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

hood covering neck and framing face (which is painted
pink) ; but upper half of head is lost. Long black lappets
or locks of hair fall by sides of face and down back. Lower
part of face rounded in contour, with short whiskers,
beard and moustache. Remains of one l. Uigur inscr.
in front of him.

020 shows, kneeling ¾ to R. on background above
chequered flooring, four persons, the one farthest to R.
complete, and immediately behind grey band as in 019 ;
the other three more or less effaced, behind him. Before
each remains of one l. Uigur inscr.

Front man wears long whitish-grey coat with red
band, second figure light green coat, third dull red, fourth
dark grey. Head of first only is preserved, and shows
rounded face with oblique eyes and eyebrows, hair shaved
except for fringe on forehead ; small moustache and beard,
and long separate black locks hanging by each side of
face and over R. shoulder. On top of head is small round
black cap, with white border and small spike on top.

Between first and second figures and second and third
are square pedestals or altars in perspective. Surface
abraded along whole of upper edge. 019. 1′ 8″×9″;
020, 1′ 10″×12″.

Kao. iii. 021-30, 032-58. Misc. small fresco fr. from
composition above, 019 and 020, not joining enough to
show subject of painting, though one or two incomplete
groups with figs. remain. The following are the most
important groups :

021, 036, 041, 051, 057 ; showing three-legged caldron
amongst floating flames, red and green. Caldron filled
with grey objects (indistinguishable). Two attendant
demons (?) are R. and L. of caldron, the one to L. showing
only L. leg and foot to knee, uplifted in violent pose on
L. edge of fr., touching flames. On R. hips, R. leg and part
of L. leg of second demon with upper part of body inclined
away from flames. Knees and shins of both figures seem
to be protected by guards. R. figs. wears red loin-cloth
bordered green, and a red flowing stole of which looped
folds appear R. and L. of waist. To R. is part of vertical
grey band as in 019, 020, &c. Perhaps scene from Chinese
hell. H. joined 11″, gr. width 12½″.

024 and 054 show part only of body of dragon (?), grey-
spotted on white, with red horns or wings (?), and red
under-side to curling tail. (Together) 6½″×9″. Of the
less important frs.—

029, 034, 035, 042, 044, 046, 047, 048, 049, 058 show
vertical grey band decorated with black, as in 019, 020,
with white ground each side. On L. outer edge of 058 is
fr. of pink scarf or halo ; while 2½″ to R. of grey band
(034 and 035) is vertical green band orn. with streamer
o tabs (?) above (as in 020), and part of slanting cross-
band of green scroll-work. Gr. h. (joined) 1′ 8″, gr.
width 8″.

022 and 053 show yellow rectang. lattice-work on red,
prob. part of tiled flooring. Much effaced. Gr. fr. (053)
9″×5″.

023 shows part of halo of concentric rings of pale pink,

yellow, red and green, with traces of green foliage beyond.
4″×2½″.

025 shows part of green rounded object on red support ;
perhaps part of pedestal for emblem as on 019, 020.
4″×3″.

026 and 027 show decoration of overlapping petals in
grey and vermilion, with grey band on white above. 6″×3″.

028, 032, 039 show part of green scrolled band as in
029, &c., with white ground on one side, and on the other
a black band on which is pink scroll-work with composite
flower-bud in pink and grey filling hollows. Gr. length
(joined) 9″, gr. width 5″.

030 shows fr. of square pedestal ; red, orange, and
green ; as on 020. 6″×3½″.

033 and 038 show green band orn. with yellow scroll,
and grey ground at side, on which is white quatrefoil
rosette with red centre, and yellow leaf. 5½″×3″.

037 shows yellow scroll-work on green, almost completely
effaced. 4½″×2″.

040, 045, 050 show part of widening white band with
white and green marking, and red at side. 4″×4″.

043 shows fr. of red slab with cream border as on flooring
of 019, 020. 4½″×2″.

052 shows on red ground yellow disc, containing species
of green quatrefoil, outlines red ; black and white band
at side. 3″×2½″.

055 shows part of pedestal as on 019, with red and
yellow scroll band, and part of red and white rosette orn.
on grey ground, at side. 3½″×3½″.

056 shows grey ground with red and yellow ornamental
band at side. Surface partly lost, and remaining part
much effaced. 2″×3½″.

Kao. iii. 031. Fresco fr. in several pieces. A white nude
woman, head missing, stands with hands behind waist,
tied to a brown post, the ligature visible round ankles.
Her black hair streams lank to shoulders. Breasts small
but with elongated drooping nipples, each of which seems
to be tied round with ligature. A black snake coils round
R. p. leg, crossing over front above knee, then behind
thighs, and appearing again beside L. hip (broken away).

On either side stands a demon, each with one foot raised
and pressed against elbow of woman to give purchase for
the use of a cross-cut saw with red handles, with which
they appear to be sawing downward through woman's
head. R. p. leg only of R. demon remains and both legs
and up to waist of L. demon. They wear green bordered
red Dhōtis and have anklets. Flesh of legs pink, shaded
darker towards knees. Gobbets of three- and two-tongued
red and green flame are scattered about white background.

The group stands above a yellow band, nearly 1″ wide,
below which is paving of alternate light and dark red slabs
with receding edges running from R. to L. as though to
suggest perspective. Drawing careless but expressive, and
the suggestion of force applied by the upraised feet against
woman's elbows well rendered.

Outlines and contours black. Drapery folds shaded.
It seems to form part of lower register (kind of predella)