The evening times., 1895-08-20
THE 1NLAYERs OF HANOI.
Skilful Artists at IDcrusting Ebony
With Mother of Pearl.

i with Mother of Pearl
/ Hanoi, a city OF French Tonquin, says
a writer in the Journal dcs Voyages has
a flourishIng industry in the incrustatio
| OF precious woods with mother OF pearl.
The industry is so important that whole
street, called the street of the Inlaycrs
is given up to IL, and constitutes the sole
curiosity OF the city. Strangers to the
art pass hours in watching the native work
men. The latter are genuine artists, mas
ters of delicate handicraft demanding
at once artistic perception and high man
ual skill. Furnished with rude tools, but
with much patience and skill, these work
men produce articles OF great beauty,
cleaning with rainbow hues. Here il a
sheaf of manyeolored flowers, there are
delicious arabesques, yonder is land
scape glittering in the sun.
The workmen have applied the principle
of the division of labor to their art There
are the cabinctma kers, who put togetherthe
different parts OF the material to be in
crusted. The process of joining is done
without the aid of nails, and with a system
of nice dovetailing and the use of paste Of
which lacquer is the base. The wood EN-
ployedis oftwo odistinct speciee of fpalisander,
sometimes called violet ebony, ard by the
native tiac, and true ebony from the forest
Of the Red River of TonQuin. This latter,
which the natives call noun, is especially
valued by reason of its close grain and its
deep black, which brings out the shifting
glories Of the mother of pearl Objects of
incrustcd ebony are more costly than those
of violet ebony.
When the cabinetmaker has prepared
the wood 1t passes into the hands OF the de
signer, who makes sketches OF the ornamen-
tation upon rice paper. These designs are
transferred to the wood by the inlayer W hose
duty 1t is TO choose the pearl that viii
best serve to bring out the beauty of the de-
sign. The mother of pearl is obtained froma
species OF large sbellfish called casque,
chiefly caught upon the shores of the island
Of Poulo- -Condar. The inlayer cuts the
mother of pearl into bits four or five cent?
meters in diameter, and chooses the ecombina-
ton of colors that shall yield the contrasts
necessary for the artistic SUCCESS Of his
work. His art lies in the skill 10 arrange
the pieces so as to obtain the best effect |
Of iridescence. This he heightens by the |
use of a sort of pearl dust furnished by
kind of great mus ssel takSA from the
brooks OF the region. The play Of light upon
bese mussels gives the whole gamut of the
-ainbow.
The bits of pearl chosen, the inlayer
strives TO give them the form of the design
md TO dispose of them as veritable mosaic
n the wood. The crude ulorsel is rendered
translucent with pumice stone 1t is then
liked in a vise, and the inlayer's labor OF
patience begins. Crouching upon his heels
,efore the wise, he shapes the piece with q
lie smaller than an ordinary colored crayon.
The pearl fashioned il is Necessary to trench
he wood to, receive it. This is ordinarily
lone by children fourteen or fifteen years
I'D. They follow the lines of the design
With 4 buring and channel tiny trenches OF
miliIncter in diameter. The bits of pearl
ire then set in the grooves and fixed with a
acquer paste, The whole is gently heated
o melt the paste, and SO fill all interstices.
rhe iniayer lhen polishes his work, var
fishes it, and gives it finishing touches
With the burin. The work is so beautiful
nd so costly that it is much counterfeited
y cheaper methods, though never with
ntire success.