates part of the Audience Hall of the Mandalay Palace, destroyed during World War II. Flanking the sides are the King’s symbolic animals — the peacock, signifying beauty and sovereignty, and the rabbit, representing gentleness and wisdom. At the top rises a finial in the form of a royal tiered […]

This rare large-format textile is executed in the Kalanga technique, a highly decorative embroidery style introduced to Mandalay after the fall of Ayutthaya. Captured Siamese artisans brought new skills, including the use of imported British glass beads, which became integrated into Burmese court art. The motif depicts the King’s general, as seen in 19th-century illustrations,

Myanmar folklore is rich with chimeric animals, such as the Pyinsarupa, a composite creature combining elements of elephant, horse, fish, and mythical horned beings. While the unicorn motif isn’t among the standard pantheon, this piece may be a localized or imaginative variation, possibly crafted for ceremonial pageantry or ritual display. The posture—bearing the creature on

Carved from solid teakwood, these figures represent men of the Mon people, an indigenous group of Myanmar and Thailand. Depicted in traditional dress with headcloths and full-body tattoos, they bear the lion emblem of the Mandalay king upon their chests — a mark of loyalty and service. Such figures would have been used in royal

Carved entirely from wood over 150 years ago, this life-sized horse plays a central role in the Bun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) of northeastern Thailand. Traditionally, a young unmarried woman and a man ride the horse in a lively village parade, accompanied by music, dance, and celebrations to invite rain and fertility for the crops.