Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-12-15
Art in Burmah.
from the Magazine of Art.I


The workmen of Burmah, although they
have little idea of composition, are won
derfully fertile designers Of details. They
can all draw with freedom aud grace; their
legends are full of stirring incidents, and
deal with varied range of characters,
from this puny human infant to the gro
tesque msn.eating monster. Their stand
ards of masculine and feminine beauty
differ from ours, but are, nevertheless.
quite possible. Without the insight and
delicate refinement of the Japanese, they
are free from the extravaganza of the Chi
nese, and there Is nothing in their art so
debased as the representations of Hindu
gods.
There are, as yet, no artists in Burmah,
and, to see how the people draw, we must
examine the designs of the decorator, the
gilt lacqaermaker, the silversmith and the
wood carver. 1t is true that pictures may
be seen in some of the houses of the we'll
to-do. Many of these are panels taken
from the base of the funeral-pyre of a
monk, and the others are similar produc-
tions made to order by decorators These
pictures are remarkable chiefly for the
glaring colors used, for the absence of any
composition, and for the distorted per
| spective common to Oriental representa-
| tions. The drawing is, however, good, the
attitudes are lifelike and the story Is gene
rally well told. To European eyes the at
| titudes appear as distorted as the perspec-
| tive, but 1t needs a very slight knowledge
| of the country to recognize that the Bur-
| mans hsbitually place themselves In the
most uugainly positions. After more init
mate acquaintance with their mode of life
we find out that these very attitudes are
esteemed graceful, and are only acquired
after years of practice. For example, q
village belle comes to take her seat at the
theater. The place is crowded with peo-
pie sitting on mats spread ON the ground.
She is perfectly self possessed, though con-
scious of general criticism. A dainty
wreath of jesamine is placed tiara-wise
Just below the neat coils of shining black
hair. She wears a spotless white jacket,
with tight fitting sleeves, and over one
shoulder o maize -colored scarf is thrown.
With every swsying movement of her
1.-THE limbs the gay colors of her narrow
silk petticost glance and play in the light
| of the haring torches. When she reaches
the mat that serves as the family box, she
sits smilingly down and leans on one arm,
| and gradually turns the hand round in
ward until the elbow is bowed outward in
front The general impression Is one OF
supple grace; but, If we watch this girl
walking through the village by ordinary
daylight, we snail see that she. swings hel
arms backward and forward, in time with
the circling sweep of her out-turned feet
And further, when resting during the cool
of the evening unooseryed in the recesset
of the rest house, we may see little maid
ems, scarce promoted to the dignity Of
clothes, practicing again and again thes,
curious motions and attitudes. Our crit
cism of the same attitudes varies with our
own feelings, and the secret of the illu
sion at the theater is. perhaps. in the nat
ure of the surroundings. In the early
morning, under the open sky, and will
the hard business of the day before us, VI
looked with the cold eyes of the foreigner
in the evening, when tired, but with on
worries behind us, we were able to ente
into the children's play, amused and hal
understanding; but at night We leave tn
houee and everything English in it, and
sitting in the midst of Burmese crowd
| are able to understand their modes o
thought and their standards of beauty.