But amazingly enough, the Burmese carvings are mostly made of teak wood , a precious wood itself. That the Burmese teak wood carvings are artificially blackened is the more surprising if one knows how nowadays this blackening is brought about. Without any regard of whether the carvings might look better black or in the natural reddish teak color, one cannot imagine that a piece of handicraft or folks art can possibly gain in value by being treated with shoe polish. It does sound just like wallpapering over old frescoes. Well, if one forgets that the black appearance stems from shoe polish, the Burmese carvings look quite exquisite .
Common motives are workmen in short sarongs, women in ritual dances or harnessed warriors .
Typically the carvings go into great detail. There is a tendency that larger pieces depict a rather martial scene. Many arts and antiques shops in Bangkok have a few pieces of Burmese wood carvings, and occasionally they are also seen at handicraft stalls along the side walks in tourist areas such as Sukhumvit Road. A typical Bangkok price for a 30cm figurine is around 500 Baht. Most furniture available in furniture stores in Bangkok meanwhile is of Western style.