Burma to Myanmar
Alexandra Green
From influential superpower to repressive regime, Myanmar – also known as Burma – has seen dramatic fluctuations in fortune over the past 1,500 years.
Interconnected yet isolated, rich in natural resources such as jade, rubies and teak but with many of its peoples living below the poverty line, Myanmar is a country that defies categorisation. Its cultures have been shaped by their engagements with religious networks, expansionist empires and global trade routes from India and China to Africa, the Middle East and Europe. It was once home to different kingdoms, principalities and chiefdoms that interacted with one another and further afield. The colonial period under British rule saw dramatic changes and upon independence in 1948, the various parts of the country were brought together, many for the first time, into a single nation state. Since then Myanmar has been engulfed by long running civil wars.
This beautiful book explores Myanmar’s complexities, focusing on the extraordinary and innovative arts of its diverse peoples to create a long history of the region. Featuring objects such as sparkling gems, sumptuous court dress, intricately carved furniture, elaborate silver vessels, satirical cartoons and contemporary art, from the 400s CE to the present day, this book is a testament to the creativity and variety of Myanmar’s many peoples.
Alexandra Green is Henry Ginsburg Curator for Southeast Asia and Curator of the exhibition Myanmar in the world at the British Museum. She has written and edited numerous books and articles on Southeast Asian art and culture, including: Raffles in Southeast Asia (Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore), Buddhist Visual Cultures, Rhetoric and Narrative in Late Burmese Wall Paintings (Hong Kong University Press), Rethinking Visual Narratives from Asia: Intercultural and Comparative Perspectives (Hong Kong University Press), Eclectic Collecting: Art from Burma in the Denison Museum (NUS Press), and Southeast Asia: a history in objects (forthcoming: Thames & Hudson in collaboration with the British Museum).
With contributions from:
Anonymous
Pyiet Phyo Kyaw is Professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Yangon.
Maitrii Aung-Thwin is Associate Professor of Myanmar/Southeast Asian history at the National University of Singapore.
Melissa Carlson is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley.
Caroline Cartwright is Senior Scientist at the British Museum.
Joanne Dyer is Scientist: Colour Science at the British Museum.
Alexandra Kaloyanides is Associate Professor in Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina.
Mandy Sadan is Associate Professor in Global Sustainable Development at the University of Warwick.
Arthur Swan Ye Tun is a PhD candidate at the National University of Singapore.
Diego Tamburini is Scientist: Polymeric and Organic Materials at the British Museum.
Thaw Zin Latt is a researcher whose work focuses on Myanmar and Burmese art.
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