WHAT? Burma to Myanmar

WHERE? The British Museum, The Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG 

WHEN?  Now until 11th February 2024 

WHY GO? For a fusion of culture.  First up, Burma is now mostly called Myanmar which gets a tad confusing as it can also still be referred to as Burma!  Our history lesson is just beginning. This exhibition is challenging but tells a story that needs to be told on the eve of the country’s 75th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule. 

Small enough to dip into as it’s slightly overwhelming unless you are seriously into history. 

This is the first major exhibition to explore the landscape, lifestyle, culture and politics of Myanmar but has a dramatic abrupt cut off point as the country is presently under military dictatorship and becoming ever more isolated. 

The vast resources of the British Museum’s collections are tapped along with pivotal loans from Britains who worked in the colonial administration but there's nothing from Myanmar today under its repressive regime.

This is a nation of beautiful craftsmanship. Silks, textiles and gems have been traded for generations, sometimes advantageously but often to be exploited.  

Alongside glorious embroidered wall hangings are functional items like an oil workers helmet highlighting the significance of Myanmar as one of Asia’s oldest oil producers.

Britains in Burma during the war are not forgotten. There’s a poignant reminder of those who served; a detailed map worked on fine silk to be easily hidden at the time of evacuation. 

IN THE KNOW Need a guide? To help unravel the complexities of the Myanmar-Burma narrative, click on Myanmar’s connected culture : a timeline, at the Museum online before you visit. It provides background info to help navigate events.