The distinctive style of embroidery and applied work here is typical of Burmese work known as ‘Kalaga’ which means ‘curtain’ in Burmese and is used to refer to heavily embroidered appliqué tapestry sewn with a technique called ‘shwe gyi do’. First produced around 150 years ago, Kalagas are generally linen, silk, cotton or velvet background fabrics embellished with sequins, embroidery, beads, coloured stones, tiny pearls, coral, braids and metal threads, the choice of materials depending in part on the client’s budget. Cotton padding was used to produce the ‘3D’ effect seen here and on many other examples of the work. The elaborate decoration meant that some of the larger pieces could take many months to produce. These two panels are an excellent example of the genre with the lavish use of gold thread. They have survived in excellent condition and can decorate an interior today in the same way that they graced the interiors of the makers’ contemporaries. Dating is difficult and a mid C20th attribution is probably sensible but an earlier period of manufacture is quite possible.