In the beautiful story of Ali Beg it is said Cha Sefi when he examined the house of his father’s favourite was much surprized at seeing it so badly furnished with plain skins and coarse carpets, whereas the other Nobles in their houses trod only upon carpets of silk and gold.
Tavernier.
[122] On the way from Macao to Canton in the rivers and channels there is taken a vast quantity of oysters, of whose shells they make glass for the windows.
Gemelli Careri.
In the Chinese Novel Hau Kiou Choaan, we read Shueyping-sin ordered her servants to hang up a curtain of mother of pearl across the hall. She commanded the first table to be set for her guest without the curtain and two lighted tapers to be placed upon it. Afterwards she ordered a second table, but without any light, to be set for herself within the curtain, so that she could see every thing thro’ it, unseen herself.
Master George Turbervile in his letters form Muscovy 1568, describes the Russian windows
They have no English glasse; of slices of a rocke
Hight Sluda they their windows make, that English glasse doth mocke.
They cut it very thinne, and sow it with a thred
In pretie order like to panes, to serve their present need.
No other glasse, good faith, doth give a better light,
And sure the rock is nothing rich, the cost is very slight.
Hakluyt.
The Indians of Malabar use mother of pearl for window panes.
Fra Paolino da San Batolomeo.