The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-13

| strong, neat, and very attractive. The
shells employed are all members Of the
| CyprRa family the most common being
| the cowrie, Cypr8a moneta. The cost OF
| the buttons ranges from 20 to 80 cents per
| dozen. Sometimes the wire loops are Of
| silver, and then the prices are, of course
| considerably higher. More ingenious are
the she'll cups, saucers and spoons made
| from the larger types of tropical uniValve
| shells. The finest specimens come from
the southern Philippines, and the next
| from Borneo, but good ones are found in
| the Pescadores and Formosa. It would
seem as if the original idea was Malayan,
and that the other races of the Orient
were merely imitators.
SHELL CRoCKERY.
| Making cups and saucers the conchs are
sawed through in about the same manner
as cocoanuts are when intended for dip
pers. They are cleaned and polished,
and the convex surface ground slightly
so as to rest on table without splitting or
| fitting. The spoons are made by saving
| the round superior surface of the conch
! at such an angle as to partially intersect
| the spindle or major axis This becomes
the handle of the completed spoon Ac-
cording to the size of the she'll the result
is a dessert SPOON tablespoon, or a ladle
capable of containing quart. The in
terror is of rich sulphur, salmon, orange
color or pearly luster. II has no angles
where dirt can accumulate and is about
the handsomest natural spoon have ever
seen. They stand heat and cold well, but
are attacked by vinegar, lemon juice, and
other acid substances. The best market
in which to obtain them to-day is Cebu, in
the Philippine Islands.
The largest industry is the cutting Of
beads buttons, studs, and other small ar
ticles from shells of high ulster There
are some fifty species which are utilized
in this manner, of which the Chinese
mussel and oyster are the most prominent
One variety gives a black, blue and white
button similar to the cat's-eyes Of Ceylon,
and named after these Annoy or Canton
cat's-eyes. A second variety is of pale
faWn ranging to translucency, called
white cat s-oyes A third is half an inch
in diameter and resembles light-brown
onyx. The black and white cats-eyes are
used for bracelets, necklaces, ladies dress
buttons, and also as dress ornaments sim
liar to pearls. The balls are strung and
used as necklaces, bracelets, earrings,
and rosaries. Though apparently fragile,
they are really tough and very durable
Their price depends upon some inscruta-
Bile Chinese rule and varies from half a
cent to 5 cents apiece Even at the
higher figure they are about the cheapest
artiStlC QeCOfdblOn we nave IN the east.
When mounted as buttons, the black cats
eyes are a notable ornament to a black
silk dress. The graduations of color arc
brought out into fine relief, and the sug-
gestion Of blue which runs through the
shell gives a color TO the somber silk that
is very pleasing The best effect is when
they are sewed closely together in double
lines upon vest or a waist, when they
seem to be fine and brilliant stripe. A
queer way of setting both cat's-eyes and
onyx balls practiced by the Chinese con-
sists in alternating them with small
carved fruit stones. II is rather attract
i've as an oddly, but the lack of color de-
prives it Of any aesthetic value.
ANCIENT AND MODERN asILvERwARR.
Silver is to the Orient what gold is TO
the West To the artist, the scholar and
the collector 1t is the king Of all the
precious metals. It's popularity is not
due to its cheapness. Jade, which rivals
silver in public esteem, is much more ex-
pensive than gold. There may be another
reason for the small use Of gold as an or
nament by the Chinese, In designation
Of rank and title a gold button stands at
nearly the bottom Of the list. Then, on
the other hand, yellow golden is the inn
perial color, and none but those around
the Son of Heaven are allowed to use il
for wearing and other purposes. Silver
iewelry and curios in China are universal.
The poorest coolies wife has usually ar
gent bracelets and earrings.