Consumer Culture

The Changes of Value on Time

The orange-lined text in the figure is a decree which was issued by King Bodawphaya (1782-1819) in Konebaung dynasty. The original text of it has not been found until now. This is an excerpt from the article written by Ms. Nu Nu Kyi who wrote in Saunders Weaving Institute’100 anniversary magazine. In a decree, the lay men from the different regions had to wear pasoe (the nether garment of Myanmar males) by weaving cotton and satin threads only. Moreover, they didn’t allow wearing the turban, nether garment, and shawl which make with gold and silver threads with a fly shuttle loom.

Cloth as Vehicle of Malian Crisis

This large cotton boubou, well sewn, shows one of the designs that reflect the Malian crisis. The product comes from Douentza (located in the 5th region of Mali). The elements seen on the boubou illustrate the proliferation of the crisis. Each element is in the form of a hook and the two small dashes from top to bottom to show the continuation of the chain. The arrangement of the design forms a chain of problems.

The Blue Belt

Surajit Sarkar, Centre for Community Knowledge, Ambedkar University Delhi wrote The blue belt for the session on Day 2: Reading/Writing/Re-writing/Telling/Re-telling using prompts, 20 December 2019.

Reading ‘Recipes for Re-enchantment’ allowed a reinterpretation of my ‘Blue Canvas Belt’, which I bought last month after waiting for something like it since 2015.

The Future of Luntaya Acheik Design

I interviewed one of the weavers about the customer preferences in the design of luntaya acheik .

I want to weave this design (as shown in the pictures) but I don’t do it. I don’t weave this design because the customers don’t like it. If I make it then I will have to sell it at a discount. But some customers from abroad often order older or traditional designs like this.

Luntaya acheik: The Making of Myanmar's Traditional Dress

In the first figure, the governors of Myanmar are being awarded the cloth as a mark of honour. Luntaya acheik was the sacred cloth of the ancient Myanmar royals. But under the colonial rule everyone could wear this acheik.

To know the preferences of the people of Myanmar better, the governemnt conducted a survey after which the acheik became the national costume.

Reflection Through Learning Body and Environmental Knowledge

Traditional handicrafts are a kind of embodied local knowledge, so does indigo. On the course of "Blue Across Boarders", students had a chance to talk with artisan Tang Wen-chun (湯文君), who is also an educator, motivator and researcher on indigo. Tang introduced the plants of indigo which are harvested in her farm, the practice she was conducting on also the process and tips for harvesting plants of indigo. Students had a field visit to the farm that grows the plants of indigo dye.

Rice Varieties in Myanmar

The different varieties of rice are differentiated on the basis of their qualities, nutrition, features, and taste. Though there are many varieties of rice, based on my interview, Paw San still takes the first place. The rice shop owners that I talked to said that Paw San is the best seller althoug its 'price is a little high'. Mostly, people from the middle class consume it. But Shwe Bo, Zi Yar and many others are moslty used by the Hta Min Sai, the restaurants, because of their low price and suitability for their business. 

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