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. viii]   LIST OF ANTIQUES EXCAVATED AT NIYA SITE   397

N.

N

N

N

N.

N. vi. 15. Wedge cov.-tablet, hole near point. Obv. Seal cay. 2i" from sq. end. z 1. Khar. near sq. end ; usual char. near point. Rev. blank. 14" x 2" X r. Well-preserved. Pink stain at sq. end.

N. vii. L a, b. Rectang. under-tablet, in 2 pieces. Thick ends (approx.) iTM wide. Obv. 5 11. Khar., cursive, but well written and all legible. Rev. blank. 7â"x 3". Well-preserved.

N. vii. 2. Stick, round, r diameter one end and tapering to rather less than A" the other. At thicker end an ivory ferule z" long, tapering slightly. Just below ferule a small hole bored completely through stick, in which remains a fragment of string. At thinner end there has evidently been a knob or ferule of some kind, but now only a broken chule (of the wood) remains. Wood dark brown and heavy, and probably sandal. Very hard. Length x z r.

N. vii. 3. Portion of rug, of the regular Indian Darrie type, woven in transverse stripes and bands, and decorated with simple geometrical patterns. Warp buff in colour, and made of a more closely-twisted yarn than that used for the weft, which generally spreads enough to conceal the warp. The cross stripes are buff, blue, green, and red, and are of varying width. On broad blue band small Svastika-like pattern in red and buff. On buff band same pattern in red and blue, and red and green. On red band the pattern is in buff and blue, and buff and green. Where the patterns occur, the weft threads of the ground are arrested, and the colour required locally introduced as in tapestry. As these parts were more laborious to make, double threads are used right across the fabric on the lines where the patterns occur, thus saving time. The coarser texture of the resultant surface is clearly visible in the reproduction. z 9" x i 5i". See Pl. LXXV. Other pieces of same rug, found in N. vii. and hall of N. ut. measure 20" X I 21t, 16" x 8", 2 x" x 61", 9" x 9", 26" x 9", 3" x 5"; some small fragments aggregating to r9" x zo".

N. vii. 4. Wooden chair. Carved frame of lower part of chair, four legged. The legs are held together by four broad carved panels, which are tenoned into them, and dowelled. In addition to these there is a rough rail at each end between the end pairs of legs, also dowelled. At top of each Ieg stands a tenon (cl.ule) upon which probably knobs or raised sides were fixed. Carving rough, nothing centred or measured, and there is much repetition in the elements composing designs. The most frequent feature is a four-petalled flower, the form of which closely resembles the large purple clematis. Generally sepals are shown between petals. Frequently, superposed upon first petals, a second whorl of smaller ones, and sometimes a third. The legs are 23" high ; width at front 4", side 2".

Inner edges of legs are straight, and they are straight in their upper part at all edges down to about 12" from foot. This lower portion slightly hollow at front and side,

curving outwards again at foot. Ornament on upper part N. vi. z st leg front : between two fillets a bead band commencing along top edge L. p. to R., then at right angles downwards ; then R. p. to L., down, and L. p. to R., thus forming two contiguous squares minus one side in each case. In each of these squares, a double-petalled and sepalled flower. Below these an eight-petalled lotus in circle. From below lotus running centrally down to foot and taking curve of leg, an overlapping double-leaf pattern, formed by a series of inverted V-shaped cuts. Side : fillet and bead ornament, but in zigzag line. In. each triangle so formed half of double-petalled flower. and leg same; 3rd leg side, same as that of other two. Front, double zigzag forming diamond and half-diamond shapes in which whole and half flowers. Below, double-leaf pattern as first leg. 4th leg front, same as front of 3rd ; side, same as front of 1st and 2nd, but in place of lotus another square is formed similar to upper two, and containing similar flower.

End panels : 7E x I 4' (approx.). Two converging bead-bands starting at lower corners and meeting at top edge at 90°. In half-square so formed, a half-clematis having triple petals, and a clumsy extra one to the two half-petals. At upper corners quarter flowers double-petalled in one case, triple-petalled in other. Front panel : divided into 3 oblong divisions by 2 approximately vertical bead-bands. The two side-divisions, narrower than high, contain double-petalled flower. The centre a conventionalized pomegranate (?) with leaves, buds, and bead ornaments. Back panel missing. Width of chair 26" (approx.), depth i6", height 23". Well-preserved; feet splitting. See PI. LXVIII.

viii. I. Oblong tablet, fragment. Obv. 5 11. Khar., appar. in 3 vertical columns (?). Each item terminates with a numeral. Much faded but probably decipherable. Rev. blank. 4' x r. Wood well-preserved, but all edges broken.

. viii. 2. Rectang. coy: tablet. Obv. 3 11. Khar., very cursive, seal cay. x" x zi". Rev. 3 11. Khar., cursive. 5r X 2". Wood very hard ; well-preserved.

. viii. 3. Donkey's saddle-tree of mulberry wood. Of a somewhat horseshoe shape, pierced with 6 rectangular holes probably for binding material of seat. Wood hard and well-preserved. Size across points of bow x2". Height 7'. Width at centre 2'; at ends E. Thickness about x". See Pl. IX.

. viii. 4. Bow of tamarisk wood. Made from small

branch or sapling, halved to near centre, where the round section is left to form a hand-piece. Ends tapered and shaped to take string. Broken at one end. Resembles the pellet-bow used by bird-scarers in India to-day. Length 3' 6". See PI. IX.

viii. 5. Shaft of spear (?) broken in 2 pieces. At upper end a broad leather ferule is laced on by means of a leather thong. Each end shows a broken section. Length 4' 3r, thickness t ". See Pl. IX.