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

and is more perfect than any animal representation we have seen so far at the
northern frontier. When we compare the artistic treatment of the knife and
dagger handles on Plate XXXVI with the detail (Plate XLII no. 3), we are
following the path of art in the circle of the Steppes. The shaft-end in the Loo
collection is one of only a very few examples of the beginning, and at the same
time one of the most perfect from the point of view of art. Such natural and
unimpaired freshness is only possible in the Han period, probably only in the
beginning of that period. This combination of artistic forms is less akin to
the Steppes than to China, and it is to this country that we owe its careful and
perfect figuration. The only barbarian influence is in the rendering of the horns.
A purely horizontal object as that of Plate XLII no. 4 is easier to explain.
Identical objects of the Han period have been found in China. Moreover, shaft-
ends have often been confused with pole-tops, as for example the wild ass of
the Sauphar collection now in the Louvre. It is impossible to imagine this
animal sitting on its hind-quarters, and it was certainly never meant to be so
ridiculously placed (4). The artist has given the shaft-end of Plate XLII no. 4
the form of a wild sheep (argali), an ewe since it has no horns. But it has hair
on the breast, however, like the male sheep. Even more than on Plate VII no. 4
the hanging tongue gives the impression that this is either a dying animal or one
already dead. As with the hedgehog of Plate VII no. 1 where certain parts of
the shaft seem to be in relief, here the whole body is so from the shoulders
forward. But this unarticulated body arranged in a straight line considerable
differs from the animal-heads of an early period that are well drawn and modeled
by a sure hand. Above all, the legs and hooves of this piece lack careful treatment.
A date near 1000 agrees with this somewhat primitive type.
2) Openwork disks.
Richly perforated disks belong to a group of Chinese objects, the purpose
of which is unknown. They must not be confused with the pendants derived
from eastern Europe. They bear the elaborate ornamentation called by common
consent, the art of the Ch'in style. But while there are no dated documents of
this art, this designation remains entirely hypothetical, although it may agree
very well with the Chinese stylistic development. An attempt has been made to
place this art in the valley of the Huai (5) without, however, sufficient foun-
dation for such a geographic classification.
We have encountered several times during the course of our study so-called
Ch'in stylistic elements even in objects which by our analysis should be dated
much later. The openwork disk from the Loo collection (Plate XLIII no. 1)
at first easily appears to belong to the Ch'in group. A braid, typical of the well
known Li Yu receptacles (6), decorates the edge. Similar dragons, covered with
dotted and striped ornaments, are found with identical details on the buttons of
bells that probably really belonged to the Ch'in period (7). But the metal with