The exhibition buddhasandbirdskins.net highlights artefacts from Burma held by the Museum to show the historical connections between Bristol and Burma, which was colonised by the British during the nineteenth century.  

The colony was famous for its teak forests, working elephants, saffron-clad monks and golden pagodas.  As a result, when British people visited, whether for work or for pleasure, they invariably returned home with numerous artefacts packed into their trunks.

These objects ranged from souvenirs produced especially for tourists, to religious artefacts taken from places of worship, to taxidermied animals that had been shot for sport and scientific study.

Dr Saha said: “Burma—or Myanmar, as it is known today—is often thought of in Britain as a remote and isolated country.  This exhibition shows that this was not always the case.

“Over the past century, Bristol Museum’s collections have benefited from bequests made by imperial collectors who travelled in the colony.  Scores of bird-skins, several Buddha statues, and some ostentatious silver tableware are among the numerous items that are today held in its stores.  In this exhibition we have brought together a selection of these objects to remind us of the intertwining of British and Burmese history.”