National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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Serindia : vol.2 |
992 CAVE-TEMPLES & ANTIQUES OF THE THOUSAND BUDDHAS [Ch. XXV
Ch. 009, q.v. for fuller descr. Body of deer here preserved, deep yellow, with reddish-pink rosettes outlined with white
and green on haunch and shoulder. Other fr. (b) shows
a like pattern of rounded hexagonal medallions, c. 4" x 41", containing pairs of confronting ducks on ground of faded
salmon-pink. Outlines stepped throughout ; weave and texture of same character as in Ch. 009. Birds stiff, but exceedingly life-like considering style of weaving used ; their bodies dark blue, their heads, necks, and legs dark green, eyes pink, beaks white, wings light yellow curled up at end, and tails done in diagonal stepped stripes of dark blue and white like those of geese in Ch. 009. A pink cross outlined with white marks shoulder.
There are no palmettes under their feet, but in interspaces above each pair of medallions are traces of large pale yellow palmettes which prob. supported larger pairs of animals. Medallion borders are green, orn. with six evenly spaced pink lozenges with yellow outlines and blue or green hammer-armed cross in centre. Lozenge pairs above and below separated resp. by leaf or tree-shape like a spearhead, and the others by stepped bands running diagonally across border. Both trees and bands are also pink outlined with white or yellow. For relation of fabric to others with Sassanian ' designs, see above, p. 909 ; it ranges with the Oxus group ', whose characteristic weave, spacing of design, and colouring it shows. Condition good. (a) 8. " x (gr. width) 2r ; (b) 6" x (gr. width) 4". (Reconstruction of designs) Pl. CxV.
Ch. 00360. a—g. Seven silk banners, whole or fragmentary, made on same pattern, of plain and printed silks. Head-piece of white silk, doubled, printed with lozenge-shaped conventional bunches of blue or green flowers recalling cornflowers, with yellow centres. Border of head-piece, light terra-cotta. Body in four sections stiffened with bamboo slips at seams and made resp. of terra-cotta, fawn, printed, and fawn silk. The printed silk has light terra-cotta ground, sprinkled with conventional lozenge-shaped rosettes or flower-bunches in blue, pink, and yellow with dark green centres and natural-colour outlines. Side streamers, where preserved, of dark blue, bottom streamers of light brown silk. All silks of thin light quality but evenly woven ; printed silk of head-pieces clean, fresh, and whole in all ; printed silk of lower section full of holes in almost all banners, owing to rotting of green centres. Length (without streamers) 4' 6", width ro}j". (Printed design of head-piece) PI. CXXIII.
Ch. 00361. Fr. of figured silk ; thick, soft, woven in satin twill as in Ch. 00228, etc. Thin twisted warp, dark blue; broad untwisted weft of indigo (ground), bright pink, grass-green, white, golden yellow, pale blue, and salmon-pink (pattern). Design seems to have consisted of repeating floral spot, in rows about 4' apart, with outspread bright pink flowers, yellow-centred, and outlined with white, on thread-like white stems. Green, pale blue, and salmon do not appear on surface in fr. preserved. Excellent condition. 1' x (gr. width) r.
Ch. 00362. Fr. of figured silk, perhaps from same
piece as Ch. 00180, with which it is identical in colour, yarns, and weave. No trace of animal design, but in corner part of floral spot in bright pink, green, yellow, and white ; ground light blue. Has been folded in band, and part exposed is much faded. 9" x 4f'
Ch. 00363. Fr. of figured silk, thick and soft. Woven in satin twill ; warp, fine twisted yarn ; weft, broad, flat, and untwisted. Colouring rich and well preserved, comprising (ground) deep plum-colour, (design) chrome and lemon yellow, white, grass-green, and scarlet, the two last colours not appearing on the surface in the piece preserved. Fr. of pattern remaining shows ends of wings, prob. from bird spot pattern like Ch. 00228. 3' x
Ch. 00364. Two frs. of black silk (?) brocade, thin and harsh, woven in twill, rather open in texture, dull surface. On edge part of bird (?) spot pattern remains in silk of chrome yellow, the yellow threads only introduced to form spot and cut short behind. Complete design irrecoverable, perhaps like that of Ch. 00228. For other true brocades, see List under Ch. 0065. Length 5i'
Ch. 00365. Triangular head-piece of figured silk from banner, with border of fine fawn silk and suspension loop of purple silk damask as Ch. 00242. Remains also of side streamers and of purple damask patch at base of triangle. Figured silk of loose weave as Ch. 0076, with large pattern, in orange on an old-gold ground. Fr. remaining shows trilobed leaf, and edge of open flower in naturalistic style. Dirty and discoloured. r' x 6k".
Ch. 00366. a—b. Two valance streamers of figured silk, lined with plain fawn silk. Figured silk of same weave as Ch. 00295, and very like in colour and design. Ground dark green ; pattern, alternating rows of circular rosettes formed of central star of three narrow leaves, from between. which radiate on short stems three spreading bibbed petals. Colours in alternate rows apparently bright and pale pink, now faded ; (b) worn through middle. r' 5" X 2g".
Ch. 00367. Fr. of figured silk, much worn. Loose satin weave as Ch. 0076. Pattern : a small repeating circular spot, composed of two reversed birds (1), hardly distinguishable ; see Ch. 00179. Woven in pale yellow, blue, and green on scarlet ground. Gr. M. 5k"
Ch. 00368. Two frs. of figured silk. Woven in firm satin twill with slightly stiffened warp, broader untwisted weft. Design too fragmentary for reconstruction, in pale grey-blue on apricot ground. Both c. 3'' x
Ch. 00369. Strip of figured silk, like Ch. 00230 in weave, colouring, and (so far as can be seen) in character of design. Shred preserved shows section of large intricate repeating spot (?) geometrically treated, and woven in dark and lighter blue, bright yellow, white, and green, on bright red ground (?). Colours very fresh. 7" x
Ch. 00370. a—b. Two frs. of twill silk fabric, of unusual weave. (a) is composed of warp of very fine pink silk yarn, stiffened, and weft of broad, flat, soft yarn,
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