1832.] or Japanned Ware of Ava. 175 



A frame of bamboo basket work, of the size and description required, 

 was first made over a wooden form or poun. The finer the basket 

 work, the lighter and finer will the lacquered ware appear when finished. 

 There are two kinds of bamboo used, one called myen-wa, for the coar- 

 ser kind of basket-work, and the other ten-zoa ; and there are three 

 kinds of weaving or ayet of the basket-work required for lacquering 

 The first and finest, and that of which all the smaller nyoung-oo boxes 

 and almost all Shan-boxes are made, is called kyoung-lein-yet. The 

 second, used chiefly for cups, except the rims, which are of the first 

 pattern, is called katein-gya-yet. The third is used for the large 

 round boxes, and for any coarse work ; and this is called powet- 

 kyoung-yet. The frame work of the lacquered boxes with hio-h co- 

 nical tops is almost always of separate pieces of wood joined together. 



Upon the outside only of this basket-work, with the wooden form 

 inserted, a thin coat of theet-tsee was applied with a brush made of a 

 piece of cocoanut husk. This was allowed three days to dry, not in 

 the sun, but in a cool sheltered part of the house, within an old wine 

 chest, which had a layer of earth at the bottom, and its inner sides co- 

 vered with mud. The box was shut up also, so as to prevent any dust 

 from falling upon the manufacture ; yet the workmen complained, that 

 the varnish did not dry so hard, or quickly, as it would have done in 

 a subterraneous vault. Every house in Ava, where this ware is 

 manufactured, has a deep cellar or vault, in which the ware is lodged 

 during the time the varnish is drying. In some Shan boxes parts of 

 the basket work are left plain, and are not covered with theet-tsee, and 

 of these the basket-work is very fine and delicate. 



At the end of three days a kind of paste was made and put over 

 the basket-work. There are several kinds of this paste, which is call- 

 ed tha-yo, probably from tha-yozoot, mortar. One kind is made of 

 bones calcined and pounded, sifted through a piece of cloth very finely, 

 and then mixed with the theet-tsee into the consistence of paste. This 

 is called ngo-wa-yo-bya tha-yo, " Cows' bone ashes tha-yo," or 

 simply ame or ayo-bya tha-yo, u bone ashes tha-yo." Another kind, 

 and which is most commonly used, is made of bran or husk of paddy, 

 burnt, and the ashes sifted and mixed as before described. This is 

 called phwe-bya tha-yo, " bran ashes tha-yo" A third kind is made 

 of the saw dust of teak wood mixed, without being burnt, with theet- 

 tsee. This is called ky-won-theet-lhzoa-za tha-yo, " teak-wood 

 saw-dust tha-yo," or simply Ihwa-za tha-yo, u saw-dust tha-yo •" — 

 it is of a thicker consistence than the otjher two, more like mortar, and 

 moistened with a little spittle as it is being applied. This paste is 



