The Goldbeaters of Mandalay is a travelogue documentary of Elaine and Donna Koretsky's research into Burmese papermaking and gold leaf production. The information was gathered during four visits to Burma, in 1982, 1986, and 1987. The first two trips were taken by Elaine and her husband, Sidney, who took many of the photos which document each craft. Donna traveled alone to Burma in November of 1986, and returned in 1987 with Elaine to supplement and verify the research. Their primary interest concerned the durability of burnished bamboo papers made exclusively as a substrate for the production of gold leaf. This led them to investigate the goldbeaters, the goldsmiths, and rice straw papermakers, all of whom are involved in the production of spirit papers and the gold leaf which is applied to Buddhas and pagodas in temples throughout Burma. During their last visit, Elaine and Donna also traveled to mills which produce various commercial handmade and machine-made papers. The authors begin with a general description and historical account of goldbeating, with an appreciation for the spiritual and ritual aspects of the craft relative to the daily lives and devotion of the Burmese people. This tone establishes the basis for a descriptive analysis of process interwoven with personal observations. The text is interesting and simple enough for those who are unfamiliar with papermaking, yet sufficiently pertinent to interest readers with papermaking experience. It is not a teaching manual but the methodologies are clearly described. I will not point out the most interesting technical points because it would detract from one's first reading; there are a few surprises. The book is worth reading simply for Elaine and Donna's narrative interaction with the Burmese, members of a rather remote culture. Given the one week limitation per visit which the Koretskys were bound to and the travel challenges (especially linguistic), this survey is remarkably comprehensive. They were wise to use tourist guides for expediency and efficiency. I traveled in Thailand in 1990 and was unable to even cross the Northern border into Burma or Laos, which are much less Westernized than Thailand. Since the production of gold leaf requires three distinct trades---goldsmithing, papermaking, and goldbeating---the book is loosely divided into sections relating to each specific craft. The Koretskys were able to observe the processes fully and filled in their research with subsequent visits and the help of a trusty translator, Tin Tin. The photographs by Donna and Sidney are animated and document each process fully. The photos of the goldbeaters are particularly good, in both color and black and white. I would have appreciated a color photo of one of the palm leaf prayer books with lacquered board covers because Burmese lacquer work is so distinctive. The book also includes various photos of pagodas, shrines, Buddhas, and a particularly sensitive photo of a "leg rower" (an oarsman) on Inle Lake in central Burma. One chapter recounts the research into traditional Burmese writing technologies and manuscripts, via visits to two museums. In Rangoon the Koretskys toured the Shwedagon Shrine and pagoda with its outlying antique and craft shops. Donna consulted with an astrologer who inscribed her horoscope with a sharp tool upon a palm leaf. They traveled to the Thai section of the Golden Triangle to visit Chanda Photi, who makes mulberry fiber papers which are used to make "parabeik", an accordion-style prayer book. The narrative winds down as the Koretskys trace their path through Rangoon, searching for local papermakers. It appears as though the rice straw and bamboo papermakers and the goldbeaters were exclusive to the Mandalay area, although I was not sure from my reading. In Rangoon they found three facilities where waste paper was recycled in a Hollander-type beater and small Fourdrinier machines were used for forming. In one factory, Western-style sheet forming was employed, with recycled waste used to produce an inexpensive board paper. The Koretskys conclude their work with a chapter titled "Realities and Reflections". One aspect is a brief account of experimental work back at home in their studio. The results are included in the sample book of the deluxe edition. Although the Koretskys' samples are unlike the Burmese paper, their analysis is thoughtful. In this experiment they attempted to reproduce the same properties found in the Burmese papers, using old Chinese rice straw and bamboo papers for the fiber. Due to their experience with the "oily" quality of long beaten hemp and flax, they deduced that they might be able to rebeat the Chinese fiber for eight to twelve hours in a Hollander. They hoped that the Hollander-beaten pulp would simulate the Burmese bamboo pulp which had been beaten with a mallet for fifteen days. (Picture one of us hand beating fiber for fifteen, ten hour days; a Chaplinesque scenario right out of Modern Times comes to mind.) The special edition is beautifully bound, traditional and precise, with quality materials. Henry Morris's printing reminds me of lying on a perfectly plush lawn on a clear, warm day. For the text volume, Donna Koretsky made the black endpapers with a gold pulp drip design, reminscent of Burmese pagodas. These endpapers augment the overall theme and complement the black paper folding enclosure which holds the unbound cards in the sample volume. Donna also made the gold crumpled paper used for the side papers of the text volume. This choice enhances the tactile and visual elegance. The sample volume contains fourteen pages of samples, many with more than one specimen. The authors state that most of the papers are full size for the purpose for which they were used. They include examples of the same bamboo and rice straw paper in stages of burnishing. The samples are clearly described and organized in sequence with the text. This book is not only a collectors item, it is a labor of love in acknowledgement of the craftsmanship of a special people, the Burmese.   Eugenie Barron

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