Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/398

390 LUC of colour. A beautiful effect is caused by bringing golden fruit out of silver foliage. The petals are formed by working delicate spirals of golden thread; the glossy silk on which the latter is worked cannot be seen by the eye, but gives a gleam of rich colour like yellow hoarfrost to the blossom. The stamens and pistils are represented by innumerable little circular spangles raised in pyramids, worked into chains and circles, all of extreme brilliancy, The value of the embroidery is entirely dependent on the quality of the gold thread employed. If the silk thread is richly and well covered with gold the weight is greater, and the work presents a rich appearance ; if the silk thread is only lightly and sparsely covered with gold and showing silk between, the work looks poor. The Lucknow embroidery is superior to that of Delhi; the patterns are much more free and flowing, and the material is less cumbered with heavy work; more taste is shown in afford- ing the eye relief from masses of bullion, a closer imitation of nature is sought, and the delicacy of its handiwork in petal and stamen is copied with success. The aim of the Delhi artist apparently is to overlay as much metal as possible upon cloth ; very little of the Lucknow work is gaudy, and some of the cloaks or obughas made of purple or slate coloured šilk, worked round the edges with gold embroidery, exhibit designs of exquisite grace and purity of conception. General position of the embroidery art.-Using the word brocade in its most general sense as embracing, embroidery, lace, lachká, and the other varieties, the present position of the trade cannot be viewed with complacency. There were originally, it is said, about 5,000 workmen en- gaged in these manufactures; that number has now fallen to 2,500, and the trade is not sufficient to maintain them. It is very doubtful whether any extensive demand for these fabrics could arise in Europe; fancy dresses of oriental patterns might come into request, ball dresses of muslin sprigged with gold, children's robes, and furniture brocades have been adorned with Lucknow embroidery, but it is doubtful whether there will be any permanent demand except for military laces. There seems no reason why every bussar's jacket, each shoulder-knot and sword-belt in the British army might not be embroidered or worked in Lucknow. It is only in India that patience, dexterity of manipulation, grace in de- signing, trustworthiness in handling gold and precious stones, and the skill which is the result of many years, application, can all be bought for three pence a day. Less advance has been made in wire-drawing by English science than in any other art; the process already described is identical with that used in Europe ; the only difference is that the European work- man is supplied with motive powers from a perpetual band worked by a steam engine, and the native workman utilizes his marvellously flexible toes for the same purpose. The needlework embroidery of Lucknow is the most thriving manu- facture which it boasts. It is of recent introduction, and is a graft from the chicken-work of Bengal, to which, however, it is far superior. Coloured silks have lately been introduced to give variety, and the Lucknow artista