National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Kao. I. ii. 021, 022, 030

The damaged condition of this interesting fragment, reconstructed from several

pieces, requires some description, and even with this assistance it may not be easy

to recognize in the reproduction all that could be identified in the original. Parts of

at least thirteen persons can be made out, who seem to represent three different

types, or orders, two differentiated by the head-dress and, perhaps, a third by a

garment differing from the rest. The whole crowd turns towards the left front and

seems to be grouped in order of official status. In front are four wearing beard and

moustache. Of these, the figure nearest the centre, the top of his head missing, has

his hands hidden under his sleeves. To the left, the next has part of the top of his

head missing, and all the right side of the face below the eye. The third shows only

the chin, with beard, and part of the breast; and the fourth only the breast. These

four wear a head-dress missing) secured by bands brought behind the ears and

tied in a small knot below the chin. The loose ends of the knot are pink. Long

black streamers descend at the shoulders. The best-preserved of these faces might

be that of a Russian or perhaps a `Western Turk'. Between the second and third

figures appears the lower part of the robe of another figure, over which is written

an inscription in Uigur.

The six figures to the right of the centre are drawn to a slightly smaller scale.

They wear robes similar to those of the others, are clean-shaven, and have a head-

dress peculiar to Manichaeans—square in outline as though made of stiffly

starched material, but more likely wrapped over a wire, or similar frame, as soft

folds seem to fall from it at the back. Their hair shows as a formal fringe across

the forehead. Three heads in front are complete. One behind has the upper part

missing, and another shows only the chin. Of the sixth, part only of the robe can

be seen. All these persons are dressed in a kind of white surplice with voluminous

sleeves covering the hands held against their breasts. They have pink lips and all

the drawing is in thin black lines.

The figure on the extreme right wears a long straight robe, patterned with a

lattice of green bands with a red spot in each lozenge. The left elbow can be seen

above and a black shoe shows at the hem of the robe.

The general background is dull green.

Kao. III

This was the ruin of a stúpa, outside the town walls `to the south of the high road

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