Kalaga decorators working in a craft workshop
Lengths of kalaga, or richly embroidered cloth, were traditionally used as portable curtains by monks, royalty, and rich people. Kalaga pieces could be attached, with ropes, to trees, posts, or pillars to create an enclosed, private area. The art of kalaga making declined rapidly after the British took over Myanmar and abolished the monarchy. Many old pieces of kalaga were donated to monasteries or brought by collectors. Some beautiful pieces are now housed in museums outside Myanmar. The art of kalaga making was kept alive by Burmese classical drama, whose dancers and marionettes wear kalaga costumes. In the 1970s, tourism helped revive the craft. Today, kalaga pieces are made mainly for export and come in varying shapes and sizes. These tapestries use a sewing technique called shwe gyi
Size: 4809px × 3515px
Location: Mandalay, Myanmar
Photo credit: © Giulio Ercolani / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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