Large Burmese Embroidered & Jeweled Kalaga Tapestry Hindu Scene From Ramayana

Semi-antique, mid-20th century Burmese (Myanmar) large Kalaga tapestry. Finely hand-crafted in raised padded stumpwork embroidery with coiled metallic golden thread, sequins, and embellished with various sizes of faux pearls, gilt metal sequins, as well as different shapes and sizes of clear glass cut and faceted jewels stitched onto a black cotton background.
The tapestry depicts a scene from the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, with figures portrayed in high relief. In the center, Rama is shown with his wife Sita in a golden royal chariot pulled by two horses, while his brother Lakshmana guards them from the back during the battle against King Ravana of Lanka.
At the lower left, the chariot is guarded by the most devoted follower of Rama, Hanuman, a half-monkey, half-human Hindu god armed with a huge mace called Gada. He is assisted by the mythical beast Makara and Bharat at the right.

MEASUREMENTS:
Dimensions with frame: 127 cm x 87.5 cm (50 x 34.45 inches).

CONDITION: It is in very good condition, with no holes, tears, or repairs.

NOTE: The epic narrates the life of Rama, a prince of Ayodhya in the kingdom of Kosala. The epic follows his fourteen-year exile to the forest urged by his father, King Dasharatha, on the request of Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi; his travels across forests in the Indian subcontinent with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana; the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the king of Lanka, that resulted in war; and Rama's eventual return to Ayodhya along with Sita to be crowned king amidst jubilation and celebration.
The oral tradition of the Ramayana story in Burma is believed to date as far back as the reign of King Anawrahta (1044-77), the founder of the first Burmese empire at Pagan. Documented in Ava by the end of the 13th century, the Rama story – known as Rama Zatdaw in Burmese – continued to be transmitted orally from generation to generation until the 16th century. In the 18th century, even among Buddhist monks, the Ramayana was regarded as a noble saga. The story of Rama, based on the oral traditions of Old Pagan, may have been committed to writing between the 16th and the 18th centuries, in verse and prose as well as in dramatic form. Still, the first known written Burmese version of the Ramayana is Rama Thagyin (Songs from the Ramayana), compiled by U Aung Phyo in 1775.
Kalaga (Burmese: ကန့်လန့်ကာ) is a heavily embroidered and appliqué tapestry indigenous to Burma (Myanmar). The word kalaga, which means "curtain," comes from the Burmese language, although Burmese refer to such tapestries as shwe gyi do (ရွှေချည်ထိုး; lit. "gold thread embroidery"). These (tapestries use a sewing technique called shwe gyi (ရွှေချည်).
This art form emerged during the Konbaung dynasty in the mid-19th century and reached its zenith during the reign of Mindon Min when velvet became fashionable at the royal court.
This art form emerged during the Konbaung dynasty in the mid-19th century and reached its zenith during the reign of Mindon Min when velvet became fashionable at the royal court.

REFERENCES:
1. "Art-manufactures of India". Mukharji, T. N. Printed by the Superintendent of Government Printing, India (1888). pp. 387–388.
2. "Journal of Burma Studies" Volume 16.1, Northern Illinois University.
3. "Burmese Crafts: Past and Present" Fraser-Lu, Sylvia (1994). Oxford University, p. 265. ISBN 9780195886085.
4. "Burmese Design and Architecture" Falconer, John (2000), pp. 194–195. ISBN 9789625938820.
5. "Needlework Through History" Leslie, Catherine Amoroso (2007), p.121, ISBN 9780313335488.

A certificate of authenticity accompanies this outstanding tapestry.