This was a story I wrote and shot about the Shwe Sar Parasol Workshop that appears in the new issue of Readers Digest Asia. The parasol has travelled with the people of Myanmar through their turbulent history, evolving alongside its owners through times of kings, conquerors and uprisings. The handmade parasol, or htee, has been the pride of Myanmar for centuries. They have been produced in the homes of master craftsman quick to guard the secrets of the past and have been used as a form of currency, a status symbol and an invitation for marriage in addition to protection from the sun and rain. Though the parasol is not as commonplace as it once was, the tradition of parasol making is still alive and thriving in the Ayeyarwady town of Pathein.
Here's a timelapse of the process in action that will appear in the Ipad edition:
