Burmese Textiles/Section 3

by Laura E. Start

Fig. 31.

The Kachins or Chingpaw.

Origin and Habitat.

Interlaced with the Shans, on the direct route from Bhamo to Yünnan are a people who live in isolated huts, with every ten or twelve miles a group of about six

Fig. 32. A Southern Kachin belle's ornaments.

huts forming a village. They are the Kachins or Singpho, called by the Burmese Kakhyen, and are essentially hill tribes. Their habitat is the mountainous region north of Bhamo (Fig. I), probably reaching as far as the parallel 28° 30' north latitude, extending to the Chinese frontier on the east, and almost as far south-west as Mandalay; for although the States of Mong Mit and Mong Leng are nominally Shan, the Shans only inhabit the valleys and are much inferior in number to the Palungs and Kachins who live in the hills which form the greater part of the district. In recent times they have spread a long way to the South, there being many isolated Kachin villages in the Southern Shan States and even beyond the Salween river. The Kachins are broken up into small communities, each with its own chief, but have no common authority, and, owing to blood feuds often lasting several generations, there is a rigid exclusiveness between different tribes. Until recently they have had an evil reputation as cattle lifters and man stealers, and are regarded as outlaws by the Burmese and Shans, who stand in great awe of them.

Fig. 33 G. K. 39. Woven and embroidered borders on Kachin woman's skirt.

As the first home of the race, Mr. George says 'that all tradition points to the head-quarters of the Irrawaddy as the ancestral nidus from which the Kachins came.' All the legends describe as their first ancestor a certain Shippawn-Ayawng, who was descended from the nats or spirits who lived on the hill called Majaw-shingrâ-pum, from which the Kachins say the Irrawaddy rises. This ancestor had many sons and from the eldest are descended the true Kachins who migrated from the Khakhu or headwaters; from the remaining sons are derived the various tribes. There is no doubt of the Tartar origin of the Kachins, although the isolating character of the hill country in which they live, their combative nature, and blood feuds have caused the race to be divided and sub-divided to a great extent. The tribes, sub-tribes and clans have decided differences in dress and sometimes even in physical appearance.

Dress of the Northern Kachins or Khakhus.

Mr. George, distinguishing between Northern and Southern Kachins, as Khakhus and Chingpaw, says, "generally speaking, the Khakhu men wear:

(i) a narrow turban wound round the head but not completely concealing the hair,

(ii) a coat with long sleeves, generally dyed indigo and without embroidery,

(iii) a striped oblong piece of cloth about the size of a bath towel passed round

the waist and secured in front by a twist."

Fig 34.-G. K. 39a. A Kachin Woman's skirt of terracotta coloured cloth, decorated with patterns in black (heavy lines in drawing). red, yellow, white, dull green and blue.

Two or three black cane rings are worn below the knee to set the leg off. The original dress is said to have been a very small tight coat, a small waistcloth and a very narrow turban wound only once or twice round the head and tied in a knot on the forehead. The Khakhu women wear a white or coloured turban in Burmese fashion; an undergarment like a jersey with short sleeves, and over it a coat open down the middle of the front, and fitting closely to the neck where it is fastened with silver buckle (Fig. 31a). The coat has long sleeves and is often ornamented with cowries or a red and yellow border, being similar to that shewn in Figure 16, which belonged to a Shan woman of the Bhamo district. Below the coat is worn a petticoat of thick cotton stuff, and over that an ornamented dress or skirt which often has narrow tucks at the bottom and an embroidered border. When the skirt is not of the closed shape GK 39 (Fig. 33), GK 39a (Figs. 34, 34a, 34b), it is secured with a twist, so that the opening falls at the left side.

Fig. 34a- Details of G. K. 39a.

Dress of the Southern Kachins or Chingpaw.

