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14
BURMESE TEXTILES.

the fruit of the paw, a species of the terminalia genus of plants, and the fruit of the hog plum are all used for fixing green and yellow."

Although exquisitely soft colours are obtained by the use of these dyes, aniline colours are being imported more and more into the country, and are used as far east as Kengtung. They are gradually superseding the native productions, although some trade is done in cutch, sticklac and sappan wood with the Burmese.


Methods of Decoration other than pattern weaving.

Amongst the examples of Shan and Kachin garments in the George collection other methods of decoration besides brocade weaving are to be found; of these, embroidery, appliqué of different materials to form patterns, and the addition of fringes and tassels form the chief.

The embroidered decorations fall into three classes:—

(i) Pure embroidery in which fancy stitches such as outlining and buttonhole alone are used, GS 23 (Fig, 16a), GS 17 (Figs. 17, 18).
(ii) Embroidery executed entirely in running stitch; this closely resembles the brocade weaving which was in all probability developed from it, GS 22 (Fig. 17), GS 86 (Fig. 25a), GS 32 (Fig. 29), GK 39a (Fig. 34a, 34b).
(iii) Rows or groups of stitches not forming any elaborate pattern and being sometimes purely decorative, and at other times having a constructive value as well, GS 84 (Fig. 6), GS 57 (Fig. 7), GS 59 (Fig. 8), GS 63 (Figs. 10 and 11), GS 60 (Fig. 13a). The stitches chiefly used in this group are running, backstitching, buttonholing, herringboning and an open lacing stitch for decorative seams.

Dyed cottons and silks are the materials chiefly used in the embroidered decoration.

Panelled borders formed of various imported stuffs, scarlet flannel from England, silk and metallic brocades from China, are a form of appliqué popular as a skirt trimming (Fig. 3), GS 24 (Fig. 22). Variously and beautifully dyed native cloths are also arranged to form elaborate appliqué patterns of which the borders on GS 60 (Figs. 13, 13a, 14), and GS 23 (Fig. 16), are excellent examples. An exceedingly interesting development of this form of decoration is to be seen in the skirt GS 24 (Fig. 22), where below the deep panelled border there is a narrow pattern worked out in small folded pieces of cloth (Fig. 23).

In addition to the materials already mentioned, white seeds, known as Job's tears (Coix Lachryma Jobi, L. var. stenocarpa), GS 57 (Fig. 7), GS 32 (Fig. 29), GK 8 (Fig. 38), and GS 43, 44, 45, (Fig. 28,) cowrie shells, GS 23 (Fig. 16), iridescent beetle bodies (Fig. 28), plaited braids GS 57 (Fig. 7), GS 59n, and gold foil, GS 15 (Fig. 20a), GS 22 (Fig. 27) are also used.

Fringes and elaborate tassels are also important factors in the schemes of decoration. True fringes are developed from the warp ends by twisting and knotting, as in GS 59 (Fig. 8), GS 13 (Fig. 24), and GS 86 (Fig. 25), or have added threads to form a tufted edge such as GS 57 (Fig. 7), others again are made up of a number of tassels, GS 63 (Figs. 10, 11e). The chief note of decoration in many of the Kachin wallets is provided by tassels, GK 8 (Fig. 38), GK 5 (Fig. 39), which are often elaborately built up from plaited and twisted cords, and scarlet and white braids ornamented with beads, white seeds, tufts of coloured threads and tabs of scarlet flannel or other coloured cloth GS 13 (Fig. 24). Tasselled lappets are also worn as ear ornaments (Fig. 31c).

The strikingly good effects obtained by the use of such simple materials, and the foregoing methods of decoration compel the admiration of anyone who sees the cloths.