Announcement: 15.08.2025 – Online Lecture by Thweep Rittinaphakorn (MA): "Wrapping the Sacred: Woven Material in Myanmar Manuscript Culture"

15. August 2025, 14:00 Uhr, von AAI Webmaster

Foto: Thweep Rittinaphakorn (cropped)

We kindly invite you to this online lecture in English language on Friday, August 15th, 2025, at 14:00–16:00 h (CEST/MESZ) / 19:00–21:00 (Thai time).

Topic:
    "Wrapping the Sacred: Woven Material in Myanmar Manuscript Culture"

Speaker:
    Thweep Rittinaphakorn (MA)

Affiliation:
    Independent scholar

Date/Time:
    August 15^th, 2025 (Friday), 14:00 – 16:00 (CEST/MESZ) / 19:00 – 21:00 (Thai time)

Language:
    English

Zoom Link:
    https://uni-hamburg.zoom.us/j/64563521222?pwd=OEdSbENCOUV2Ynl5ZUdnNG5mM1pwQT09

Zoom Meeting-ID:
    645 6352 1222

Zoom Passcode:
    hgtlecture

About this lecture:

In Buddhist belief, the practice of dāna (giving or donating) is a fundamental way of which human beings to accrue merit. For this reason, followers of the Buddhist faith in Myanmar – regardless of their means or social strata – always strive to make donations. This is testified by the countless Buddhist monasteries and monuments that have been built, as well as the many artifacts donated to the clergy throughout the country's history. Among different forms of material dāna, donating manuscripts is considered a particularly meritorious way to gain merit, as these manuscripts both preserve and disseminate Buddhist teachings.

When being donated, manuscripts are always properly wrapped, bound, and labeled using specially prepared woven materials. This treatment not only protects the manuscripts during storage but also makes them easy for the clergy to identify. However, the study of these wrapping materials has so far received little attention. From a material culture perspective, these wrappings offer valuable insights into the broader context of manuscript donation, including belief systems, socio-economic conditions, and the weaving crafts of Myanmar in days bygone.

Brief profile:

Mr. Thweep (AKE) Rittinaphakorn is an independent scholar whose work focuses on the textiles and art history of mainland Southeast Asia. He has delivered lectures for the Siam Society, the Thai Textiles Society, and the Bangkok National Museum Volunteer Group.

His research on Shan costumes and historical photographs was presented at the Association of Asian Studies conferences in 2014 and 2016. In 2019 and 2022, he spoke at the 7th and 8th ASEAN Traditional Textiles Symposiums, as well as at the Irrawaddy Literary Festival in Mandalay.

His research articles have been featured in the Textiles Asia Journal as well as the Arts of Asia magazine. In 2023, he published a book Unseen Burma, which showcases a compendium of old photographs from Burma, drawn from his personal collection.

We would like to thank the Hamburg Society for Thai Studies for the cooperation. 

You can also find all this information on our Instagram account and on our flyer.