Page:Burmese Textiles - 37.png

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
BURMESE TEXTILES.
37

while the widow's is completely covered with the tears and has, besides three or four irredescent beetle bodies stuck on at random, festoons like those of the maid's.

GS 34n. This is a piece of cloth probably intended as a cover for a pillow. It is of a rather open texture, the warp and weft being almost of the same thickness, and it is decorated with a design, based upon the lozenge, in green, red, orange and black. The pattern is worked in the brocading method and, as in this case the shuttle thread is carried right across, a reversible cloth is produced.

Fig 30b. Kachin married woman
Fig 30b. Kachin married woman
Fig 30a Kachin maiden
Fig 30a Kachin maiden
Wallets.

GS 32 (Fig. 29). One of a group of handsome wallets or bags is shewn in Figure 29, (p. 36) a product of Shan craftsmanship that is both striking and artistic in colour and design. It is constructed from two pieces of black cloth, 12.5 cm. (about 4⅞in.) wide, having narrow warp stripes of rich orange colour at either edge. A. long strip a, folded lengthwise, forms the sides of the bag, the handle and the fringe. A shorter piece b, folded in two across its length forms the central portion. The edges of these strips are joined by a crossed over-casting stitch (Fig, 29d) so as to form a ridge, on either side of which are sewn rows of white seeds, Job's tears (Coix lachryma Jobi. L. var stenocarpa) (Fig. 29e). Similar white seeds are also used at the sides to form a star-like motive (Fig. 29c) and produce a striking effect against the black background. Bands of woven pattern, executed in silk and silver thread, occur at stated intervals, and the spaces between are entirely covered with rows of stitchery in thick, black gloss silk. These embroidery stitches slant in different directions in alternate rows, thus giving the effect of 'a herringbone weave.' The colours used in the woven borders are red, rose, orange, yellow, green, white and