Buddhist Priest Mantle

Burmese Buddhist monks dress in maroon garments but that was not always the case. Up to the middle of the 20th century their color of choice , like in the rest of southeast Asia, was bright saffron yellow. This mantle, made of silk satin, is similar to the Japanese kesa and the Chinese Kashaya, all comprised of square and rectangular fragments that are sewn together in a specific pattern. Those fragments are supposed to be from old discarded garments, an indication of the wearers poverty and humility. However the sumptuousness, the large scale and the precision of the hand stitching all indicate high rank and its associated wealth.