Editing Lacquerware (section)

====Manufacture and design====
[[File:Green tea and peanut nibbles (10808703485).jpg|thumb|Pickled tea, called [[lahpet]], is traditionally served in a lacquer tray called ''laphet ok''.]]
Lacquer vessels, boxes and trays have a coiled or woven bamboo-strip base often mixed with horsehair. The thitsee may be mixed with ashes or sawdust to form a putty-like substance called ''thayo'' which can be sculpted. The object is coated layer upon layer with thitsee and thayo to make a smooth surface, polished and engraved with intricate designs, commonly using red, green and yellow colors on a red or black background. ''Shwezawa'' is a distinctive form in its use of gold leaf to fill in the designs on a black background.<ref name="Blurton">{{cite web|url=http://www.fathom.com/feature/190126/index.html|title=A Path to Burmese Culture: The Art of Lacquer|first=Richard|last=Blurton|year=2002|publisher=The British Museum/Fathom|access-date=2007-03-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070404024334/http://www.fathom.com/feature/190126/index.html|archive-date=2007-04-04}}</ref><ref name="ao">{{cite web|url=http://www.artfromburma.com/cat.cfm?cat=2 |title=Burmese Lacquerware Collection |publisher=Art Only |year=2006 |access-date=2007-03-31 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930005757/http://www.artfromburma.com/cat.cfm?cat=2 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }}</ref>

Palace scenes, scenes from the [[Jataka]] tales, and the signs of the Burmese [[Zodiac]] are popular designs and some vessels may be encrusted with glass mosaic or semi-precious stones in gold relief.<ref name="ao"/> The objects are all handmade and the designs and engraving done free-hand. It may take three to four months to finish a small vessel but perhaps over a year for a larger piece. The finished product is a result of teamwork and not crafted by a single person.<ref name="Blurton"/>