National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

graceful courtesy and conciliatory intent, a bowl of tempting food to the un-

responsive guardian. The dress consists of a long, red skirt, partly covered by a

loin-cloth of pale pink, girded by a grey kamarband. A long pink stole with blue

lining twines about arms and body, and blue, floral jewels enrich the bracelets.

To the left is the lower part of a standing figure in dress closely resembling that

of the other, but round the hips appears to be a narrow green cloth. Parts of both

hands are visible, grasping some indistinguishable object.

There is probably a third figure, partly visible to the left but very indistinct.

All have bare feet.

The attempt at perspective in drawing the structures behind the divan is too

confused to convey the artist's conception of them. The divan is rectangular, with

moulded cornice and base painted red, and blue pilasters at the corners. The panels

are buff, with seven irregular scattered shapes painted in black outline on the

nearest. If ever a dog expressed irritation, this one on the divan does. He is of the

Afghán hound type, with smooth body and furry ears, jowls, and tail; and the

artist has succeeded in suggesting, by the fierce glare in his eye and the position of

his ears, defiance of the beguilements of his tempters as he turns his head away,

with a threatening snarl from those dangerous-looking jaws. Above and farther

back is, perhaps, a brick plinth of alternate grey and buff bricks, supporting a green-

topped pedestal, approached by a green ramp or stairway. On the pedestal sits the

clog, tail erect, in the alert pose of a Chinese kylin.

The background of the lower part is green. A band of red lies between the green

and the base of the wall, and the wall above is pale pink-buff. Contour lines are

black.

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