ABOUT PARASOLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9496, 9 January 1919, Page 3

ABOUT PARASOLS.

■"■ Among the most time-honoured habits which have come down to us from the ages are tablets of origin so ancient that they cannot be 'dated, which show pictures;; or rather, diagrams of the parasol, says a writer in the "New Zealand, Herald." In many countries the parasol was regarded as sacred, particularly in those lands where the hot sun beats down on arid lands, and well it might be. For even in.these days it seQm.s like a good ■bit of invention,^ and it must have been .■nothing short, of marvellous, in some ot the slower countries, even if it was-not provided with a patent catch. Tibet, the land of _ so',many--mysteries and such ancient history, included the .-parasol"-among its 12 sacred -.symbols, and-the priests of many other countries regarded it as such. ,In Upper Egypt; and. Nubia ...tlie., re-ligious-processions'' <wero' gravely carried out by the use of parasols, which were sacred in colour- and shape, and denoted the different ranks: .

These ■ ancient parasols varied -greatly in size. Some of them were so -very large that they took on the proportions of a ■ canopy, "which 'later also formed-a part of the ceremonial processions. Almost every ancient land where a certain amount of cnl"ti\ »l.oix ( had come in exigence has sonic ie- i cord of the use of the para so 1, and many of them continue down to llio present time. _ I Later, one of the emperors of Home marked, witli .sarcasm, that the fashionable- young men of the city who lolled around the gardens and public places with parasols to protect their complexions "might better be capluiing the Sabine women in battle "' With all this wealth of material to draw from, it is not remarkaWe that we find so many varieties of parasols and such a display of colour. This present,season the interesting note in parasols is the unusual range of colours rather«*lian anything part'oirlarly eccentric in .shape, although sonic ol the newest are square and a few arc flattened at one side. The-revived interest in very sheer and light frocks has brought into fashion parasols which (orrespi/ul in colour and detail, and sheer niaierinls are cleverly handled to afford at loast a modicum of shade from the sun. Printed chiffons are used double and give more shade than would seem possible, and even if they gave -loss no one could resist using them lor tjiafc ma-son. Satin which is new for paiaM)ls, is also very good looking ami smart with the costume uhirh it matches.