Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/399

 LUC 391 men. boast that this very effective device is one of their own, borrowed neither from Bengal nor from England. The work is similar to that used in shirt fronts and cuffs in Europe; it is sold at low rates, from annas 12 to Rs. 2-8-0 per yard, according to the breadth of the lace border. Articles of clothing of cambric or calico so embroidered are becoming very popular among native grandees. It is impossible to state what number of people are employed at this work, but its flourishing condition is attested by the high wages earned, showing that there is a competition for skilled work- The existence of this art was, I found, wholly unknown to the Lucknow shopkeepers, who are importing the coarsest kind of Irish em- broidery at 1 rupee per yard, when much superior can be made in Luck- now at 4. annas. The jewellery of Lucknow was formerly very celebrated, but has declined with the departure of the court. There are no diamond catters proper, although there are still artisans who can prepare the table and rose diamond popular in India. The leading jewellers declare that the demand for their productions is still large, but that they lost all their capital during the mutipies. The wages paid are very low; they are estimated at so many annas in the rupee for silver work, or so much for working up a tola of gold, which is worth about £1-10. The very finest and most elaborate workmanship only costs one rupee a tola, or about 6 per cent, on the raw material, while commoner and simpler work costs four or eight annas. Gold chains, which, even when machine-made, are sold in London at 50 per cent. in addition to the cost of the bullion, are made in Lucknow far 5 per cent. or less. The artist of the highest pretensions cannot earn by hand labour more than one rupee per day, and four annas is considered fair pay for a good workman. Glass. The glass work is confined to Lucknow, and to some extent to Dalmau. Lamp glasses are made at a very low price, six annas for an article which, if of English manufacture, costs two rupees. There are only two craftsmen, who brought their art from Mooltan, nor are they acquaint- ed with the process of making glass from sand and alkali; they can only melt down broken glass and remould it. The proposed school of art in Lucknow might direct its attention to the natural facilities for glass mak. ing which the Oudh soil furnishes. The manufacture of clay figures and mouldings is one of the specialities of Lucknow. The thick tenacious soil from the bottoms of tanks is mould- ed into most faithful and characteristic statuettes representing the differ- ent races of the country; the peculiarities of feature are hit off with great correctness on a very small scale; they are in fact portrait statues of a qua- lity highly creditable to the taste and skill of the artists, and are sold at the rate of two rupees per dozen. Wall-brackets, vases, clock-cases, and other articles are manufactured of the same material, conventional tracery and foliated patterns are worked out with boldness and delicacy, and a very large demand exists among the European residents. Every purpose in fact to which terra-cotta can be applied, can be equally well served by the baked clay of Lucknow. Vinegar, acetate of copper, swoetmeats, ena- melling, seal cutting are the only other manufactures of importance. Modelling, sculpture, and painting.---The above arts may be said not to exist in Lucknow even in their elementary forms, such as wood or stone