It can be easy to dismiss dull-looking, black lacquerware among all the Aung San Suu Kyi T-shirts, the vintage editions of George Orwell's Burmese Days and beautiful jewels sold at markets and gift shops across Myanmar.

But on closer inspection, one will find that the handicrafts hold a subtle beauty - just like the country itself.

On a recent trip to Bagan, a world heritage site filled with crumbling Buddhist temples and shrines, I met Nay Ulin Naing, an artisan who runs one of many family-run lacquer businesses. This particular workshop was set up by his grandfather, U Pe Nyunt (pronounced almost like "opinion").

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kuaqyxKyrsqSVZK6zwNJmmq6kpKq%2FpnvAq6uim5yafHJ9lm5tcWxfq7alsc5mo5qboaqys3nCq5ifrKOsvLO3jKWYm6elp3qtu9WeZKaxkaO6or4%3D