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Unknown Maker, Burmese

Yantra (talismanic shirt)

Maker

Unknown Maker, Burmese

Culture

Burmese, Shan

Title

Yantra (talismanic shirt)

Year

mid 1900s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

silk

Geography

Place Made: Myanmar

Dimensions

49.5 x 154.9 cm (19 1/2 x 61 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund

Object Number

2002.11.7A

Type

Exhibition History

Being and Believing in the Natural World
Perspectives from the Ancient Mediterranean, Asia, and Indigenous North America
Oct 22, 2022 – Jun 04, 2023

Label copy

In many parts of Asia, garments worn for rituals often include depictions of natural elements considered sacred and divine. Worn by high-ranking Daoist priests during formal rituals, jiangyi are usually adorned with auspicious designs. This example is covered with cranes and mythical animals.

People of the Shan State in Myanmar and Northern Thailand use yantras, or geometric diagrams with animal designs and inscriptions, to ward off evil spirits. Yantras are commonly painted on textiles, as seen on this undershirt, or tattooed on the body.

—WC

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In copyright This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Burmese
Yantra (talismanic shirt), mid 1900s
Silk; plain weave, painted, inked
49.5 x 154.9 cm (19 1/2 x 61 inches)
Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund 2002.11.7A

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