Burmese Lacquer Water Pot

This is a Burmese black, green and red lacquerware water pot (yei-o). It would have originally had a lid, and been used to store water inside the house. The oval chamber is densely decorated with the 'nan-dwin' (King at Court) design that depicts courtiers, an elephant and two people flanking the elephant in the front and behind. Towards the neck is a decorative band with geometric and floral designs. Even the base is as richly decorated with the king on horseback in the countryside, encircled by a border of intricate floral designs. The neck of the part has been reattached using glue at some point, and the joint is visible.
It can take months to make a piece like this with such complex designs. A similar water pot can be found on page 99 of the book ‘Burmese Lacquerware’ by Sylvia Fraser-Lu.