The Chingpaw women have adopted the short loose Shan jacket, variously ornamented according to the means of the wearer. This covers the arms and breast, but leaves the waist exposed save for a profusion of rattan girdles adorned with rows of white seeds, or in the case of the daughters of chiefs, broad belts decorated with cowries (Fig. 31b). These hoops support the skirt which readies from the hips to the knee, and often has a chequered border of cloth applique in red, blue and yellow. Most of the matrons coil their hair in the folds of the Shan (Fig. 30a, p. 37) turban, but the original Chingpaw head-dress was a length of embroidered cloth twisted round the head, whilst the end, fringed with beads, fell gracefully on the shoulder. Unmarried women wear no head-dress, but cut their hair square across the forehead, whilst the back hair streams down behind quite unrestrained (Fig. 30b).

Fig. 34b - Details of G. K. 39a.

The ears are pierced, both through the lobes and the upper cartilage. In the latter orifice is inserted a tasselled lappet of embroidered cloth (Fig. 31c, p. 38). Silver tubes reaching to the shoulder are worn by the wealthier belles (Figs. 31a and 32c). All who can wear necklaces of beads, but silver hoops or torques called gerees (Fig. 32a) and the Komoung of red ochreons beads, (Fig. 32b, p. 39), are peculiar to the necks of highborn damsels. There is a great diversity of dress amongst the Chingpaw men, who wear either the Shan or Chinese costume, according to the neighbourhood in which they live. In all cases the difference in dress between different tribes is more marked amongst the women than the men. The tall turban and silver tube through the ear is characteristic of the Southern Kachin woman.

Fig. 35. Callet. C. K. 1.

Wallets.

Shoulder bags or wallets (Figs. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40), are worn by all the hill tribes, and are used by the men to carry their tobacco pipes, money, etc. The women, who are skilful embroideresses, decorate the bags with stitchery, seeds, cowries, beads and tassels. The number of patterns is very great, and would make a study in itself, but roughly speaking, the Kachin bags seem to be more frequently decorated with tabs and fringes, red flannel being highly esteemed, than the Shan bags. The latter are made of very narrow cloth, have longer shoulder straps than the Kachin, and fringed ends of the cloth instead of the added fringe. Occasionally bags are come across made of a fine straw plait and covered with the skin of the python, of a monkey or other animal, which gives the whole affair a strange and wild appearance.

Kachin Garments.

A selection of the most interesting Kachin garments and wallets has been made and their detailed descriptions follow.

Skirts.

GK 39 (Fig. 33) is a Kachin woman's skirt made of three strips of beady terracotta coloured native cloth, varying between 22 cm. and 23 cm. (8¾ in.-9in.) in width, and being 178 cm. (5ft. 10in.) in length. The central portion of the skirt, for about two-thirds of the whole length, is striped, the colours black, blue, or terra-cotta being determined by the warp. Red is used for the weft and is almost invisible, the warp forming the surface of the cloth (Fig. 33a). Above and below these finely woven stripes is a coarser weave obtained by grouping the warp threads. The weft then comes to the surface and two patterned borders are made by the use of a black and a terra-cotta weft. A variation in tone is produced by the arrangement of the black and terra-cotta stripes in the warp (Fig. 33, b and c). A further border of brocade weaving in terra-cotta, yellow, blue, green, white and black is evidently inspired by the Chinese fret, but has the typical Kachin arrangement of three keys in a group (Fig. 33a) p. 40.

Fig. 35. a. b. c.

