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

that century they were united by the famous Cingis Khan and led by him to
magnificent conquests. By about the year 1200 he was master of all Mongolia,
and then, in the south, he subjugated the remaining K'itans and the Si-hia.
Among the Turkish and Mongol vassals of Cingis we know the Ongüts. In
the XII and XIII centuries, and even later, in the time of Marco Polo, they
lived north of the Yellow River, in the country of the Ordos. We shall later
have to speak of what remains of their art, which Pelliot has already studied (24).
The advance of the Mongols was ended in the east by the founding of the Yüan
dynasty on Chinese soil in 1280. The Mongols remained masters of those
regions of the Steppes which bordered China, and slowly they absorbed the
remaining tribes who had lived there before them.

This general view of historical events on the northern Chinese frontier,
although simplified and shortened, cannot help but bring to our notice three
ethnical groups that are possible links and bearers of the art with which we are
concerned : they are the Tungus, the Turks and the Mongols. As we have
had no systematic excavations, and since they resemble each other in their
manner of living, it will be impossible to set forth what belongs to each indivi-
dual group. Besides we must bear in mind their constant intermingling.

It would be an error to consider as nomads or semi-nomads all the above
mentioned peoples. Their lives as hunters and cattle raisers often obliged them
to move their homes. But we already know that the Scythians, as their civili-
zation progressed, practiced agriculture. It is above all the smiths who were
artisans in metal objects who found it most difficult to change their domiciles,
and who probably preferred to continue working in localities where natural
conditions were favourable to their tasks. In spite of this their treasure of
artistic forms and myths is that of the nomads. The objects they produced
corresponded to the needs of migratory peoples. These artists of the Steppes
were never impelled towards the diversity in artistic creation that always arises
of its own accord among a sedentary people. There seems to be at the
northern Chinese border relatively few forms due to the high civilization that
was so near, but many forms resulting from nomadic life.