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0251 Serindia : vol.1
Serindia : vol.1 / Page 251 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000183
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Sec. iii]   LIST OF OBJECTS FROM KHADALIK   193

patent Laconian key, described as having three teeth (see Greek and Roman Life, British Museum), which seems to suggest this type of lock ; an assumption strengthened by the example of a Roman lock probably from Pompeii, and the collection of keys exhibited in the Gr. and Rom. Galleries of the British Museum. These are of metal, and the tumblers of the lock are not free but are attached to a flat spring to force them into position. A bronze lock of a modified pattern, ascribed to the Romans, has recently been discovered in Syria. In Egypt, wooden locks more closely resembling the Kha. example, and of recent make (nineteenth to twentieth century), are found. A similar but more roughly made lock comes from Bornu, W. Sudan, while the keys of the treasury of the Mandi at Dongola attest the use of a similar lock there. All of these later examples quoted, however, have metal pins in the key and metal tumblers in the locks, and are less skilful in their construction than our example. We may at present regard the Kha. lock as embodying local modification due to its entirely wood construction, and to the mechanical and technical skill of the locksmith. It is interesting that a centre-bit has been used in drilling the holes. [F. H. A.]

Kha. vi. x. a. Pieces of brown cloth, fine woollen, usual even texture, from cover of hole in floor. One fr. has three layers of cloth sewn together with red thread ; another, two ; the third, two (one finer than the other). Very soft and decayed. Gr. M. 61".

Kha. vi. 3. b. Small flat object of plaited grass, the ends turned over on one side ; square. Use ? x " sq.; A" to " thick.

Kha. vi. 5. Fr. of wooden panel. Flat on one side, convex on other. Faint traces of paint. No pattern distinguishable. One end broken and missing. Surface decayed. Soft and brittle. Length 71" ; breadth 21" ; thickness i" to .".

Kha. vi. 6. Wooden fig. of standing Buddha, both arms broken away at elbows. Prob. attitude of protection. Long upper robe of usual type prob. covering an under-robe which appears about ankles. The folds are conventional and well designed, and the manner of carving suggests a plaster (or clay) model, all folds being in thin well-defined ridges. The general character is that of high relief, not round'. The back is plain, excepting two holes for dowels. The head is carved at back to show hair, in transverse wavy lines. Usnisa. Elongated ears. Features in slight relief. Face broken on R. side. Feet and front of R. leg broken away. Part of small base remains. Whole bears traces of pink colouring. Wood hard and well preserved. H.6 ' ; width z" ; thick. A." to i". Pl. XIV.

Kha. vi. 8. Round wooden stick tapering towards ends, where small knobs are formed. Prob. weaver's instrument for tightening threads, or possibly handle of thong of fire-drill. Hard wood, smooth and well preserved. Cf. M.T. ooi. 4" x $" to I".

1814

Kha. vi. 17. Wooden pedestal for statuette. Base a solid block, front xi" high x 3", whereon diaper pattern with dot centres lightly incised within plain frame bordered by sq. dots up sides and by fringe along bottom. On this the usual throne of inverted lotus petals, oval in plan, z" across x i" high. From the back of this rose a vesica carved in the same block, 3" high with a rayed border, the top pointed and inclined R. ; the sides are split off to width of throne, leaving border at top only. Total h. 5". Pl. XLVII.

Kha. vi. 18. Fr. of painted panel, lower end. Very roughly painted. On green lotus with white or pink centre a standing fig. of which only the lower portion of green robe, and white under-robe, are present. Below lotus a grey-blue band divided by a white line from a shaded pink band below that. Back rough as though split away from thicker piece. Wood rather soft. 7" x x1" xi-.

Kha. vi. ooi. Stucco relief. Part of vesica border. Ornament of upward-pointing chevrons, on receding planes, rippled to represent flames. Very low relief. Inversion of overlapping triangles makes fr. resemble mould, but modelling of flames is in redo. Substance very flimsy, red clay plentifully mixed with fibre. 5" X z" X ".

Kha. vii. 2. Fr. of carved and painted wooden head slightly larger than life-size, showing hair (blue), forehead, eye, and upper part of cheek. Prob. part of a fig. in the round. The cutting of the planes of the face is very conventional. The transition from plane of the forehead to that below eyebrow is quite sharp and abrupt. The upper eyelid drops straight for a distance and then turns slightly under. The curve is continued by the lower eyelid after a narrow interval, and the narrow slip of eyeball visible is shaped to a parallel curve slightly depressed from the eyelids. The whole surface has been carefully primed with finely ground white paint, and all the face gilded with leaf gold. The usual red and black contour lines were then applied. The hair is cut into shallow geometrical spirals, and the bright blue is painted over white priming. Wood hard. Most of the gold has disappeared. 7" X xa-" X 4j" max. PL XIV.

Kha. vii. 3. Wooden key of usual form. Six pegs arranged in pairs (three broken off). Upper edge split away. See

above Kha. v. oo6.   x a".

*Kha. vii. 00x, 004 (joined). Stucco relief fr. of lotus wreath or fasces ; prob. from edge of vesica. Cf. Kha. ii. 002, but with single plain broad fillet and three rows of small petals between (cf. Kha. ix. oor6). Sections painted red, blue, and green ; plain ground of vesica blue. inner edge was fixed border consisting of broad round rib wherefrom curve feather-fashion pointed lotus petals. White stucco. 6" x 3f". Pl. XV.

Similar but slightly smaller : Kha. ix. 003, 004, 0017 ; cf. Kha. i. E. oozo.

Kha. vii. 002. Stucco relief fr., prob. of vesica border. Flame pattern in overlapping leaf-shaped masses. Very

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