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

Sec. i]   ANTIQUES FROM KHOTAN SITES   ioz

the amphorae found at Kara-dong.r' About 5o yards to the west I was shown the spot where the remains of paper manuscripts previously brought by Abbas had been found. Two small fragments in Brâhmi script (M.T. 01-2), one of them of a Pôthi leaf, were recovered here in my presence and confirmed his statement. We may accordingly accept as correct his attribution to the same spot of the miscellaneous remains above mentioned. In addition to a small wooden tablet, bearing three very cursive characters, apparently Tibetan (Samp. 05, P1. XI), and the remains of a painted silk banner (Samp. 04), showing part of a head in faintly visible outlines, they comprise two fragments (Samp. 07, Pl. LXXVII) of a woollen tapestry border, woven in well-preserved colours with a bold and interesting pattern.

SECTION II.—LIST OF ANTIQUES ACQUIRED AT KHOTAN

ANTIQUES SAID TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FROM YÛTKAN SITE

Yo. oi. Pottery. Terra-cotta bottle, shaped like pilgrim bottle, with short expanding neck and mouth, small handles tucked under spreading lip, flat base. Each side decorated with fully open lotus occupying whole surface ; two rows of petals with grotesque human head in centre closely resembling Yo. 052, and Ser. iv. Pl. III, Yo. 0024 n. Bands of herring-bone pattern divide two sides. Surface coated with rich red glossy slip resembling quality of Samian ware. The grotesque is applied and has no slip over it. Very good work. 6" x 4i" x 3g". PI. I.

Yo. 02. Pottery vase ; small circular, flat bottom, short neck expanding slightly to mouth with thickened rim. Greatest circumference r" from ground. Red, blackened by firing ; surface unsmoothed and sand-encrusted. H. 21", gr. diam. 2i", diam. of mouth r1". Pl. I.

Yo. 03. Pottery vase ; small, circular, roughly made. Shaped like Yo. 02, PI. I, but with slightly thickened rim only at mouth ; no neck. Hole in bottom. Buff, browned by firing. I-I. r~", gr. diam. ri", diam. of mouth r".

Yo. 04. Fr. of neck and handle of terra-cotta vessel, wheel-made. Neck outward-curving with ogee rim. Handle comes away gracefully from below rim, dropping to meet bulging shoulder.

Decoration :—on flat upper surface of rim, series of punched rings with dot centres ; round middle of neck, three incised lines ; on side of neck, appliqué conventional rosette with broad wedge-shaped mass hanging from centre; round base of neck, punched rings as on rim ; on shoulder, downward incised lines alternately single and in pairs, the single lines flanked on each side by a row of punched dots (leaves).

Thin, good quality. Wedge-shaped mass hanging from flower is akin to ` jewels ' of Yo. 031 ; cf. also ` seed-vessel ' of Ser. iv. Pl. VIII, A. T. v. 0039, &c. H. 4", arc at bottom of fr. 4f", thickness }" to i". Pl. I.

Yo. 05. Fr. of neck of terra-cotta vessel, expanding towards rim (lost) and shoulder. Decoration :—round neck, two bands of three incised lines, about I" apart, with three circles with dot centres stamped at irregular

intervals between them. On shoulder, remains of similar circles. Above, remains of appliqué orn.: a pair of half-closed leaves curling downwards from upper edge, with conventional rosette between. Decoration carelessly done. H. 4", diam. 2", thickness I" to A". Pl. I.

Yo. 06. Fr. of side of terra-cotta vessel. Near lower edge, broad raised ridge, running horizontally and notched

along apex.   Above, appliqué fig. of corpulent man,
squatting with knees wide apart and feet together resting on ridge.

Both hands on breast holding down narrow band of drapery (?) which flows R. and L. over arms. Dress otherwise consists only of narrow loin-cloth, ankle-boots, and three bangles incised on each wrist. Head lost. Gr. M. 4e", thickness s". PI. I.

Yo. 07. Fr. of terra-cotta fig., possibly human, with pointed basket hanging from R. shoulder ; or tail-less Gandharvi, with human R. arm coming from under wing. Casting of R. half only ; head and feet missing. General shape, a tapering half-cylinder finished off sq. at narrow end. Diam. here I", at shoulder end (broken) if". Back covered with small incisions, usually indicating fur or down; remainder of body with grooved lines, tapering, or running parallel, towards narrow end.

The pointed obj. has two transverse incised lines near tip, suggesting binding at bottom of basket. Otherwise it is marked exactly as the wings of hoopoes and other animals in this and Serindia collection, with edge of circular patch conventionally representing the short upper feathers, preserved at shoulder end. Cf. winged horse, Yo. o88. a, Pl. II, and Ser. iv. Pl. II, Yo. 0030. b, oo6r. Length 2". Pl. I.

Yo. o8. Fr. of neck of terra-cotta vessel, with Bacchic figure appliqué. Pose of figure suggests atlas-like supporters found in Gandhara friezes.

Seated on ground the figure has L. foot planted with lower leg vertical ; R. leg missing but prob. bent and resting flat ; side of knee and ankle touching ground. Body inclined to R. p. Head e", turned slightly upward

14 See Serindia, iii. Fig. 307.