国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

pleasant is in leasant contrast with the sublime air of the celestial host

above it.

The rhythmic sensitiveness in composition and drawing instinct in the southern

Indiang

p aintin s contrasts fundamentally with the rigid ordinance governing many

of the Bezeklik schemes. Whereas the southern pictures bear the impress of the

hand and inspiration of the artist, those of the north mostly show the mechanical

habitude of the artisan. In the southern paintings there is a subtle quality of depth

and atmosphere, lacking in those of the north. Such qualities reflect psychological

differences the imaginative, poetical nature of the one as against the matter-of-

fact and practical outlook of the other. These generalizations, in so far as they

relate to the northern pictures, refer only to examples reproduced in this work,

and even among these there are exceptions, but they are rare. A few points of

comparison in certain details are interesting. The powdering of a deep red back-

ground with little white flowers, frequently found at Nanta, occurs in Bal. 0102,

Har. H, plate ix, and Har. B on the title-page. The garments, mostly dhotis,

in Ajanta and Bágh are nearly all woven in plain stripes. Some of these stripes are

more elaborate and are woven in small diced patterns, both in Ajanta and Bágh,

not unlike some bands of pattern on the garments in Bal. and Har. examples, plate

Ix, already referred to. In one instance at Ajanta, Cave I, said to be fifth or sixth

century, the stripes show rows of geese the only example noted at Ajanta of the

use of an animal pattern on a textile. In the north, at Toyuk, winged lions occur in

a widely spaced spot pattern (Toy. VI. 02, plate vinn). Simple spot patterns appear

on sáris worn by a few figures at Ajanta, and on garments figured on painted

wooden panels from Dandán-oilik. The use of white dots and rings to form

patterns is common to Ajanta, Toyuk, Tárim sites, and Turfán; and, it may be

interesting to note, in early medieval veils in Europe.

The evidence of Chinese influence mingled with the art of other races declares

itself in small details in compositions which, as a whole, are un-Chinese in their

conception. In such rigid and formal schemes as those of Bez. xii, plate xxviii, and

Bez. iii, plate xvi, quite unlike the invention of a Chinese artist, there are build-

ings in the upper corners, Chinese in design and bearing a Chinese character

written on the gable-end; the cloud-like rendering of floral forms in the vesica

borders and the treatment of details on the armour of certain figures are quite

Chinese. The badly damaged pictures, Bez. x. K—O and Bez. x. P,

Q, plates XXIV

and xxv, are conceived and drawn with that freedom, lightness of touch, and such