Items of dress of a Burmese minister. Konbaung Dynasty (1752-1885). Consisting of a court costume of red velvet and gold and a white muslin jacket and headband. ca. 1850 to 1885.

Minister's court costume of red velvet and gold spangles, and a white muslin jacket and headband.

Purchased from L. M. Parlett, Esq.

This civil court costume was specially created for the Kin Wun Mingyi (Chief Minister) who served both King Mindon (r.1853-78) and King Thibaw (r.1878-1885).

Mr. Parlett was a Divisional Judge in Lower Burma during the first quarter of the 20th century.Mr. Parlett was a Divisional Judge in Lower Burma during the first quarter of the 20th century.;

Purchased from L. M. Parlett, Esq., Inglewood, Bath Road, Reading. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.

RP 1911-5059M

Purchased by the donor while serving as a Divisional Judge in Burma at the beginning of the 20th century. Formerly on loan to the Indian Museum from 1907 until its purchase in 1911.

Attribution note: Style, decoration and technique refer to 19th century Konbaung Dynasty.

These garments, which belonged to the Kin-Wun-Mingyi or chief minister, who served both King Mindon (r.1852-1878) and King Thibaw (r.1878-1885) at the Court of Mandalay. The state robe is of crimson velvet, heavily decorated with gold, under which he wore a red wrap skirt called a pah-soe, embroidered with yellow floss silk and a high hat with applied gilt-foil ornaments. The degree of ornamentation would have immediately indicated the minister's rank. On less formal occasions the pah-soe would have been worn with the long white muslin jacket called a ein-gyi and matching headband or gaung-baung.

IM.43 to D-1912