262 HOVA SILVERSMITHS. 



of l&mha is what is termed drindrdno. In these the body of the 

 stuff is of cotton woven into a strong twilled substance, the 

 groundwork white, and with a number of narrow stripes of 

 black, in which coloured threads are mixed. A broad black 

 border runs along each edge in the length of the lamba, and 

 each has a coloured pattern of tasteful design in the centre. 

 The most striking examples of native design are, however, 

 seen in the silk lambas. These are of considerable variety of 

 pattern and colouring (within certain conventional limits), 

 often extremely rich and elegant in their effect, and with 

 a peculiar kind of square leaf or flower introduced into the 

 stripes, and various combinations of small diamond-shaped 

 patterns. 



Another thoroughly native style of ornament is seen in the 

 dark-red lambas worn by the chief men of many districts, 

 and in which fine metal beads are woven into the stuff in a 

 variety of patterns across the ends of the lamba. 



In silver work, the native silversmiths are very ingenious 

 and skilful. "With a few very rude tools they produce filagree 

 work, and excel in making minute and delicate silver chains 

 of wonderful fineness. They are very quick in imitating 

 any pattern given to them, and will make perfect copies of 

 European jewellery with such exactness that it is difficult to 

 tell which is the original and which the copy. This manual 

 dexterity shown by the Hovas extends to all kinds of metal 

 work ; they are equally skilful in working iron, copper, brass, 

 and tin. 



Considerable artistic feeling is also to be seen in the 

 beautifully fine mats and baskets which the Hova women 

 plait from the straw of various grasses. In some of these 

 patterns are formed by the straw being dyed in red and black ; 

 but in the majority of the straw work there are elaborate and 

 tasteful designs formed without colour, and so as to be only 

 seen on a close inspection. 



In pottery the Hovas do not show so much inventive 

 power as in their textile productions. Except in one class of 

 work, the few articles which they manufacture are devoid of 

 all ornament. The exception to this usual absence of any 

 artistic feeling is in the earthen pots called vildny nbngo, which 