GK 39a (Figs. 34, 34a and 34b, p. 41-43). This is the finest example of a Kachin garment in the collection, and is made of three strips of terra-cotta coloured cloth 21, 22 and 23 cm. in width respectively. The length of each of these strips is 164 cm. and they are joined along their selvedges by a coarse black seaming or overhand stitching. The heavy cloth is a poplin weave having a terra-cotta warp and a black weft. There are 64 warp and 20 weft threads to the inch and they are about the same thickness. Between the borders a b c (Fig. 34) a different effect is obtained by using a double terra-cotta weft in the shuttle and taking up four warps at each pick. The coarse poplin weave thus produced has its ridges running longitudinally instead of across the cloth, the weft forming the surface. Each of the three strips, of which the skirt is composed, is differently treated as regards pattern, with the exception of three narrow borders at either end, common to all the strips (Fig. 34a, a.b.c.) Above these borders in the left hand strip (Fig. 34) are a series of all-over patterns, arranged in stripes, constantly changing, of different depths and apparently having only one thing in common, a right-angled zig-zag as a basis of construction. Nearly all the ornaments in these all-over patterns are derived from the fret (Fig. 34a, b.c.d.e.f.) and they include the interesting group arrangement of three keys so common to Kachin designs (Fig. 34a, e). The central strip has a continuous zig-zag fret border on the left (Fig. 34) and a varying spot pattern on the right hand side of it (Fig. 34a, g.h.) whilst the right hand strip is decorated only by spot motives (Fig. 34b, k.l.m.n.o.) Swastikas, surrounded by

Fig. 36. Detail of design at side of wallet, G. K. 1.

Fig. 37. Part of the border decoration at the top of a bag or wallet. G. K. 2.

borders, occur frequently amongst the spot motives, as do also developments of the square and fret, both with and without borders. Some of these developments are shewn in Figures 34a and 34b. The designs on the cloth are carried out in black, white, terra-cotta, red, yellow, very dull green and dull blue, and notwithstanding their apparent irresponsibility, produce a rich, quiet effect. A double thread is used in working them, and the shortness of these threads, the wear they show and the irregularity to be found in the way they lie in parts of the work, indicate 'embroidery' as the method used in the production of the patterns rather than 'brocade weaving.'

An interesting feature in this cloth is the deliberate production of flaws (Fig. 34b, s.t.) in the patterns, which occur at several places in the central and right hand stripes; a distinctly naive compliment to bad pattern weaving.

Wallets.

GK 1, GK 2 (Figs. 35, 36, 37, p. 44-46). These illustrations give some idea of a group of wallets evidently all made by members of the same tribe. They all have substantial handles made from ten or twelve-strand square plaits (Fig. 35c) finished off with a tassel, and are elaborately decorated by finely worked patterns of similar form.

Fig. 38. Lana Kachin wallet

One especially interesting feature is the use of an animal motive resembling a dog. This occurs in three of the bags, and is shewn in the details of GK I (Fig. 35a) and GK 2 (Fig. 37). Figure 36 shews the detail of the design at the side of GK 1.

Fig. 39.—A Kachin Bag

The similarity of the border designs in Figures 35 and 37 is most noticeable, but the cloth which forms the basis of the bag pictured in Figure 37, is of particular interest because the warp, instead of being cotton, appears to be the non-spun fibre of a plant, or a natural grass of a shiny texture having the qualities of flax. The weft in the bag under discussion is of unbleached cotton in that part covered by pattern, and a dyed cotton in the central portion, which has only a stripe decoration.

Silk and cotton are used indiscriminately in working the bags of this group, the patterns of which are more elaborate and much more finely worked than those of any other example in the collection. The colours employed are purple, emerald green, crimson, rose, orange yellow and occasional touches of blue.

GK 8 (Fig. 38). A very handsome bag, typical of the work of the Lana Kachins is shewn in Figure 38. (p. 47) Its construction resembles that of the Shan bag in Figure 29 rather than the Kachin bags just described, as it consists of two strips of cloth, each 13.5 cm. wide, one of which forms the sides and shoulder straps and the other the central portion. The native cloth of which the bag is made has a black ground with a narrow coloured stripe down the centre, which is plainly shewn in Figure 38 in the part of the shoulder strap that has been opened out, and is produced by the following arrangement of the warp, two red, two black, two white, four red, two black, two white, two red strands. The pocket is elaborately decorated with patterns woven in the brocade manner. At the top there is a border clearly indicated in Figure 38 and below the front the sides are covered with an interesting fret design in red, yellow and white. This design is based upon the zig-zag and has the frets arranged in groups of three (Fig. 38b). The cloth at the back is much more simply treated, a spot pattern in red, shewn in Figure 38c, being its only decoration.

