A Zaw-Yein Man
1903
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1903
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
A Zaw-Yein Man is a 1903 watercolor by Maung Tin Hla, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This watercolor shows a man standing barefoot in a loose, light-gray shirt and dark shorts. His arms are crossed, and he wears a red-and-white cloth draped over one shoulder. Black armbands wrap his upper arms, and his hair is short and dark. The background is a faint blue sky with a hint of grass or bushes at his feet. The painting feels quick and sketchy, like it was done in one sitting. The artist used soft watercolor washes, leaving some edges rough. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.
The painting depicts a Zaw-Yein man, a subgroup of the Karens from Kayah State, also known as Sawng-tung Karens or Gaung-to by the Burmans. He wears short black trousers secured with a red cord and a short white jacket, adorned with brass rings on his arms, a solid brass torque around his neck, multiple necklaces featuring red stones and glass, and a boar's tusk, along with ear-plugs indicating his social rank.
Read the full account in the museum source.
These watercolors from the early 1900s capture people from Myanmar’s Kayah, Taung Yo, and Zaw-Yein communities.
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