Kammavaca with Gilded Box, Burma, 19th CenturyFine Burmese Kammavaca in gilded lacquer with tamarind seed writing encased in an elaborate gilded lacquer box embellished with glass and mirrored mosaic pieces on a red lacquer stand, 19th century. Kammavaca are the most sacred of Burmese religious texts and consist of nine Khandakas from the Pali Vinaya Pitaka that relate to specific ceremonies of Theravada Buddhism. Typically, 16 pages with five or seven lines of text and a cover and back made of lacquered and gilded wood were commissioned when a son entered the Buddhist Order as a novice or a monk. The earliest date to the Pagan Period (1004-1287) and were simply incised on palm leaves, but by the 14th century, the palm leaves became much more ornate when they were lacquered and gilded before the text was applied in thick black lacquer, called tamarind seed, and by the end of the 17th century, a square writing style was introduced that continues to this day. Heavy cotton replaced palm leaves as the medium for the leaves and tiny,ornate decorations including birds, florals, and mythological creatures were intricately applied in the negative process. Elaborate lacquered and mirrored boxes were created to house and safeguard the sacred texts. Burma, 19th century. 30 x 12 x 12 inches