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Textile or Woven Fabrics.

India was probably the first of all countries which perfected weaving. Not until last century did the cotton manufacture obtain a footing in England. In 1641 "Manchester Cottons" were made of wool in imitation of Indian cottons. Contrast an English "power loom" with an Indian loom. The Greeks, who entered India with Alexander the Great, B.C. 327, found the natives wearing garments made of "tree wool," i.e. cotton, and robes worked in gold, and flowered garments of the finest muslin.

The charm of Indian Textile fabrics lies in (1) The beauty of the dyes used. (2) The harmonious arrangement of the colours; all violent contrasts are avoided. (3) The simplicity and treatment of the decoration or pattern.

Notice, that the most common pattern is the knop, or bud, and the flower. This pattern is never seen twice in the same form.

The guiding principle is alternation, and this is seen in the native garden and heard in the native music.

A Native copying a flower will peg it down flat on the ground, laying out its leaves, and buds, and flowers symmetrically on either side of the central stem; if these arc not opposite to each other in the pattern plant, he will make them appear so in his drawing by adding others.

The weaver puts the proper colours into his fabric either from his own knowledge or a pattern, but no native can do his best from a pattern. If he is told simply, "Now I want you to make something in this style, in your own way, but the best thing you ever did, and you may take your own time about it, and I will pay you whatever you ask," he will succeed. Art in Europe is spoiled by haggling and hurry.

The loveliest little mosque in Bombay was built without a plan, the workmen day by day tracing roughly on the ground the designs by which they worked.

Some Calicoes are woven with coloured threads, others as the chintzes and bandanas are printed.

English chemical dyes are fast spoiling the Indian dyers' work. The Maharajah of Kashmir does his best to keep English dyes out of his country. Notice the cloths of unbleached cotton, with their exquisite borders in red, blue, and green silk.

Muslins.—The once celebrated Dacca muslins are now almost a thing of the past. Formerly they were manufactured in pieces 15 yards long and one broad, with a weight of not quite two ounces, and a value of £40 the piece. Now, the finest would weigh nearly four ounces, with a value of £10 the piece.

Silks.—It is not lawful for Mahommedans to wear pure silk, hence, fabrics which have a woof of cotton and a warp of silk, or a back of cotton and an outside surface of silk. Fabrics, in which cotton is mixed with silk, are termed mashru, i.e. lawful.

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Brocades.—Gold and silver are worked into the decoration of all the more costly loom-made goods. The native word kincob is applied to the highly ornamental brocades of the Bengal province. "The King's daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is of wrought gold."—Psalm xlv.

Very poetical names are given to the brocades, such as "Moon and Stars," "Ripples of Silver," "Pigeon's Eye," "Peacock's Neck."

Gold and Silver Lace.—An immense manufacture all over India, particularly in the Royal cities. The gold and silver wire used is produced by wire-drawers, who can obtain nearly half a mile of silver-gilt wire from a rupee's worth of silver.

Embroidery is done on silk, muslin, wool, and leather.

Carpets.—Few people realise, when buying Oriental carpets, that they are buying works of art, and not manufacturers' piece goods, produced at competition prices. The attempt to set a trade value of "so much per square yard" upon such artworks as Indian tapestries and carpets, is as absurd as it would be to purchase pictures by the same standard. European demand for Indian carpets has led to their deterioration.

The carpets of cotton, with stripes and with squares, and diamonds introduced, are from the oldest Indian designs. The woollen pile carpets came in with the Mussulman invaders.