143 
each hni-laung towards the top. These specially prepared hni- 
hunujs are now deposited in water for three daws, in order to 
soften the bamboo. When this has been accomplished, the 
bamboo is now ready for splitting into Blender Btrips 
I he inner and outer bark of the bamboo from each lini-Uiuw/ is 
first stripped oil' and thrown awav. The outside strips taken from 
each piece are used for the ribs of the basket, the inside ones for 
the weaving of the frame-work. The baskets are worked over a 
mould and are commenced by four longitudinal strips being laced 
together and other eight longitudinal strips, half the thickness of 
the tour chief ones, being fixed in their positions. The four Ion- 
strips are now divided each into three, the middle division being 
removed and the eight subsidiary strips are split each into two. 
The fine transverse strands or wWt of the text are now woven 
Within the longitudinal warp and the strueture formed as elosely 
011 the mould as possible. When complete the key of the mould 
is removed by which the mould may now be separated in pieces. 
Ferrars very truly remarks that so accurately and beautiful are 
the Hurme.se wicker-work baskets made that "at first sight it 
done on a lathe. To prepare the wieker for lacquering, it is li»t 
given a rough-stuffing of fine clay to fill the interstices. The 
work is then painted" with t/tiasi, "which penet rates and toughens 
the clay and binds the fibres of the wicker. When the fhixsi has 
set, which takes several days, the work is put on the chuck of a 
bow-lathe and ground smooth with a fibrous stone. Varnishing 
and grinding are repeated till the surface is smooth, colour being 
added to the later coats." 
There may be said to be two main stages in the work : 
1st. Loading the articles with the thickened thitsi. All the im- 
perfections are filled up by a putty made of the commoner sort of 
thitsi mixed with saw-dust or cow-dung ashes. Layer upon layer, 
for some 20 to :>n times, the thitsi is applied, while bits of cotton 
rags are stretched across and around joints and cracks (if the 
lacquer is being applied to wood-work) and thus imbedded within 
the thitsi. After each tpplication the article is laid aside for a 
few days to dry slowly in the damp confined atmosphere of the 
underground pit. It is again and again removed and washed in 
water, rubbed down, smoothed, polished with sand-paper and a 
peculiar red mud, and again Coated with fresh layers of thitsi. 
If circular, it is placed on the turning-lathe | Plate 1. second artisan 
from the left) and gauged to the required size. 
2nd. When the desired degree of loading and colouring has 
been obtained, the articles are rubbed all over by the hand with a 
fine quality of Shan thitsi varnish, and this may 
many times, the articles being rubbed down and varnished 
until the required degree of polish has been attained. 
Chief Methods and Centres of Thit-si Work-There are four 
chief types of lacquer-work and centres of production. These 
are (1) Pagan basket- ware ; (2) Promt gold lacquer boxes and 
