COLOUR.
Couleur. . . . . FR. Colore, Farbe, GER. C0101, SP Rang, . . HIND., rms.
White is the mourning colour of the Mahotne dans of Persia and it, India, and of the Hindus, Parsecs, and Chinese. Blue with Hindus is an unlucky colour. No one will buy a ruby or garnet with a bluish tinge. But the celestial blue is the imperial colour of the Mongols and Chinese. The colour affected by Hindu, and in Burma by Buddhist, religious mendicants, is a dull orange. In the ceremonies of marriages of Hindus, and on other similar happy occasions, red-coloured clothes must be worn, and the invitation cards must be red-coloured.
Sir George Birdwood tells us that of all artistic powers, that of colour, in its highest harmonies, is the most difficult to teach. Though general principles can be imparted by scientific rules, the power of colouring beautifully is undoubtedly one rarely attained. It seems to prevail in races as a special gift. It exists where the knowledge of form is unknown. It accompanies an un conscious sympathy with nature. Many actually savage nations colour their cloths or wraps or mats harmoniously, though absolutely devoid of social or mental cultivation. Europe may culti vate the study of colour, and understand its laws; but in textiles of all kinds, from carpets to gossamer natslins, and gold and silver tissileA, the traditional taste of oriental nations renados unattaioable by Europeans. In their silk and woollen fabrics, their metal work and other manufactures, there is an inherent feeling for, and power of producing lutrmony in, the distribution of colour, and in surface decoration. lie tells us that in tho colouring of carpets of India, full Indian red, broken by flowers or conventional leaves, in which orange predominates, forms a leading feature. A cool, low blue, a. green of similar gravity of hue, and soft creamy white. complete the palette of the Indian designers of these fabrics. European purchasers have intro duced changes into these oriental designs, but only to occasion losses of the exquisite harmony of the native arrangements of form and colour. Oriental colouring in textile fabrics MORS to result from a gift to the various races that pro duce them. .The native designers proceed- in accordance with immemorial traditions, and with a certainty that resembles instinct. Their shawls are the finest textures, if not the most artistic products, of the loom. As studies of colour, the
shawls of India have no rivals in the range of textile fabrics. The most celebrated of these productions are produced in Kashmir from the finest wool. Tho fineness and softness of its fibre retain colours of the most intense and deli cate hue. Lakes, yellows, blues, orange, greens of several tints, rich and vivid ; -white, soft and low of tone, and absolute black, enable the designers to make up endless combinations. The designs in all Kashmir shawls are very similar to each other, with a cone or au occasional peacock amongst the rolling curves, and with the borders of the brightest colours. India also, though not manufacturing shawls, produces woven tissues, some embroidered, and some the work of the loon, only, of a splendour unknown to European weavers. The gold and white, gold and purple, white and silver muslins, for colour, taste, and delicacy of arrangement, are amougst the artistic triumphs of the Indian loom. Some of them are of a gossamer transparency, intended for ladies' dresses.
Colour-steck-s for the lacquer-ware of India are used in the Panjab by the kharati or wood-turner, to colour his ware when the turning process is complete. The stick consists of shell-lac, melted down with a certain proportion of wax and sulphur, and coloured by various simple or com pound colours. They are applied by the hand. The operator holds the colour-stick against the turned wood object while revolving rapidly ; the heat produced by the friction melts the lac, and the colour is deposited on tho surface of the wood. The skill and fancy of the operator directs him either in laying on a uniform layer of colour, or else putting it on in little spots or touches, by allowing the colour-stick only very lightly to touch the revolving wood, thus prodacing either a smooth uniform colour, or the pretty mottled appearance so often observed in lacquered ware. Two or three different colour-sticks aro often applied, giving the whole a marbled appearance of great beauty. The colour thus applied is spread, titled, and polished, by pressing the edge against the turned object while revolving. Tho final polish is given by a rag with a little oil. The principal colours are of lac, crimson, orpiment, red lead, green mane of orpiment and Prussian blue, dark blue, indigo or Prussian, black, white, brown or gold colour, light-blue or ultramarine.