58 



pioco of hmulH>o about 3 inches louif is soriiroly tierl. This 

 iinpleineut is called in Perak oJak-olel; Init it is known as rfiohnu 

 in Pahaujj: where it is, or rather was, made of many fanciful and 

 graceful shai>es ; in silver, brass, horn and other materials. A fine 

 series of these was collected bv the writer and is now in the Perak 

 Museum. 



On to the cross is wound the gold thread, usually a. double strand, 

 the other end of the implement serving as a handle. A sniall needle 

 with tine Avhite or ground coloured cotton is also necessary, as the gold 

 thread is not passed over the card pattern and through the foimdation 

 and up the other side after the manner of crewel work, but is only 

 carried over the front of the card, being stitched down on either side 

 of it with the needle and cotton. To do this neatly requires some skill, 

 as the cotton must not show and the gold thread must be laid evenly 

 so as to completely cover tli<' whole surface of the card. The Avay it is 

 done is, after having tixed one end of the gold thread, to lay, by 

 means of the winder, Avhicli is held in the left hand, the thread across 

 the pattern, then the needle is brought up through the material at the 

 edge of the card on one side of the thread, then over it and back again 

 down through the material. This fastens the thread down on that 

 side, then the winder is moved to the other side, so that the thread lies 

 evenly next to that first laid, the needle is brought up again, over and 

 down through the material. This process is continued till the whole 

 of the card pattern is covered evenly with gold thread. As the support- 

 ing pieces of card previously mentioned are come to, they are cut off, 

 and the sun*ounding outer ring, if it does not form a part of the design, 

 is also removed l)y undoing the tacking cotton, when it is no longer 

 required for the support of the pattern. 



The jiieces of rattan are covered in the same Avay as the card. As 

 many as five of these strips of rattan are laid together to fonn a border 

 in some cases. At other times two, three or four are used. In cover- 

 ing these borders the thread is carried across from No. 1 to the 

 next, perhaps six times, then the same is done from No. 2 to 

 No. 3, then again from No. 1 to No. 2, and so on alternately 

 so as to form a chequered pattern, as is done in English gold 

 lace. The gold thread is stitched down as already described. 

 Occasionally single pieces of the rattan ai'e covered by coiling thread 

 round them before applying it to the work. 



Beads, usually white, and spangles are freely used in this work to 

 fill up all empty spaces. In this, as in most classes of oriental design, 

 there appears to l>e a feeling that the whole surface should be covered 

 with work of some sort. The restful effect of an lui broken back-ground 

 does not seem to appeal to an Asiatic. 



Sometimes the representation of coloured flowers is attempted by 

 filling in spaces, which have Ijeen purposely left in drawing the design. 



