97 
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. 1, pl. 
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 ofa 
permanent A-shaped frame made of teak having two 
short thick legs and a small aperture bored through the 
upper solid part (fig. 1, pl. IX). When in use one end of 
a bamboo rod, 11 to 13 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 
churis of 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 of éa/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 da/a bangles, worn by 
better class Hindu women as ornaments and apart 
from their obligatory marriage shakhas. 
7 
