[[File:Burmese SPDC members greet Abhisit Vejjajiva.jpg|thumb|Members of Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council dressed in ''acheik longyi'']]
'''''Acheik''''' ({{lang|my|အချိတ်}}; {{IPA|my|ʔət͡ɕʰeɪʔ|}}) or '''''luntaya acheik''''' (လွန်းတစ်ရာအချိတ်; {{lit|hundred shuttle ''acheik''}}), is the name of the indigenous Burmese textile pattern. It features intricate waves interwoven with bands of horizontal stripes, embellished with arabesque designs. ''Luntaya'' ({{lang|my|လွန်းတစ်ရာ}}; {{IPA|my|lʊ́ɴtəjà|}}), which literally means a "hundred shuttles," refers to the time-consuming, expensive, and complex process of weaving this pattern, which requires using 50 to 200 individual shuttles, each wound with a different color of silk.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Green|first=Gillian|date=2012-05-25|title=Verging on Modernity: A Late Nineteenth-Century Burmese Painting on Cloth Depicting the Vessantara Jataka|journal=Journal of Burma Studies|volume=16|issue=1|pages=79–121|doi=10.1353/jbs.2012.0000|s2cid=162846149|issn=2010-314X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Silk acheik-luntaya {{!}} V&A Search the Collections|url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O10875/silk-acheik-luntaya-unknown/|website=collections.vam.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-12-05}}</ref> The weaving is labor-intensive, requiring at least two weavers to manipulate the shuttles to achieve the interwoven wave-like patterns.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Green|first=Alexandra|title=Eclectic Collecting: Art from Burma in the Denison Museum|date=2008|publisher=NUS Press|isbn=978-9971-69-404-3|language=en}}</ref>
thumb|Assortment of female ''acheik'' ''htamein'' (sarongs).
''Acheik'' is most commonly used as a textile for male ''paso'' or female ''htamein.'' The color palettes used in ''acheik'' incorporate a bold array of contrasting shades in a similar color range to create a shimmering ''trompe-l'œil'' effect.<ref name=":1" /> Designs for men feature simpler zig-zag, cable and interlocking lappet motifs, while those for women interweave undulating waves with arabesque embellishments such as floral motifs or creepers.<ref name=":1" />
==Production== The towns of Amarapura and Wundwin remain major domestic centers of traditional ''acheik'' weaving, although in recent years, cheaper factory-produced imitations from China and India have significantly disrupted Myanmar's traditional cottage industry.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Weavers of traditional textiles in Mandalay unite|url=https://frontiermyanmar.net/en/weavers-of-traditional-textiles-in-mandalay-unite|last=Lynn|first=Kyaw Ye|website=Frontier Myanmar|date=26 January 2019 |language=en|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref>
==Origins== ''Acheik'' weaving originates in Amarapura, near the Pahtodawgyi pagoda.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AUpAAAAAYAAJ&q=acheik+amarapura|title=Silk in Burma|last=Hardiman|first=John Percy|date=1901|publisher=superintendent, Government printing, Burma|language=en}}</ref> The name ''acheik'' may derive from the name of the quarter in which the weavers lived, ''Letcheik'' Row (လက်ချိတ်တန်း); the term itself was previously called ''waik'' (ဝိုက်), referring to the woven zig-zag pattern.<ref name=":5" />
While some sources claim that the ''acheik'' pattern was introduced by Manipuri weavers during the late 1700s, there are no comparable Manipuri textiles that resemble ''acheik''.<ref name=":1" /> The wave-like patterns may have in fact been inspired by Neolithic motifs and natural phenomena (i.e., waves, clouds, indigenous flora and fauna).<ref name=":5" /> ''Acheik''-type designs are found on pottery dating back to the Pyu city states (400s-900s CE), as well as in temple wall paintings dating back to the Bagan Kingdom era (1000s-1200s CE).<ref name=":1" /> Tributary gifts bestowed to the Burmese royal court may also have provided an additional source of inspiration.<ref name=":5" /> The textile became popular during the Konbaung dynasty, during which sumptuary laws regulated who could wear ''acheik'' clothing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unesco-ichcap.org/the-tradition-of-acheik-weaving-in-myanmar/|title=The Tradition of Acheik Weaving in Myanmar – ICHCAP|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-28|archive-date=2020-03-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328203037/https://www.unesco-ichcap.org/the-tradition-of-acheik-weaving-in-myanmar/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ''acheik'' pattern was exclusively worn by members of the royal court, officials, and their entourages.<ref name=":5" />
==See also== *Burmese clothing
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Burmese clothing}} {{Silk fibre}} {{Fabric}} {{Textile arts}}
Category:Burmese clothing Category:Ceremonial clothing Category:Culture of Myanmar Category:Silk Category:Woven fabrics Category:Handicrafts Silk Category:Textile techniques Category:Textile patterns