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

with its bracketed eaves, curving, tiled roof, and grotesque bird's-head ridge-ends.
In the centre of the ridge is a flaming jewel. The mansion has double doors,
similar to that in the wall—these, also, reassuringly ajar—and a square window on
the side wall. There is an extension of similar type built at the back, perhaps as a
chapel or shrine. Trees growing outside the wall raise their leafy tops above the
chapel.

Bez. xii. M

A standing figure of a donor of high rank from a painting on the north-east inner
reveal of the entrance (see plan). The long, green robe with long, loose sleeves is
confined at the waist by a brown belt. The robe is figured with dull yellow spots,
outlined red and with a red spiral line running into the spot; perhaps the Chinese
Ying-yang. He wears black shoes. Hanging from the belt are a black, triangular
pouch on each side, pen, knife, and perhaps eating-stick cases. A knotted buff band
hangs at the right side. With both hands, at breast level, he holds a floral branch,
of which two leaves appear beside his head. The face is plump, has a thin, drooping
moustache, scanty beard, and small pink lips. The eyes are narrow and oblique.
Long black bands flowing behind the right shoulder down to the elbow may be
hair, or, more probably, hair reinforced with wool or other material plaited into
it. Human ingenuity in the fashioning of head-dresses seems to be inexhaustible,
and nowhere has it manifested itself in greater variety than in Central Asia; and
no head-dress of more singular form has appeared than that worn by this person.
Briefly, it suggests a bowl with three long legs, placed on the head in an inverted
position, the bowl forming a cap and the legs standing up above. A red-brown
head-band and a narrow red chin-strap, the ends tied below the chin, hold it in
place. It seems to have been a style peculiar to local Uigurs of this period (eighth
to ninth century A.D.).

As with most of the figures in the Bezeklik pictures, the legs of this person are
much too short. He stands on a buff pavement against a red background. Faintly
traceable to the right is perhaps a second figure. The band of ornament below is
similar to that at the bottom of Bez. xii. A–I (plate XXVII).

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