Kuki (Indic people); Lushai (Asian people); Lushai language
For carrying goods there are the "deron," a truncated cone 30 to 36
inches long with a diameter at its mouth of about 24 inches, holding
about 50 lbs. of paddy; the "em," similar to the deron, but about
half the size. The "bomrang," an open-work basket with an oval mouth,
15 inches by 12, is used for carrying goods on long journeys. The
"paikawng" similar in shape to the em, but with open-work sides,
is for conveyance of wood, water tubes, &c. There are also several
sorts of flat baskets for holding grain, each with its particular
name. The containing power of these is approximately constant, and
they are used as measures of quantity.
Pottery.--The women make clay pots, moulding them by hand. There are
only two kinds in use--a small circular pot with a mouth some 6 to
8 inches in diameter, used for cooking, and a large jar, about 24
inches high and 15 inches in diameter, tapering to about 9 inches at
the mouth, which is used for brewing beer in.
Brass Work.--Occasionally one comes across rough specimens of moulding
in this metal, which show considerable if untrained talent, but they
are very rare, and I attribute them to captives taken from the plains
of India or Burma, or to persons who have learnt from them. The method
followed is to make a model in wax and cover it with successive washes
of clay till a sufficient thickness is obtained, the whole then being
baked till the clay is hard, and the wax has all run out through a
hole left for this purpose. Into this mould the molten brass is then
poured. The commonest use of this work is for the semi-circular tube
required to connect the two arms of the syphons used in drawing off
the rice beer. These tubes are sometimes surmounted by quite elaborate
designs, a hunter approaching his quarry, a tree with many hornbills
perched among the boughs, and on one which I bought are represented
Vutaia and his "kawnbawl," or minister, with leg irons on. The latter
carries on his shoulder an elephant's tusk, which formed part of
the ransom of his master, who, in the ups and downs of the troublous
times in which he lived, had been captured by the Kamhaus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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