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『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

following examples, may have been added at a later period (35). I do not
understand his reasons, and am unable to accept his theory, since the object as
well as the Si-hia letters bring us to the same date. Besides it is impossible
to believe that the Si-hias excavated bronzes nearly 1000 years old, in order to
place inscriptions open them.

A disk from the Loo collection (36) without an inscription, but meant for the
same purpose, is an isolated example (Plate XLI, no. 3). Three animal motives
are placed symetrically on three sections of the rim, while we may presume
that a fourth animal motive has been broken off. We can determine the top
and bottom by the loop at the back. On each side we find pairs of animals placed
so that one is directly behind the other. We are familiar with the circular motive
on the paws which make them Merhart's "animal with the ringed paws" (37).
Below the jaws of each lower animal is an antilope-head identical to that of
Plate XIV no. 5. Above (and probably originally, below) we find a pair
of bird-heads back to back. The eyes are rendered in the same way as those
of the animals. As for the date, an earlier period than the beginning of the
II millennium is impossible because of the summary treatment of the animal
motives.

Their use as hanging disks is always proved for the other examples of this
group, not by a loop at the back, but by the handle at the upper edge. The
design of Plate XLI no. 4 has been much obliterted by the patina. It is, however,
composed of arbitrary and confused spirals. A similar ornamental idea has been
found on a sarcophagus in Mongolia dated of the VIII century (38). It would
seem that the artist attempted to imitate the free drawing of the Chinese models
of the T'ang period. Still closer to our disk are the fragments of a mirror in the
Zaoussailov collection also ornamented with inorganic designs (39). Tallgren
and Arne date these fragments about 1250. Their stylistic agreement with the
Chinese frontier disk is significant and permits of a close connection concerning
the date.

The smooth disk with a simple handle has already been found at Minussinsk
(40). At the Chinese frontier it bears an inscription in Si-hia characters (Plate XLI
no. 5). Another example with the same writing is shown on Plate XLI no. 6.
The fact that the handle melts into the general contour makes the form more
that of a gourd than of a circle with a separate handle. The edge is in relief.
As for all examples which bear Si-hia inscriptions, the " terminus post quem "
for this piece also, is furnished by the invention of this writing. The Chinese
example therefore assumes particular importance since it serves to date a whole
series of ornamental disks spread extensively all over the Steppes (41). The best
example comes from western Eurasia in the region at the mouth of the Don
(Plate XLI no. 7). Here, instead of an inscription, the disk bears an ornament
in relief. It is a human figure, extremely primitive in form. It conforms very