Chinlone Ball

This ball from Myanmar was accessioned into the Logan in 1960. It is the main component in the game of chinlone, also known as cane-ball, which dates back 1500 years. A collaborative game similar to hacky sack, chinlone is played by six players gathering in a circle and attempting to keep the ball afloat without using their hands. chinlone is inspired by the traditional dance and martial arts of Myanmar, resulting in fast, performance-like movements. The game is the national sport of Myanmar, and is played together by men and women of all ages. 

 

Independence from Britain and subsequent political instability starting in 1948 and continuing throughout the 1950s brought immigrants from Myanmar, and chinlone with them, to the United States. Forming enclaves in the Upper Midwest, especially Minneapolis, games were, and are, an important aspect of community-building and national identity for Myanmarese immigrants in the United States.

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By Fiona Cismesia, Grace Law, and Caro Quintero