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0133 Innermost Asia : vol.2
Innermost Asia : vol.2 / Page 133 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000187
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Sec. ii] FIGURINES AND SEPULCHRAL DEPOSITS IN GROUPS ii—v   653

of the costume of donors in the older Chien-fo-tung paintings, and of the quasi-archaic dress of certain figures represented in scenes from Buddha's life, &c.5 The faces, though perfunctorily

modelled and painted, are of unmistakably Chinese type, and so is also that of the well-executed

figure of the lady rider, iii. 2. 022 (Pl. XCIX. A). Her hair is done in a high topknot, after a fashion

found also on some earlier donatrix figures in Chien-fo-tung paintings.° The curious steeple-

crowned clay hat iii. 2. 017 (Pl. XCIX) fits her head.

All these mounted figures as well as those of the standing men, iii. 2. 010, 049-50 (Pl. CII), were Other evidently meant to symbolize the retinue desired for the dead in his future abode. With them was objects found the monster-headed clay figure, iii. 2. 048 (Pl. CII). The wooden cores of all the figures Astf.rom iii. 2.

were prolonged below to facilitate their being fixed upright on the ground or attached to the clay horses. The sepulchral deposits of this tomb also included the wooden chalice iii. 2. 056 (Pl. XCIII), painted with ornaments ; the well-preserved bunch of grapes iii. 2. 047 (Pl. XCIII) ; the various specimens of fine pastry iii. 2. 030-46 (Pl. XCII), identical in type with those found in Ast. iii. 1 ; the small canvas bag iii. 2. 051, filled with the chaff of some grain, and a small lacquered basket, iii. 2. 055 (Pl. XCIII). .Two pieces of paper with Chinese writing [apparently containing lists] may have come from the coffin or else been used in the core of some completely broken clay figure after the fashion of the paper rolls attached as arms to iii. 2. 010 (Pl. CII).

The tomb iii. 3, the most westerly of the front row (Pl. 33), held two badly injured bodies on the platform of its inner chamber but yielded only fragments of silk from the mixed fabrics wrapped round the corpses, one with a floral pattern painted in ` resist ', iii. 3. 02 (Pl. XXXVI) ; a well-made wooden comb, iii. 3. 05; and a mass of crumpled-up Chinese papers, evidently `waste' records and the like, which was found in front of the bodies. Judging from Mashik's and our own experience elsewhere, these papers had probably been used as a ` filling ' in the coffins.

[The contents of a number of these `waste papers ' are of distinct antiquarian interest, as shown by the detailed analysis of which M. Maspero has kindly communicated to me the results in a series of notes. Apart from small fragments including a Taoist text, a private letter, a statement of account for grain, and the like, they comprise official records concerning the establishment of horses and other animals maintained for postal services by the Chinese administration of the district of Hsi-chou ij m or Turfâ n during the early part of the eighth century. Among the large documents there are portions (Ast. iii. 3. 09-10) of two registers detailing the distribution and employment of transport animals in the sixth month of the tenth year K`ai yiian, corresponding to A. D. 722. The age, sex, distinguishing marks, &c., of each animal are exactly described ; their condition on return from service and the persons in charge of them, &c., duly noted. Incidentally reference is made to the passage on retirement of the ` Deputy Grand Protector General of An-hsi '. rang Chia-hui, who is also known to the 'rang Annals.'

Other papers (Ast. iii. 3. o6, 034, 036), also dating from A. D. 722, deal with affairs relating to the establishment of horses and other animals maintained in the subdivision of P`u-ch`ang, dependent from Hsi-chou, for postal and other official purposes. They show the minute care with which account was kept not merely of the animals on the roll but also of those lost by death, of their skins, &c. Curious, too, is a file of documents (Ast. iii. 3. 014, 015, 022, &c.) connected with a suit which had been brought in A. D. 743 against a certain official charged with having extorted payments from subordinates and with similar malpractices. These and similar records recovered from the ` waste paper ' of Astâna tombs are likely to prove instructive by the sidelights they throw on the varied petty activities in the administrative routine of rang times.]

5 Cf. Serindia, ii. pp. 849 sq., notes 18, 23, p. 885 ; iv.   6 See Serindia, ii. p. 85r ; Th. Buddhas, Pl. X, XI, XXXV;

Pl. LXXV, LXXVI ; Th. Buddhas, Pl. X-XII, XXXVII.   also Vignette.   ' Cf. Chavannes, Turcs occid., p. 284, n. 2.

II   4P

Finds of Chinese documents in Ast. iii. 3.