via SPAFA Journal, 19 January 2021: An Open Access paper about Arakanese ceramics by Saw Tun Lin.
Mrauk U is situated in the western part of modern Myanmar and was the capital of Arakan (Rakhine) from 1430 CE until the Burmese conquest in 1784 CE. Its unique position in the Bay of Bengal via the Kaladan river and its tributaries resulted in the development of a commercial and cultural center in its heyday. European travel accounts and chronicles describe Mrauk U as a prosperous cosmopolitan city with a polyglot court, not only using native Arakanese language but also Persian and Bengali. Consequently, the remnants of art and archaeology reveal that the artisans drew much of their inspiration from Indian, European and Burmese traditions (Gutman 2001; 2002; Leider 2002:83). This paper contextualizes decorative glazed tiles of Arakanese Buddhist monuments in relation to the historical, political and cultural situation of Mrauk U. Regional interaction will be taken into account to identify the origins and development of Arakanese glazing technology. Previous research has mainly focused on the art and architecture of the Mrauk U period and the origin of the glazing technique remains vague. The comparative analysis reveals that significant elements in Arakanese glazing art, such as the use of stylized, geometric, floral or vegetal designs and animal poses seem to be borrowed from Islamic art. This article argues that Islamic tile tradition exerted considerable influence on the Arakanese glazing technique, probably via Bengal.
