Part III.] E. Benskin and A. Rodger: Note on Thitsi. 13 
Acanthus leaf pattern, but the general outline. Provided the craftsman 
keeps to the outline, the actual shape of the leaves may vary considerably. 
In many cases the designs are richly ornamented with gems, mica 
and glass of all colours, imbedded in the soft thitsi putty. 
This art is largely used for the ornamentation of fancy boxes, thrones, 
idols, and stands on which coffins are deposited; in fact, for every descrip¬ 
tion of work where an elaborate design is required. The same material 
and method is often adopted in the ornamentation of the many-trayed 
baskets in which Burmese ladies store their treasures and jewels ; the 
foundation of these baskets is generally a wicker work basket, made, 
as already described, in connection with the Pagan ware. 
4. Burmese glass mosaics. 
The art of wall decoration, by means of coloured glasses imbedded in a 
layer of thitsi , came to Burma from Siam : such decoration can be seen 
in the Shwedagon and other pagodas in Burma. Mr. Sitzler, I. F. S., 
has kindly given the following account of the glass mosaics in the Shwe¬ 
dagon pagoda at Rangoon :— 
“ The Shwedagon pagoda consists of a lofty bell-shaped brick- 
built pyramid, overlaid with gold, ascending to a height of 370 feet above 
the massive mound on which it is built. Around the base are a large 
number of shrines roofed with towering pinnacles, which are ornamented 
with wood carving and gilding, and are often supported in round columns 
overlaid with mosaics and gold leaf, while the richly carved capitals 
of these may be gilded. Reclining images of Buddha, overlaid with 
gold, either alone or surrounded by his disciples, are often set off by the 
finest examples of Burmese mosaic work. It is in fashioning these 
mosaics that thitsi is brought prominently into use. 
Firstly, the pillar or other part of the structure to be decorated is 
plastered over with thitsi thickened into a putty by means of ashes or 
some other medium. Strings of thitsi , made by kneading a mixture of 
ash and teak sawdust, are then made having a thickness of to §". 
These strings are decoratively laid, in the form of flowers and other 
fantastic designs, over the pillars, which have been well plastered with 
thitsi, and adhere strongly. After this, generally on the next day, the 
whole pillar, with its embellishments, is covered over with a second 
layer of thitsi. While the layer is drying, i.e., an hour or two after 
the application, the outlines of the flowers and tracing formed by the 
artist are laid over with gold leaf, and in the interstices left in the gilded 
tracing are placed pieces of coloured glass in mosaic, which become 
firmly plastered to the pillar when the thitsi dries. 
[ 109 J 
