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formed one extremity of a long stick is thrust to the 

 extent required, thus providing a rough tripod with a 

 short projecting arm at the apex as shown in fig. i, pi. 

 XI. With the aid of this primitive implement, the carver, 

 who squats at one side of it, has all the support he 

 requires while sawing or filing patterns upon the bangle. 



In the northern districts of Eastern Bengal, bangle 

 decorators commonly use a less makeshift-looking rest. 

 In this the two short legs of the tripod are formed of a 

 permanent A-shaped frame made of teak having two 

 short thick legs and a small aperture bored through the 

 upper solid part (fig. i, pi. IX). When in use one end of 

 a bamboo rod, i j to i^ inch in diameter is thrust through 

 the aperture in the wooden A-frame, thus forming the 

 required tripod rest. The projecting end of the bamboo 

 is whittled down till it is of suitable thickness to suit the 

 workman's taste. 



All remuneration is on the piece-work system, with 

 rates varying according to the difficulty and time required 

 by each different pattern of bangle. A few examples 

 will serve to show the wide range in rates. Thus the 

 work of carving and polishing narrow, highly carved 

 churisof the design figured in fig. G, plate XII, sold whole- 

 sale at Rs. 2-4-0 per set of six, is paid for at the rate of 

 one rupee for the set, while the workmen receive only 

 two rupees per 100 bangles when these are the plain 

 5-piece armlets made for Paliya woman at Dinajpur. The 

 dog"s head pattern oi da/a bangle figured on plate XII 

 (fig. C) is carved and ornamented with red and green lac 

 at "the rate of one rupee for three pairs. Red marriage 

 bangles showing an incised pattern cost from four to five 

 annas per pair to prepare, inclusive of the charges for 

 grinding, engraving and lacquering. 



Lacquering. — In Bengal, owing to the custom pre- 

 vailing there among Hindus which requires a bride 

 to put on for the marriage ceremony two red coloured 

 chank bangles, a considerable trade exists in lacquering 

 and decorating bangles in this colour in the manner 

 prevalent in each particular district. Besides these 

 marriage bangles, shakhas as they are termed, a small 

 amount of decorative lacquering in other colours is 

 placed upon certain patterns of bala bangles, worn by 

 better class Hindu women as ornaments and apart 

 from their obligatory marriage shakhas. 



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