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Accepted Paper:
Women weavers of sazigyo (manuscript binding tapes)
Ralph Isaacs
Paper short abstract:
This paper celebrates a recently extinct craft—that of weaving long texts. It flourished in Myanmar from the 18th Century, but is now virtually extinct. The vast majority of these texts were woven by women.
Paper long abstract:
This paper celebrates a recently extinct craft—that of weaving long texts. It flourished in Myanmar from the 18th Century, but is now virtually extinct. The vast majority of these texts were woven by women. Many of these weaves are dated, and some are signed by the weaver. Some even add verses in praise of their art. The woven text is interspersed with a variety of little images, of Buddhist significance—but the image of the Buddha himself never appears. Prominent among these is the Earth Goddess Vasundhara (Burmese Waythondayi). The donors of the manuscript who commissioned the weaving of the sazigyo did so to earn merit by their donation, but the weaver also earned merit.