1832.] or Japanned Ware of Ava. 179 



small pieces of gold leaf are taken up and introduced into cavi- 

 ties or hollow ornamental parts of the wood work, in the same manner 

 as our gilders use a squirrel's tail. This brush is made of the hair 

 taken from the inside of cow's ears ; and the workmen declared, that 

 it requires an hundred cows to make one brush. I had a picture 

 frame gilt, and although the gilding has not the lustre of one of our's, it 

 has the advantage of remaining with the frame; for the Burmese prim- 

 ing does not break and chip off, as the coat of whiting over our picture- 

 frame does. The Burmese have no idea of burnishing- their gildin^ : 

 and if their priming would take the burnisher, their gilding would not 

 only equal our's in lustre, but being more durable, would be pre- 

 ferable. The workmen could make nothing of a dog's tooth, which I 

 pointed out to them as a burnisher ; but this was owing probably to our 

 not knowing the exact time of applying it. The priming on their wood- 

 work is about one-half the thickness of the coat of whiting on one of our 

 picture-frames ; but of course it could be made thicker if necessary, and 

 it would be useful to know, if the gilding over their priming could be bur- 

 nished. In Siam most of the gold leaf used for gilding is imported from 

 China, but the Burmese prefer to make their own, and they beat it far too 

 thin, for it is full of holes and so requires to be doubled in many places, 

 which not only leads to much loss, but prevents the gilding so smooth as 

 the Siamese gilding. They mix a great deal of alloy also with the gold 

 of which they manufacture the leaf, contrary to what Colonel Symes 

 was informed ; and hence the gilding of all Burmese pagodas and public 

 edifices soon looks dull and shabby, particularly where exposed to the 

 weather. Few remains can be now traced of the gilded Kyoungs seen 

 by Colonel Symes at Amarapoora, nor is there any gilding now to be 

 seen on the great Arracan gun. The splendour of the king's palace 

 at Ava, although the gilding has not been executed more than 8 or 9 

 years, is not so great as it must have been when Mr. Crawfurd visited 

 this capital ; and the gilding of the Shivedagon pagoda, at Rangoon, 

 now looks very black and shabby ; whereas at Bang-kok, I recollect 

 the Portuguese consul pointing out to me the excellent state of preser- 

 vation of the external gilding of a pagoda, which was described to 

 have been gilded no less than sixty years before*. 



All the different purposes to which the theet-tsee is applied in this 

 country, can scarcely be enumerated. It is boiled, and used for writing 

 on polished tables of wood or ivory, particularly in the Pali character. 



* Gold leaf is fixed on cloth or paper by the Burmese, in a very simple manner, 

 with only the milky juice of the country fig 1 , Udambar of Hindustan, (Ficus 

 raceinosa or glomerata,) called by the Burmese Thaphanthee. 



A A 2 



