Kalagas are elaborately and heavily embroidered cloths made in Burma, and occasionally in Thailand, for use as wall hangings, curtains, room dividers, coffin coverings and theatre backdrops. Originally developed at the royal court in Mandalay in the mid 19th century, using techniques known in Burma for several centuries, kalagas were soon popular throughout all levels of Burmese society.

This kalaga is of a type primarily aimed at the export and tourist market, with its decorative, densely sequinned nagas in ordered cartouches. Nagas are mythical serpent/dragon creatures, which appear in art forms across media throughout Southeast Asia. They are considered both protective spirit and demon. Earlier kalagas were predominantly narrative, with elaborately worked scenes from the Buddhist Jataka tales or the Ramayanai epic.

Most kalagas are still made in family workshops in the old capital of Mandalay. The main figures or forms are typically of padded applique, heavily embellished with sequins, beads and braid. Pieces of cloth are cut to the shape of individual figures, decorated with sequins, then attached to the base cloth and stuffed with kapok or cotton. Final details and embellishments are added to the figures and, lastly, the background areas are filled with additional sequins, braids and beading.

Wall hanging (kalaga), velvet/cotton/sequins/gold wrapped thread, couching and applique, unknown maker, Burma, 1940-1980

A hand-worked cloth heavily embroidered with couched metallic thread, applique, sequins and beads. Represented on this kalaga are several nagas. Nagas, which appear in art forms throughout Southeast Asia, are mythical serpent/dragon creatures considered both protective spirit and demon. The kalaga is mounted and framed.

This kalaga is of a type primarily aimed at the export and tourist market, with its decorative, densely sequinned nagas in ordered cartouches. Nagas are mythical serpent/dragon creatures, which appear in art forms across media throughout Southeast Asia. They are considered both protective spirit and demon. Earlier kalagas were predominantly narrative, with elaborately worked scenes from the Jataka tales or the Ramayana.

Heavily sequinned embroidery, like the work on this example, seems to have been brought to Burma by Thai artisans after the fall of Ayuthaya in the mid 18th century.

Most kalagas are still made in family workshops in the old capital of Mandalay. The main figures or forms are typically of padded applique, heavily embellished with sequins, beads and braid. Pieces of cloth are cut to the shape of individual figures, decorated with sequins, then attached to the base cloth and stuffed with kapok or cotton. Final details and embellishments are added to the figures and, lastly, the background areas are filled with additional sequins, braids and beading.

Many of the materials are produced locally. Sequins are hand made using tiny strips of copper extracted from telephone wire and given a silver finish by washing them in potassium. Glass beads are also hand made, by cutting glass scrap into small pieces and slightly melting them in backyard kilns until they form beads.

Kalagas were made in Burma for use as wall hangings, curtains, room dividers, coffin coverings and theatre backdrops. Originally developed at the royal court in Mandalay in the mid 19th century, using techniques known in Burma for several centuries, kalagas were soon popular throughout all levels of Burmese society.
The kalaga was bought by the donors, Rhonda and Steven Robinson in a market in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1987. The Robinsons lived in Thailand between 1987 and 1990 while on a posting with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and had gone to northern Thailand on holiday.

'At that time', wrote Steven Robinson, 'there was some movement across the Thai/Burmese border by Burmese traders. Burma remained largely cut off from the West and there was virtually no tourist traffic in the country. The Burmese were desperate for hard foreign currency and were keen to sell virtually anything to gain Thai Baht or US dollars..... At the time we purchased the kalaga, we did not realise its full size. On our return to Bangkok, I had a local framer of Chinese extraction frame the piece. It had pride of place in our home in Soi Suan Phlu, off South Sathorn Road, near the Australian Embassy in Bangkok. On our return to Australia in March/April 1990, however, we found the kalaga to be too large for an Australian home. It has therefore remained stored since that time as we undertook further postings.'

Donated by Steven and Rhonda Robinson through the

2003/186/1

1860 mm

1440 mm