figurine; 小雕像(Chinese) BM-1907-1111.49

Period:Unknown Production date:6thC-7thC
Materials:ivory, 象牙 (Chinese),
Technique:carved, 雕刻 (Chinese),

Dimensions:Height: 7.20 centimetres Width: 3.40 centimetres

Description:
Fragmentary figurine showing a young man wearing a long-sleeved tunic belted at the waist, holding a woman, also wearing a tunic under a short cloak with fur-lined or embroidered edges, whose head and arms are missing. The figure possibly portrays a loving couple or mithuna. Made of carved ivory.
IMG


Comments:EnglishFrom Whitfield 1985:This tiny and beautiful ivory mithuna or dampati (figure of husband and wife), found by Stein at Khotan during his first expedition, has been discussed by several scholars (Barrett, 1957; van Lohuizen-de Leeuw, 1959; Chandra, 1957-59; Dwivedi, 1972, 1976). Stein himself thought that it was of Khotanese origin, while others believed it to have come from Kashmir in the post-Gupta period. According to V. P. Dwivedi, however, the ivory is comparable in style with Gandharan art and may have been produced in North-West India in the sixth or seventh century A.D.The young man is the best-preserved part of the couple. He wears a long-sleeved tunic belted at the waist, a necklace and earrings. He holds his wife tenderly, his right hand placed above her breasts and the left arm supporting her back. His left hand can be seen just behind her waist and holds a small floral wreath. His wife wears a similar long-sleeved tunic under a short cloak with a fur-lined or embroidered edge. She has lost her head and left arm, but from the back her right arm emerges from the cloak and rests gently on her husband’s shoulder. The lower part of both figures is lost.Such a miniature piece, like the ivory shrine now in Gansu with which it has been compared, could easily be transported and shows the way in which styles could travel between places in Central Asia. It may be worth noting that the subject of the loving couple is also found among the Yotkan terracottas in the British Museum (1902 12-20 514). Although somewhat earlier, the model for this piece too may have come to Khotan from India. ChineseFrom Whitfield 1985:小而漂亮的象牙夫妻雙身像或者男女雙身像（夫婦像），是斯坦因第一次探險時從和田發現的，直到現在學者們仍然在討論（Barrett，1957；van Lohuizen-de Leeuw, 1959; Chandra, 1957-59; Dwivedi, 1972, 1976）。斯坦因認爲這是在和田製作的，但其他學者則相信它是在後笈多時期的克什米爾製作的。但是，據V.P. Dwivedi说，此象牙工藝品的風格與犍陀羅美術類似，可能是6～7世紀時期印度西北部製作的作品。兩人中年輕男性保存狀態較好，他身著很長的束腰長袖上衣，佩戴項鏈和耳飾。他溫柔地抱著妻子，右手放在妻子的胸部，左臂撐著她的後背。在妻子的細腰後，可以看出左手指持小花環。妻子在張開的毛皮裏子刺繡邊的短外套裏面，穿著與丈夫相同的很長的束腰長袖上衣。她的頭部和左臂殘缺，從其背面可以辨認出，從外套伸出的右手輕輕地放在丈夫的肩上。兩個像的下半部均已殘失。現在甘肅省有象牙製舍利容器等，與此夫妻雙身像有類似之處的小型作品，容易運輸，因而能在中亞諸地域間傳播。以相愛的男女爲主題的，還有一件在大英博物館中亞收集品的約特幹陶製品中，但這並不能說明該主題和約特幹之間有密切關係。年代多少要早些，而此作品的原型依然是從印度傳到和田的。