JOURNAL 



OF 



THE ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



Wo. 5.— May, 1832. 



I. — Some Account of the Lacquered or Japanned Ware of Ava. 

 By Major H. Burney, Resident at the Burmese Court. 



[Read at the meeting of the Phys. CI. 4th March.] 



This manufacture has been named lacquered ware from an idea, 

 I suppose, that lac forms a part of it ; but this is a mistake : no lac is 

 used, and the bright red colour is given by vermilion, which is made 

 by the Burmese from Cinnabar (a-yain), imported by the Chinese 

 caravans from Yunan. 



The principal material is known to be the Burmese varnish, or theet- 

 tsee, which means literally " wood oil." There must be a great 

 abundance of it in the country, as the usual price at the capital is 

 only § of a tical per viss, or about 5 pence per lb. ; but it is often 

 much adulterated, and requires to be strained through a piece of cloth 

 before being used. There are three descriptions of it at Ava. The 

 first and purest is called theet-tsee-ayoung-den, from ayoung colour, 

 forming of itself a beautiful black colour. The second is called theet- 

 tsee-anee-byau, from anee red, being that commonly used with ver- 

 milion or red colour. This is said to have one-quarter of water 

 mixed with it. The third and worst description is called theet-tsee 

 tha-yo-byau, from tha-yo, a paste, which will hereafter be described, 

 and to make which, this theet-tsee is generally used. This last kind 

 has no less than one-half of water mixed with it, and there is said to 

 be no difficulty in making water combine with the theet-tsee, by 

 rubbing the two well together in the sun. The price of the best 

 theet-tsee is just now at Ava 7 ticals for 10 viss. 



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