Myanmar · Metalwork / Gold Working
ရွှေစာ (Shwe Sar)
Mandalay gold leaf beating (ရွှေစာ shwe sar) produces the thinnest gold leaf in the world — sheets measuring approximately 1/10,000mm (100 nanometers) thick — used by Buddhist devotees to apply gilding directly onto Buddha images and sacred objects as an act of merit-making. The production district in Mandalay (Shwegyin Quarter) employs thousands of workers in a specialized division of labor: gold alloy preparation, initial rolling, progressive beating in bamboo packet stages, and final cutting and packaging. The critical procedural knowledge is the beating sequence — gold is beaten progressively through multiple stages, each using a different weight of hammer and a different size of bamboo-and-bamboo-paper packet, until the gold has thinned to the target transparency. Beating force calibration — achieving consistent thinning without tearing the leaf — is assessed entirely through sound and feel.
Risk level: Endangered · Myanmar national ICH list
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