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

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ring-holders, round hooks, and pendants, the purpose of which is uncertain, but for which there is always the possibility of their having been connected with a chain. It is only when this supposition is correct that these pieces can be placed among objects derived from the east of Russia. Although in two cases we find the well known hook, yet it would be incorrect to believe that they were connected in any way with a belt, as the ornamentation demands in every case that they should hang vertically.

A demon masque (Plate XXXII no. 3) holds a ring in its jaws. Above the head is a square loop. The serpent-head under the ring reminds one of the hooks on belt buckles. At each side of the demon are two ram-heads in profile. The ring itself is entirely covered with hollowed designs. This artistic treatment is reminiscent of the famous treasure of the Oxus where rings, particularly bracelets, are entirely covered with hollows once filled with inlay (i I). We mentioned, when studying Plate XVI no. 4, that the grotesque masque belonged to Chinese art of the T'ang. Here it is combined with the technique of inlay of Scytho-Sarmatian art, and in particular with its richest group, the treasure of Oxus. It is quite possible that certain parts of this pendant were formerly inlayed. This unusual combination of forms suggests the end of the T'ang period.

Plate XXXII no. 4 should be considered a pendant in spite of the stunted hook at the lower edge. We shall speak of other forms of this type in Chapter IX, no. 3. The rim of disk and loop is composed of a beaded ribbon, each bead a little square. The principal decorative motive is a ribbon divided into four scrolls. As with all bronzes where the ornamentation is purely geometric, we suggest a date around i000.

3) Decorated disks as pendants.

The objects with which we are here concerned are all pendants, as loops permit our understanding the way in which they were attached. Plate XXXII no. 5 has loops on each side of the centre of the ring. The edge is decorated with spirals, an inheritance from the Chinese. The collared animal in the middle should probably be considered a tiger. It is decorated with faintly drawn circles, and is probably of the period after i000. Plate XXXII no. 6 has three loops, one below, and the other two above the middle of each side. The fabulous horned beast in the centre is difficult to understand in detail, since sections of metal connect the body with the edge. A foreleg touches the muzzle, the cork-screw tail can be seen above the lower loop, and in this way the animal is contorted in the Scytho-Sarmatian manner. Because of the weak ornamentation, the date

should correspond with that of the preceding example. Next we have an object without loops but with a centre bar (Plate XXXII no. 7). In the upper half of

the disk is a dragon with long upper lip, in the lower, a wild animal that might be a lion. The outlines are obscure and uncertain. Parallels of this bronze