Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1886-11-11
THEsAw.s REoALIA.
Exhibition OF the Plumber Secured by the
British Soldiery in Burmah.

1
Exhibition OF the Plumber Secured nv n.
British Soldiery in Burmah.
A large quantity of gold and other
articles brought from the palace at
| Mandalay are now being exhibited in
the Indian and Colonial Exhibition,
where they form very interesting dis
play. At the present time there is no
list nor any kind of description of the
separate pieces, which appear to be Of
very different dates of production.
There are typical features more or less
evident in the style of art and in the
workmanship. The articles are mostly
| formed of two thin plates of pure gold
soldered apart by side pieces, the in
terror space being filled with lac In
this way the gold is small in quantity,
| instead of being really thick and solid
as it appears to be; and the articles
when handled feel very light. The
gold objects are set with numerous ru-
bies in rows, and otherwise ornament
ed with precious stones either in their
natural form or but vert indiiierently
cut. There arc many rings and brooches,
one of the latter containing an immense
emerald cut square. Some of the gold
articles are of very large size, and there
are others formed into the shape of
birds and crawfsh. There are goblets
and conical food covers, all worked in
the same way out of sheet gold, and
highly ornamented by chased work.
Jade armlets and cups are also to be
seen.
The royal dress is the most interest
ing as well as the most extraordinary
! portion of the collection. The robe of
state is composed of elaborate spangle
| work, sewn with great neatness and
| considerable skill of ornamentation
| upon some very stout basis, such as
leather or cardboard. 1t is embroid-
| cred also with figurings of metal
and silk thread. Its weight is very
great, probably not less than sixty
or seventy pounds. The hat, which
weighs two or three pounds, is coDical,
with high peak and broad brim, and is
also covered by spangle work. The
shoes, turned up at the points. are of
hollow gold and highly ornamented
with metal threadwork; the clogs are
palmer and very heavy. The full
dress, indeed, seems TO be as much as
a man could well stand under,
and locomotion must have been very
difficult tosthe Eastern mon lrch. The
belt is of gold ihread-work, set with
hgurings in pearl. 1t is very well
executed and handsome article. In
one OF the eases containing the dress
there is small umbrella: but this is
not the umbrella of state. This was in
the capture broken up, and of it there
now are parts only, and great guam
tity of ornaments which have been re-
ceived in these cases, but these are not
shown to the public. The umbrella it
self is about thirty feet in diameter,
and was carried by shaft six inches
thick and about twenty feet long, the
final on the top or the umbrella being,
when complete, some nine feet in
height. The shaft was surrounded by
rings of gold, studded with rows of
rubies, and ornamen.ed by alterna-
tions of inverted V-shaped pendants.
The gold articles and regalia above no.
ticed are placed in the Indian section
near the Ceylon court. But there are
two pagodas or shrines forming part
of this collection which have been
placed in the gardens near the fonn-
tains, and which are by no means the
least interesting objects. although they
are formed of mere gilded lattice work
bedecked with bits of silvered glass
and other tawdry. The roof upon
roof with which they are covered in,
and the hame-like representation in
the ornaments, out of which tall slight
pointed finals rise. are highly charac-
teristic of the crude Burmese style OF
art.-LO1ldOp Standard.