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Members of this list might like to know that there are 12 pages on the Burmese inscription bands in the just-published "Textiles of Burma" ISBN 0-85667-569-5, Philip Wilson Publishers, UK; a sumptuous book. based on the collections at the Green Centre for World Art at Brighton, UK. Parts of about 24 bands are shown, in colour of course; also a dramatic picture of one of them wrapped around a manuscript, their original purpose. I had the pleasure of analysing Ralph Isaac's whole collection of about 50 such Burmese bands, which he subsequently gave to the Green Centre. It his very informative text that accompanies this part of the book. Some of the images in Otfried Staudigel's latest book are from such bands in other European collections. The cotton bands are all woven in simple double-faced weave, with tablets alternately S- and Z-threaded, but with narrow warp-twined borders. They are very narrow (13 to 30mm) typically requiring 38 tablets; and from 3 to 6 metres long. Within their narrow width, they show long inscriptions punctuated with birds, animals, gongs, flags, geometric shapes; sometimes ending with the date woven, even the weaver's name. Real textile masterpieces in miniature. Peter Collingwood http://www.petercollingwood.co.uk Send private reply to peter collingwood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ----------------------------------------------------------- To stop receiving tabletweaving (not tabletweaving-digest), send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: unsubscribe tabletweaving. To stop receiving tabletweaving-digest, see the end of a digest.
