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

Kao. I. ii. 02I, 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 stūpa, outside the town walls 'to the south of the high road

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