Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-09-04
ASiatic Costumes.
The EdinburQh Rerielc saws

The characteristic of Asiatic costumes
and manufactures is immutability. Tn
like the European artisan, who seeks to
humor the appetite of fashion by incessant
novelty, the Oriental sets his loom after
the manner of his foretathers, or rather
with that unvarying constancy of instinct,
which teaches the bird TO build the same
nest or the insect TO weave the same web
for countless generations. 1t Is only by
acting upon this principle that European
manufactures can penetrate into Eastern
consumption. Neither price nor quality
will supersede inveterate tradition. The
reason that so little progress has been made
in the introduction of British goods in the
markets of India, China and Japan, Is that
but small proportion OF those goods have
been adapted to the established tastes and
customs of the natives. Either from igno-
rance or from Indifference we have sought
to clothe them in materials and garments
foreign to their habits The consequence
is that the demand and use Of British
manufactures in the East, and even in our
own Indian possessions. are surprisingly
small. and might be enormously increased.
The architecture and orna-
mentation of the temples Of Southern India
have now been rendered accessible to
European curiosity by the publication of
the magnificent Photographic representa-
tions Of Beejapoor. Dharwar, Ahmedabad
and other cities. edited and described by
Mr. James Ferguson and Colonel Mead
ows Taylor-a work for which We are
indebted partly TO the liberality of the
Bombay government. but far more to the
munifcence of some of the native Bombay
merchants who enabled these splendid
volumes to be sold at Il comparatively
moderate cost. They are by far the most
interesting and complete memorials of the
sacerdotal and regal grandeur of Southern
India which are in existence and no work
gives so striking an impression of the for
mer splendor of those empires. For the
study of native costume they afford, of
course, materials of indisputable correct
ness and authenticity.
The saree is the national
costume of almost all Hindoo women, and
occasionally of the Mohammedans, in India.
| La Dude and Rajpootana, the northwest
/ provinces, and the Punjaub, the volumin-
Gus petticoat introduced by the Moham-
medans is worn by many Hindoo women,
whether secluded or otherwise but this
practice is confined to those northermost
provinces of India, and Is unknown from
/ Raipootana southwards TO Cape Comorin.
/ Bengal and Orissa also adhere to this
national costume; and the article of dress
only varies with local taste as to color,
/ length and breadth, and fineness or close
ness of texture.
There is no female costume more ele-
CANT than a saree. 1t is an entire cloth
in many cases eighteen yards long and
about a ward broad and the texture varies
| from the finest and most open character of
muslin in Bengal and the south of India
to the still fine but closer texture of the
Deccan, Central India, and Guzerat But
sarees are of all qualities, TO suit the very
poorest as we'll as the very richest classes
of society-the ordinary laborer and the
princess In the manner of tying and
wearing this garment there is little differ
ence anywhere. The cloth, which has one
plain end, is passed round the loins, and
the upper border tied in a strong knot :;
the cloth is then passed two, three, or even
four times around the waist, to form a
petticoat, which if the saree be proper
breadth, reaches to the ground. \ portion
is then plated neatly into folds and tucked
in before, SO as to hang down in front to
the instep, or even lower The remainder
of the cloth is passed across the bosom
over the left shoulder and head, on which
it rests, the ornamented ends falling partly
over the right arm below the waist In
the south of India, however, the end does
| fba &C. i -. al
over the left shoulder and bosom, and
tucked into the waist behind, or on the
right hip. Most frequently, however,
respectable women of the Deccan and the
south wear gold or silver zone, according
to their circumstances, which, passing over
all, confines the drapery to the waist in
graceful folds This zone appears unknown
to the northward, and in many cases is
beautifully wrought and extremely orna-
mental"