The most striking features in the ornamentation of the bag are not, however, the woven pattern just described, but the lappets and tassels of scarlet flannel which form an added decoration to the front. The lappets are four in number, each made of an oblong of flannel, about 11.5 cm. by 4.5 cm., backed with a piece of cotton cloth to which it is attached by buttonhole stitching worked over the double edge (Fig. 38a). On the two outer lappets this stitching is in black, on the inner ones in red. In the centre of each the outline of an oblong has been embroidered in yellow cotton and small holes made in it over-stitched round with yellow silk in the same manner as an eyelet hole is worked at the present time. Between each lappet and at the sides are two long tassels made of very narrow strips of scarlet flannel, each finished off at the top by three little balls, of which the upper and lower are made of the flannel, and the central one either black or white cotton. Attached to the lower edge of the lappets are white seeds (Job's tears) six to each, and a second row of seeds is added to form a diamond pattern as shewn in Figure 38a. Between each pair of seeds there is again a little ball of either black cotton or scarlet flannel, the black balls being at the top and bottom of the diamonds, and the scarlet ones forming a line across the centre. At several points the thread which passes through the seeds is attached to the bag so the lappets do not hang entirely free.

Subordinate tassels of scarlet flannel depend from the lower point of each diamond. Rows of seeds placed as closely as possible form a noticeable ornament at each side of the bag at the bottom, where they and a binding strip of the flannel also provide additional strength at points where strength is essential. The opening of the bag is neatened by a binding of red flannel which is hemmed down and the final result is both a handsome and serviceable article.

Another bag of a similar type in the collection has tassels of scarlet flannel and strands of beads with more small tassels fastened here and there in the strands. It is interesting to note that an Ifygas woman's girdle in Bankfield Museum, from the Phillipine Islands, has fringes of warp ends with similarly added small tassels.

GK 5 (Fig. 39). The bag in Figure 39 (p. 48) is made from a piece of navy and red striped native cloth 24 cm. (9⅜in.) wide, and 56 cm. (22in.) long; joined up at the sides by being sewn to a strip of white braid, which also forms the shoulder strap, and is fringed out at the ends. The front of the bag has a series of brocade woven borders in black, green, red, orange, yellow, light blue and white, the colours having no definite arrangement. The similarity between several of the motives used and those on GK 39a (Fig. 34a) will be noticed. A twist of white braid is also sewn on to the front, and its ends are decorated with elaborate tassels of narrow scarlet braid,

A Kachin bag or wallet

white thread and strings of glass beads, with little coloured tufts of cotton at intervals. The four tufts of navy and red cotton at the sides of the bag add a touch of novelty to it. GK (Fig. 40) is a bag of similar construction to the last. The pocket is made of unbleached cotton cloth, having a few red and dark blue stripes down the centre, and the strap consists of a strip of black cloth, 6.5 cm. wide, having a narrow stripe of red and yellow down the centre, and its warp ends twisted and knotted to make a fringe. This braid, where it forms the sides of the bag, has some finely woven patterns in reel and yellow as a decoration. The front of the bag is ornamented by a series of borders in the upper part, and rows of spots below, the designs in both cases are based on the square and executed in indigo blue and red.

Strips of red and indigo blue cloth are added to the fringed warp ends of the braid to form tassels. There are a number of other bags in the collection which belong to one or other of the types described.

In conclusion it may be said, that the examination of these cloths, garments and bags, all of which, from the sowing of the cotton seed to the finished article, are the product of women's labour, impresses one with the good taste, and practical skill of the workers.

The innumerable variations of simple elements of pattern, even when the original motives appear to be traditional, are evidence of a fertility of imagination far greater than would be expected naturally under the existing social conditions. The delightful mingling of colours on black or neutrally tinted backgrounds, and the restraint from over-decorations, shew to what a high degree the sense of artistic fitness has been developed; whilst the excellent use made of so many varied materials, often of a somewhat unpromising kind, displays great ingenuity as well.

The whole collection repays careful study, for it includes many excellent examples of fine craftsmanship carried out by the simplest of means.