Ceremonies and festivities of the Burmese royal court

Performances of music and dance—“an accomplishment in which every Burmese man or woman is more or less proficient,” according to a British observer in the 1880s—accompanied many of the activities of the royal court of Mandalay. This manuscript illustrates a variety of royal public ceremonies and festivities, but it isn’t always clear how the dance performances were linked to the main activity other than being a lively enhancement and demonstrating the king’s ability to sponsor a dance troupe.

The scene shown here is the plowing ceremony. In this ceremony the ground was prepared at the beginning of the agricultural season and rice seedlings were planted by the king or his representative to ensure a bountiful crop. To one side of the composition, male dancers in the elaborate costumes of Burmese royals perform, accompanied by instruments of a classical Burmese ensemble. Nearby, court ladies in an ornate pavilion watch the proceedings. 90