IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Ancient Khotan : vol.1 |
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| REVERSE OF UNDER-TABLET OF DOUBLE WEDGE, WITH STRING-HOLE (a) AND FOLDS OF STRING HELD BY GROOVES (b). | |
| OBVERSE OF COVERING-TABLET OF DOUBLE WEDGE, WITH STRING-HOLE (a) AND STRING FASTENED IN SEAL SOCKET (b). |
Citation Information
| Sec. iv] | ANCIENT DOCUMENTS ON WOOD AND LEATHER 349 |
Fastening and sealing of ' double wedges.'
The wood of the covering-tablet shows greater thickness towards the square end ; and in this raised portion of the outside surface, ordinarily at a distance of zâ-22 in. from the square end, a rectangular socket was roughly cut, for the reception of a clay seal. This socket or seal-cavity is seen empty in N. xv. 71 (Plate C) and N. i. 103 (IC), and filled with the clay seal for which it was made in N. xv. 137 (Plate XCVIII) and N. xv. 24 (Plate IC). Through either of the raised rims left between the seal-cavity and the edges of the covering-tablet on the long sides three grooves were cut for the purpose of securing the string that was to unite the
C.
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REVERSE OP UNDER-TABLET OF DOUBLE WEDGE, WITH STRING-HOLE (a) AND FOLDS OF STRING HELD BY GROOVES (b).
D.
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F. H.ijNORtw D
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OBVERSE OF COVERING-TABLET OF DOUBLE WEDGE, WITH STRING-HOLE (a) AND STRING FASTENED IN SEAL SOCKET (b).
pair of tablets. The method used for fastening this string was distinctly ingenious, and will best be explained by reference to the accompanying diagrams, Fig. 45. a., drawn by Mr. F. H. Andrews, to whose technical acumen I am indebted for the elucidation of its more minute details. The string of hemp, of which more or less considerable portions are still retained by the complete wedge-shaped tablets and by many of the detached pieces 9, was first passed in a cleverly-devised fashion, which diagram A illustrates, through the string-hole of both covering- and under-tablet. The end of the string here inserted was previously provided with a loop by the expedient
9 See the tablets N. i. 122, xv. 137 in Plate XCVIII; N. i. 103, xv. 24 in Plate IC; N. i. 9, xv. 71 in Plate C.
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