The relief of the ornament is high, and the thickness of the stucco very con-
siderable in parts. The stucco is frequently gilt, on zedi and images. The
gold-size {thissi, p. loi) is applied direct to the plaster, which, however, in time,
furnishes a soil for lichen, causing the gold to scale off

Although stone is not quarried in sufficient abundance for building except in
Arakan, good stone for carving images is found in several places. The most
notable of these is Taung-u, on the Irawadi, opposite Pag^n. More important
than the red sandstone in-
dustry of Taung-u is the
industry at Sagaing, opposite
Ava, on the Irawadi, where
a beautiful white marble is
quarried. The heavy blocks
are hewn in the rough at the
quarry and transported to the
site of erection to be finished.
The subjects are chiefly the
conventional images of the
Buddha, from a pound in
weight to several tons (No.
218).
The cordage used in g,.^, pottery shqp.
STONE, PLASTER, SILK



99




215. LIMESTONE ROOKS.
Burma is twisted from
the bast of the skaw tree
{sterailiay2iv\eX\Qs). For
guys, stays, and stand-
ing rigging of boats,
rattan is employed.
Split rattan is used for
strong ties, and withes
of split bamboo {km)
for common ties. The
skaw rope is three and
four stranded, and is
twisted with native gear
very like that of our own rope-walks. A long and even four-stranded rope is
made by three men. This furnishes a good example of mechanical advance-
ment, when compared with the method of the hill-people, who require six men
to twist a much shorter rope of the same number of strands (Nos. 219-20).
