An Umbrella for Style

There is a scenic little town by the small lake of Pindaya named after Pindaya town. Somewhere in the southeast corner of the Shan State, set in a plain surrounded by mountains, this little town has been famous for a natural cave where more than 9,000 statues of the Lord Buddha are enshrined. Pindaya is also known for its umbrellas, especially those with a canopy of paper. It is indeed a sight to watch a Pindaya craftsman making a Pindaya umbrella.

Every part of the umbrella - the hub, the shaft, the ribs, the handle are hand crafted and the Indian trumpet, which goes by the botanical name of Bignonia indica, is the wood of choice for these parts. First the hub is cut and grooved accordingly on a foot-operated turner lathe. Then it is fixed to one end of the shaft. Next the ribs are fitted into the grooves on the hub and the underside of the ribs is then decorated with intricate patterns of woollen threads of various colours. The lengths of the ribs and that of the shaft are then adjusted as required.

With this framework completed, the craftsman goes on fixing the canopy over the ribs. The material for the canopy may be either paper or cloth, depending on one's taste and choice. If it is to be paper, then two layers of a kind of coarse paper made from mulberry pulp are stuck onto the ribs with glue made from the juice of a certain fruit. The colour of the product is light brown but one may order the colour of one's choice. In order that the umbrella may be furled or unfurled smoothly, the stiff paper or cloth has to be folded by hand to get the creases in the right places.

Finally fix the cap above the hub, the catch at the right place on the shaft and the handle and ready to have a truly handcrafted Pindaya umbrella!

For durability, just give the canopy a good coating of crude oil and the umbrella will be yours for all seasons: to adorn your parlour or to protect you from sun and rain.