of the silk-weavers of Prome, and there is a whole
street of Kathes. Seeing that they are of Hindu
persuasion, it is no long way from them to the house
of a Brahmin. The master is away at Rangoon; but
his \yife, a comely woman, receives me. She laughs,
and says that if I am going to photograph her, she
must go in and change her dress. Her husband
keeps the school for the Manipuri children. She
looks like a Burman, but states that she and her
people keep to rules of caste, and only marry within
the proper limits. Buddhism has, at least, taught her
to come out from darkened chambers into the sunlight
o f life.
I go from her; to the house of a painter, and find
him busy, with his assistants, over a large canvas,
destined for a theatre. He does a considerable business
in portraits, which he achieves by painting splendid
backgrounds and fine clothes, and putting in for the
face a photograph. This compromise is eminently
satisfying to his customers, and it is certain that an
air of reality is imparted to the photographs by their
curious setting.
Burmese art is still in its infancy ; but it has this
of merit at least, that it is alive. A Burmese painter
is quite prepared to grapple with any subject, from a
sunset to a buffalo fight. Crude as his efforts are, it
has always given me pleasure to come into contact with
the Burmese painter. For he has the true spirit of
the artist. He will come when you send for him to
your house, clad in his best silk putsoe and whitest
260
muslin coat (his
manners b e i n g
the fine manners
of his race), and
he will sheko, and
crouch down on
t h e floor, an d
carry himself as
if . he had been
b r o u g h t up at
court. His air
will be o n e o f
the gravity that
befits ceremonial
occasions, and he
will say phaya
(“ my lord’) at
t h e p r o p e r
intervals. B u t
gradually as the
plan you put before
him unfolds
before his vision,
a light will come
into his eyes, a
new pose into his
stooping figure.
He will enter enthusiastically
into
y o u r proposals, BURMESE A R T : P LA S TE R WORK
26l