page_title: Gaung baung
section_title: Material
hierarchical_section_title: Gaung baung / Material
caption_attribution_description: English: Portrait of a Burmese male, early 1900s.
context_page_description: The gaung baung is a traditional Burmese kerchief and part of the traditional attire of many ethnic groups inhabiting modern day Burma and Northern Thailand, particularly among most of the Buddhist-professing ethnic groups: the Bamar, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, and Tai Yuan peoples. The design varies from region to region, but share basic similarities that distinguish the gaung baung from the kerchief.
  Gaung baung literally means "head wrap" in the Burmese language. It is part of traditional ceremonial attire, worn at formal gatherings and ceremonies. The gaung baung is almost always a sign of rank, though no insignia or pattern exists to denote it. The gaung baung is more prevalent among the Arakanese and Shan ethnic groups.
context_section_description: Since the gaung baung is a ceremonial headgear, it is always for beautification. Depending on the wealth and or rank of the owner, the colour and material differ.
  The Burmese and Mon wear yellow, white, grey or cream coloured gaung baungs, of either silk or cotton. The Rakhine wear pink coloured ones, while the Shan is either cream, skin or tan coloured. The Shan gaung baung is made out of rough cotton, called pin, the trademark garment of the Shan people.
caption: A Burman gaung baung of the predominant style in the early 1900s.
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