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0749 Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.1
Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.1 / Page 749 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000213
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CH. XLIV

A PRINCELY PROCESSION   487

~

Indian Dhoti covered the lower parts of the body. A rich jewelled armlet and a broad necklace painted in red marked the high rank of the rider. His horse, remarkably well drawn, was white. Its head-stall and bridle were decorated with red tufts ; passing across its breast and apparently reaching to the saddle was a broad belt made up of three strings or straps, over which were fastened conspicuous round and square plates. The whole suggested saddlery such as seen in Roman sculpture of the later

empire.

In front of the horseman was a chariot with four white horses abreast bearing harness of the type just described. The trotting movement of the team was indicated with ease, as if a familiar model had been copied. The body of the chariot was painted purple in front with a top band of elaborate tracery work in yellow, probably meant for gold. Above it there appeared the head and shoulders of a beautiful woman, evidently in the act of guiding the reins with her right hand. Her hair descended in black tresses below the neck, with two love -locks in front of the ears. The face bore a ` Houri '-like type, suggestive of Iranian influence on some late classical model. Her dress consisted of a mauve bodice open in front and held together by two bead strings across the breast, and of a green mantle laid in heavy folds over the left shoulder. Behind the fair charioteer appeared standing two children, rather poorly drawn, but recognizable as boys by the peculiar double leaf-shaped lock on the forehead.

In front of the chariot and evidently intended to suggest sylvan scenery, there appeared a tree drawn as a dark green cone with yellow flowers sprinkled over it, exactly in the manner which the fresco from the temple M. III. (see Plate v.) displays. Beyond was seen marching a richly caparisoned white elephant, drawn with remarkable truth to life and probably the best modelled figure in the whole frieze (Fig. 147). The expression of the animal's eye and face was caught with great skill. The elaborate adornment of the forehead and trunk, consisting of a diadem of leaves, bands, bosses and rings, cannot be described here at length. Nor can I give details of the