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I bought this piece yesterday at a flea market. It is about 4 ft high and 3ft wide. The figures in the piece are almost doll like and give it weight and depth. If anybody has any information about where and when it was made I would appreciate it.

Link :Southeast Asian Textile

This is a "kalaga", a type of tapestry historically made in Burma for hanging on a wall. The costuming seen in yours is typical of what was used in the Burmese version of dances based on the Ramayana. In modern times, kalagas have been copied in Thailand, India and elsewhere. The worshipful eyes on yours look a bit like they've been modeled after some I've seen on figures in modern Chinese figural porcelains, making me wonder whether these items are being created in China's Tai minority area of Xishuangbanna across the Burmese border. The
Tai people, cousins of the Thai and Lao, are credited with making many of the originals kalagas from Burma.

The link leads to earlier forum discussions of these hangings.

Best regards,

Bill H.

URL Title :kalaga

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