Myanmar tapestry involves an intricate weaving of colored threads with appliqué work and lavish embellishment with gilded materials and semi precious gems to yield a picture. Tapestries (chway-jee-doe) have been known to be a part of Myanmar culture for about 1000 years.

Tapestries were originally used only by royalty and monks, mostly for ceremonial and decorative purposes, since they were made of real gold, silver and precious stones. According to one of the historical book, nobody could wear these valued garments except by special royal permission. The last Myanmar dynasty established its capital at Mandalay and this was the reason why tapestris were mainly flourishing around Mandalay.  After the British replaced the monarchy in 1886, tapestry declined for a few decades until it returned to its fame. Though, previoulsy, tapestries were made of real gold, silver and precious stones, they are no longer made of real ones and fake and similar ones are being used instead to lower the cost and price. There was no clear historical records who made first tapestry or developed its tecnique. However, there was an evidence that tapestry products were being made in Myanmar at least a thousand years ago during the early Pyu period (500-860 BC).

The way of creating tapestries is very interesting and production process can be divided into eight steps:

1. Constructing the frame   2. Stretching the background cloth  3. Drawing the designs  4. Stitching the figures and motifs   5. Adding embroidery  6. Appliqueing the figures and motifs    7. Stuffing the figures 8. Filling in the background.

Gilded plates with floral patterns in relief or lion-heads embossed; small silver boats; figures of animals, jade elephants, chalcedony tortoises, ducks, deer and buttrflies; gold and silver bells, lotuses,some beautifully made with stalks and many layers of petals; beads of gray earth wrapped in gold and silver plating; beads of quartz, cornelian, ametyst, jade and various colored glass, including some of exquisite workmanship.

According to www.dev.myanmarbravo.com.