This attractive small lacquer tray is from the city of Bagan, in the former Burma (now Myanmar). It's 7-1/8" in diameter. It was made on a base of bamboo basketry.The Burmese word yun means both "lacquer", and the decorative engraving technique.

Yun decoration is made up of a series of tiny lines engraved on the surface of the lacquer object, which are then filled with colored lacquer. The decoration of a single object requires thousands of engraved lines with the design for the red, yellow, black or green engraved, colored and then dried separately. Each color used requires additional drying time.

The lacquered tray is excellent condition. There is one small area of wear to the lacquer on the back of the piece. We have 3 of these early 20th C plates in the same pattern. The price shown is for a single tray.