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

> > > >
Color New!IIIF Color HighRes Gray HighRes PDF   Japanese English
0088 Archaeological Researches in Sinkiang : vol.1
Archaeological Researches in Sinkiang : vol.1 / Page 88 (Color Image)

New!Citation Information

doi: 10.20676/00000195
Citation Format: Chicago | APA | Harvard | IEEE

OCR Text

 

used as pins for fastening he mantles. STEIN is of the same opinion regarding the more well-proportioned specimens found in the graves nearer Lou-lan. Cf. also Pl. 27 : 7-8 from Grave 36. Their decoration consists of from five to fourteen transverse bands each made up of two lines of triangles with the points turned against each other. In some cases the diminutive triangles are most neatly carved, and when the lines stand close together there is formed a zig-zag pattern, Pl. 9 : 2, 5 and Fig. I4: 6-7. The incisions have been filled with red colour.

The peculiar doll No. 36 : 8 is put on a small peg of the same model as those above, but plain and with short head.

The curiously shaped bone object Pl. 12 : 16 probably served the same purpose as the pins just treated. It is less likely that it is meant to represent some miniature weapon, such as a ko, because the projection is very thick and clumsy.

Combs.

Two complete combs and several loose teeth were found on the surface of the hill. Only in one case was one of these comb-teeth picked up inside a coffin (5. B : 6), but we may safely assume that the combs were placed in the coffins, as for instance was the case in Grave 36.

The fine specimen Pl. 9: I is a composite comb of seven long and four short teeth pierced through a transverse piece of tendon. The teeth are nicely polished and of round section, the upper part of the long pegs are flat. The front of them is decorated with seven triangle- or zig-zag-bands on each, the incisions filled with red, Pl. 9: Ta, the rear side has also seven triangle-bands on each peg but arranged in zig-zag and less carefully carved, Pl. 9 : 'b.

Of this big comb-type there are several loose pegs; one is still sticking in a piece of tendon.

The small comb Pl. 9: 6 is more plain, and consists only of one sort of teeth, with carelessly incised lines on the upper part.

Combs are placed in tombs not only to serve as a toilet article or an ornament for the dead but also as an amulet or charm, the comb with its many sharp points being regarded as possessing magical or prophylactic power. In the case of our big comb, for instance, this quality is probably heightened by the presence of so many pointed triangles filled with red colour forming the decoration. HANNA RYDH has referred to this property of the comb (Rydh 1929 pp. 105 ff. and 113) and drawn attention to combs with triangular ornaments from Malacca, worn by women to prevent certain illnesses.

Arrows.

As seen from the description of the coffins most of them contained one or more long arrow-shafts of wood. A good many specimens were also collected on the sur-

78