665791-1887-Colonial-and-Indian-Exhibition — Page 4

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 19TH NOVEMBER, 1887.

The above examples with the reeling machine models have all been lent to the Royal Jubilee. Exhibition at Manchester, of 1887, by Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co.

The display of manufactured silks in the Hongkong Court was of high interest, but the limited space at my disposal entirely prevents my doing them justice. I can only barely enumerate them.

In the selling bazaar dress silks of various kinds of Chinese manufacture found ready purchasers. Of Crêpe, of excellent quality, and style, were pieces, 20 yards in length, of various colours, of which the selling price was £4.10s.

Of Damasks there were pieces 15 yards in length and 21 inches wide, of thin stiff material, which were sold at £3 each.

Of Shantung silk, made from Chinese Tussur cocoons of the species which I have described, there were pieces in the undyed state, 19 inches wide, which were retailed at 1s. 6d. per yard. As in India, the application of colour to this silk still presents difficulties which the native dyers have not succeeded in overcoming, or at least only to a most limited extent. Happily the researches which I have had the honour of conducting for some years past for the Government of India have resulted in the total overcoming of these difficulties, alike with the indigenous natural dyes of the East and the modern artificial dyes of Europe, as well also in the successful bleaching of this silk; and there is now no reason why Tussur silks, manufactured from either the Indian or the Chinese species, should not receive decorative tinctorial treatment by both dyeing and printing, in a similar degree to the ordinary silks of commerce. The future of the Tussur silk industry is a very great and promising one, and too much attention cannot be given to the production of the raw material.

Of embroideries the Court contained a collection well illustrating this mode of Chinese decoration. Some pieces were very valuable and in perfect taste as to colour, whilst as to design there was every- thing to illustrate the strange fantasies of Chinese treatment.

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Mr. J. Whittall, of Hongkong, lent a very large piece of embroidery on a red ground. The colours were produced by native dyes, and were of good tone.

There were loans of embroidered screens and portières.

Messrs. Stolterfoht and Hirst, of Hongkong, exhibited an interesting case of silk handkerchiefs.

But the principal decorative feature of this Court was a very large piece of embroidery of most exquisite treatment placed at the north end of the Court. It is a magnificent embroidered scroll, presented by the Chinese merchants of Hongkong to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Presi- dent of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, in testimony of their loyalty and appreciation of British rule in Hongkong.

Its merits quite constituted its claim to be considered one of the most important pieces of art work in last year's Exhibition, and it was a model of beautiful, thoughtful, and patient work, deserving the close attention of all ladies interested in reforming the low state into which the art of embroidery has fallen in England in this century.

I must not omit the mention of a collection of silken stuffs lent by Lady Bowen, the wife of Sir George F. Bowen, the present Governor of Hongkong. I offered to insert a short description of them if Lady Bowen would furnish me with it, but as I have heard nothing from the gentleman who promised to communicate with her, I assume that it was not thought necessary. The collection consisted of old silks, both pattern-woven and embroidered. One of the principal merits of these silks was the absence of artificial dyes, and the conspicuous success of the employment of indigo for the blues as well as excellent colours in red and green.

This collection possessed high interest for all those who delight in the peculiar forms of Chinese decoration. In colour treatment many of the fabrics were good models for any school or style."

My acknowledgments are due to H. E. Wodehouse, Esq., C.M.G., Special Commissioner for Hongkong, and to the Assistant Commissioner, E. H. Fishbourne, Esq., LL.B., M.A., for much attention during numerous visits of inspection which I found it necessary to make to this Court.

I formally applied to these gentlemen for a collection of larvæ, moths, and cocoons from China for the Royal Jubilee Exhibition at Manchester, where such a collection will meet with perhaps more appreciation than in London, Manchester being in the centre of the districts. where both reeled and spun silk fabrics and threads are manufactured.