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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

786   HISTORY AND RECORDS OF THE TUN-HUANG LIMES [Chap. XX

Row (a) :—In centre of square, a very conventional tree of quasi-Gothic type ; and round it, but well separated from it and near lines of square, four birds in profile, facing each other in pairs in one direction, but foot to foot in other. Large crested head reverted, wing lifted horizontally, rather short flamboyant tail, thick, quickly tapering leg, and three-toed claw. The pattern is a ` turnover ' in both directions.

Row (b) :--In centre a ring of six diamond shapes representing a tree or bush. To one side of this two spotted dragons, bisymmetrically disposed, issue R. and L. from a band which joins their scrolled tails, and appear to threaten with open jaws and uplifted paws two highly conventional birds (phoenixes), which occupy the other side of the bush.

The pattern is woven so that it is upright across width, i. e. in direction of weft. This does not matter much in such a very conventional treatment. It is possible that the dragon pattern is upright in the length of the fabric.

Weaving is very fine in texture, and detail of pattern small. The angular, geometrical treatment of some of the details, such as the squared volutes of wing feathers of phoenix, quite unnecessary in so fine a material, suggests

adoption from â fabric of larger texture. The same peculiarity of preserving angularity for its own sake is observable in a small fragment attached to strips already described, but of different pattern. It is very threadbare, but the pattern (incompletely shown in the fr.) seems to consist of a conventional tree, placed alternately upwards and downwards regularly all over the material.

The whole is â good deal worn, and is made up of about eleven small pieces. Attached to back and upper edge of front are pieces of plain. silk, red and yellow.

9" x 7'. Pl. LV and (design drawn out) CXVIII.

T. xxu. c. ooio. b. Fabric frs., all plain silk, including one piece each of red, buff, and yellow, and sand-encrusted frs. of blue, buff, and red sewn to fr. of felt. Gr. M. I' 2°.

T. xxiil. a. ooi. Wooden ' dead•eye' or pulley ; stick warped and bent over into a loop of which the two ends are tied tightly together with several heists of stout cord in groove. Cf. N. xxix. ii. oo1. b. Length of loop 3a",

width   diam. of stick itt".

T. xxiir. a. 002. Fr. of coarse cotton fabric. [Analysed by Dr. Hanausek.] c. 5i" X 3".

OBJECTS EXCAVATED AT WATCH-TOWERS T. xxvI AND T. XXVII

T. xxvi. ooi. Wooden knob resembling T. xi'. 0015, but smaller, and head more conical ; was painted black all over. 11" x r x 4".

T. xxvi. 002. Woven string shoe ; made of hemp string bleached by exposure ; heel gone and toe worn through. Sole similar to T. vi. b. i. 009, but the knots are not evenly disposed. They are clustered under heel and toe, and spaced into transverse rows under centre, while a double row along edges connects toe and heel groups. Warp of uppers is horizontal, and must have been stretched on some kind of last as a loom to get the diminishing circumference of the successive ' ends '. Weft is ' wrapped-twined ' with alternate R. and L. wrap, skilfully woven to shape of last. Rotted. Length (incomplete) 61', width 3k".

T. xxvi-xxvui. ooi. Strip of wood, oblong in section, split down most of length as if for making into writing slips, but abandoned because split came out to edge.

9â"xï "x TV.

T. xxvu. i. Fr. from rim of stoneware bowl, T. xxvu. 5 (q. v.). Gr. M. 2".

T. xxvil. 2. Fr. of porcelain bowl with ring-base, glazed inside and out with pale blue-grey glaze. Outside shows part of sunflower design in iron-red, with green and red dabs below, painted over glaze. Under-side of base, within base-ring, om. with one broad, one narrow band in dark brown. Chinese. i" X Ii}". Pl. IV.

T. xxvu. 3. Pottery fr., hard well-levigated light-grey ware, wheel-made ; outer face flaked off, wheel-marks on inner. Gr. M. IA".

T. xxvu. 4. Fr. of straight•sided pottery bowl, with ' flat rim of peculiarly sharp insertion projecting at right angles from side. Two holes for suspension pierced i" below top. Wheel-made of ill-levigated red clay burning grey, and hard-fired on open hearth. 48" X tr.

T. xxvii. 5. Fr. of side and base of stoneware bowl ; fine creamy buff clay with mottled brown glaze on exterior nearly to foot, on interior nearly to bottom ; high ring base. Chinese. H. 3", width 3k", orig. diam. of bowl 6".

*T. xxvu. 15. Wooden ink.seal, cubical in shape. Near top are grooves, for string (?), on one side finished, on opposite only begun. On bottom single Chin. char., in ancient form, undetermined. [Mr. L. C. Hopkins.] H. r, face i," sq. Pl. LIII.

For other specimens, see T. xiv. a. 003 ; xxvu. 003, 005-006 ; xxvtIi. d-g, j, q ; and cf. clay sealing T. xiv. a.

1. 001.

T. xxvii. ooi. Small iron bar, sq. in section, broken at both ends. 4" x i" sq.

T. xxvii. 002. Fr. of grey steatite, thin flat oval, waterworn. f' X " X 3 ~".

T. xxvu. 003. Wooden ink•seal or die (?); oblong block with ink curves and lines painted on sides, and remains of projecting seal-face (?) at one end. Cf. T. xii. a.

2. 005 ; XXVIII. j. I" X S" X i'. Pl. LIII.

T. xxvii. 004. Frs. of soft white stone.

T. xxvii. 005-006. Two wooden ink•seals (?) ; small oblong blocks, roughly cut ; 005 has remains of narrower projecting seal-face at one end (cf. T. XXVIII. j), and faded