Scenes from the Burmese version of the epic of Rama
approx. 1850–1900
Burma
Cotton, wool, silk, and sequins
Museum purchase, 1989.25.1

This long narrative textile has along its upper edge a large number of tabs by which it could have been hung. Where it would have been hung, and for what purpose, remains uncertain. One possibility is that it served as a backdrop for puppet performances. Photographs of puppet performances in the late 1800s show rather similar sequined narrative backdrops at the back of a puppet stage. Having one narrative depicted on a backdrop while another was performed in front of it had the potential to cause confusion, but apparently it did not.