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

246   REMAINS OF ANCIENT LOU-LAN   [Chap. VII

all in wood, were ever in actual use or only made for sepulchral deposit, it is impossible to say. In the case of the wooden spatula, L.C. vii. 03, no purpose of the latter kind suggests itself.

The fragments of wooden arrow-shafts, L.C. iii. o8 ; v. 031-4 (Pl. XXVI) ; x. 018-22, and the fragment of wood, L.C. ii. 012 (Pl. XXVI), suggesting a piece from a scabbard, may have belonged to actual arms. But the wooden handle of a dagger, L.C. x. 09 (Pl. XXI), was clearly not made for use, but intended only to serve as a sepulchral deposit. On the other hand, the wooden buckles for harness, L.C. i. 015 ; iv. 02 (Pl. XXIX) ; the leather ornament for a horse, L.C. iv. 04 ; the leather object, L.C. x. oio (Pl. XXVII), which might have belonged to some saddle trappings ; the lash of a whip, L.C. iii. 05 (Pl. XXVI), and the plaited leather thongs, L.C. iv. 03—all these look as if they had served their purpose for the living before being left with the dead to meet their needs in another life.

Finally I may mention here that the finds in the grave-pits of L.C. also included two well-preserved coins of the Wu-chu type, perhaps intended to symbolize financial provision for the dead.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF OBJECTS EXCAVATED FROM, OR FOUND NEAR, GRAVE-PITS OF L.C. CEMETERY

L.C. or. Frs. of figured silk lined with plain silk. Pattern is composed of small rectangles about 4" x " arranged in lozenge order, with a centre in each lozenge composed of four similar rectangles placed at the corners of a fifth. Front and back formed by weft arranged in bands of colour in the following order : bright blue, copper, myrtle green, copper. Pattern is in dull gold colour on one side and in the respective colours of bands, on the other warp-rib weave.

Lining : plain, thin, greenish (prob. faded blue) silk, finely woven. The whole very perished and discoloured, although parts are fresh looking. Probably from a kind of coat. Best preserved fr. r' 4" x 7". Pl. XXXV.

L.C. 02. Tattered fr. of costume, apparently a body-band. Outer fabric, figured silk ; lining green, finely woven plain silk. Between the two a stiffening of coarse evenly woven linen or cotton plain cloth, all sewn together at top and bottom edges, and ends joined to form a tubelike garment. Tuft of hair present.

The pattern is so involved and details so stylized as to be almost impossible of description. The largest element

is a band about   inch wide issuing from an irregular
oblong blue and buff root-like form, with circular disc at top, and branching shoulders ; from these spring two pairs of thin buff stems—one pair to R. and the other to L. That to R. proper has one curved outwards, terminating in a blue flower in profile which resembles a hare-bell ; the other is short and has no flower.

The opposite pair, curved downward ; one short, other bearing similar flower, part green and part buff. Band issuing from disc proceeds upwards and then turns into angular lozenge-shape spiral having one and a half turns, the enclosed central space containing green and buff flower, similar to others but distorted to fill lozenge shape. The first length of spiral band is decorated with herringbone pattern in buff. The remaining five are blue with nebuly turn-overs, like Chinese cloud, in buff and green. Similar turn-overs on root. This whole motif is repeated across fabric at intervals of -A" at their nearest points.

Second element starts from three-lobed green and buff ` nest ' between two of the discs. A downward curved blue stem sweeps across root of first element and returns upward, bearing a complex form which suggests rampant lion-like beast with elliptical blue and buff head, green and buff body, and blue rump. Six curved spinous offshoots in three pairs, suggesting legs, radiate forward from the lower part of body ; the two hinder, blue ; middle pair, buff or green ; and the fore pair buff. A short green or buff band meanders from root of first element to neck of lion'. From below nest issues an S-shaped stem which throws out a curved blue seed-pod, burst to exhibit seeds (?).

Between upper and lower repeats of the ` lion ' is a group of three flowers, two blue and one green, on curved stalks united below in a common stem issuing from neck of dragon.

The last element, set between the adjacent rows of the first and second, is a thin blue green and buff dragon (?) facing to L. and having perhaps rudimentary buff wings. The ` off ' fore (blue) and hind (green and buff) legs with three claws on each are well defined. The near fore (blue) extends forward from the lumbar region of the back and is nebuly. Near hind (green) extends upward from rump. From shoulders the long nebuly buff neck curves back and down, becoming an angular scroll of one and a quarter turns, thickened at head. A chain appears to extend from hind to fore quarters.

All drawing, excepting that of flowers, is fantastic, and it is quite easy to fit other interpretations to various parts of the design.

Colour of ground, copper-brown, all outlines buff. Balance of colour extremely good. Warp-rib weave. Width II" ; circumference c. 30" ; width of fabric r8". Pl. XXXV, XLI.

L.C. 03. Fr. of figured silk. Two pieces of same pattern, joined ; one retaining selvedge which is folded under in joining to the cut and doubled edge of the other. Pattern : on a bronze-brown ground a thin, buff, circular scroll forms stem, curving R. to L. and springing from