The Myanmar discovery circuit - Day 3 (morning cont.) - Mandalay, the craftsmen's quarter, marble carving - The 14th of November 2015

(...)

We walked along a road near the Mahamuni pagoda known as the marble workshops'a district because of the numerous marble carvers we come across. The road was lined up with numerous statues in various states of completion.

We watched some of them as they carved the raw materials they work with, said to be brought down from a quarry at Sagyin, just 34 km North of Mandalay.

 

 

 

 

Some of the carving was left undone, especially the one related to the faces of the carved statues, because of having to be carried out by the masters of this type of craftsmanship and not the aprentices.

 



 

Fine dust created by the power chisels and grinders used in this craftsmanship could be seen almost everywhere.

 

 

Buddha in his various representations was undoubtedly the focus of most of the carvings.

A pregnant lady carrying a child I had come across before and to whom I had given some coloured baloons called me out from across the road to show me the child who had had previous difficulties in blowing air into the baloons had actually managed to do so.

(To be continued)