model(?); figure; 模型(Chinese); 畫像(Chinese) BM-MAS.5

Period:Unknown Production date:4thC-5thC
Materials:fired clay, 陶器 (Chinese),
Technique:mould-made, appliqué, incised, 模製 (Chinese), 應用的 (Chinese), 雕刻 (Chinese),
Subjects:architecture musician 建築 (Chinese) 樂獅 (Chinese)
Dimensions:Height: 12 centimetres Width: 13.50 centimetres

Description:
Clay slab of unknown use. The object is decorated with a scene depicting the façade of a building. In the lower part, a balustrade is shown on which stands a column that supports two arched niches. Inside each niche stands a musician with an elaborate headdress, one playing a flute, the other playing a cymbal. Above the niches a fillet consisting of alternating beaded and plain bands can be seen. It is bordered by an ornament consisting of rectangular tassels alternating with small figurines of men and an elephants.
IMG


Comments:EnglishFrom Whitfield 1985:This fragment, purchased by Stein from the site of Yotkan, is a very finely worked and interesting piece. It is part of a flat slab, elaborately decorated as the façade of a building on the front side, and with some decoration on the back also (Fig. 99). The whole organization of the front side is very close to Gandharan art, with niches, each with a musician, forming an arcade. The arches are supported by squat Indo-Corinthian columns and a rosette appears in the spandrel between them. Above runs a continuous band with twisted strands, alternately plain and beaded; on this are stepped merlons with miniature figures of men and an elephant between them.Stein himself (Serindia, Vol. I, p. 98) thought that this might have been part of an exceptionally large vase, and Kumagai (1962, p. 79) showed two fragments of the rim of a large vessel with similar decoration above appliqué masks and large lotus petals, from the Otani Collection (ibid., Pl. 2 and Figs. 129-30). The Stein fragment, however, cannot have come from a vase, as it is quite flat, and furthermore the reverse is also decorated. There is a similar fragment also from Yotkan in the British Museum (1902 12-20); though smaller, it shows a musician playing a flute, next to a stepped merlon. Both this and the Stein piece display rosettes and the broken edge of a perforated ledge, supported by a roll of clay, on the reverse side (Fig. 99). A third piece brought from Khotan by Trinkler and acquired by the Metropolitan Museum in 1930 provides a further clue to the original appearance of these fragments (see Gropp, 1974, Fig. 194). The Metropolitan piece is similar but is at the angle joining two sides, with an elephant’s head covering the angle on the outside. A hole, perhaps left by a small piece of wood used as an armature in the modelling, pierces the trunk and there is a strengthening pad of clay inside, but the hole is too small to have been used for pouring. The angle shows that the sides formed a hexagon. No figures survive but traces of the ledge are clear on the inner side. It therefore seems likely that all three fragments were parts of small model shrines. The rosettes on the inner walls, above the ledge, may have faced a central feature, perhaps a stupa. Other fragments showing garlanded figures within arches, which definitely come from large vases (cf. Kumagai, 1962, Pl. 2), are less well finished than the pieces shown here. The main difference they display is the distinct curve and lack of any decoration on the reverse side. Another straight-walled example like the one with Indo-Corinthian columns supporting arches with relief figures beneath was among finds brought to Sven Hedin at Yotkan (Montell, 1935, Pl. VI:5). It too has a “broken-off prop” on the back, and the suggestion has been made that “it may have pertained to a miniature stupa” (ibid., p. 178). ChineseFrom Whitfield 1985:斯坦因從約特幹遺迹購入的這個斷片，是一件極精巧的、富有趣味的作品。這是裝飾建築物正面的平板的一部分，背面（Fig. 99）也有裝飾。正面的結構酷似犍陀羅藝術，每個拱形龕都配有樂伎。拱形龕用低矮的印度克林斯多式圓柱做支撐，它們之間配有花飾。其上是帶狀的和連珠狀的擰成繩子樣的帶狀裝飾。再其上，則是城齒及其間的微型人物和大象。斯坦因自己認爲它是一個超大的花瓶的一部分（參照《西域》，卷1， 98頁），而熊谷博士則介紹了大谷收集品中的大容器邊緣部分的兩個斷片（參照《西域文化研究》，1962年，第5卷所收的，第79頁），上面貼著人頭、蓮瓣，與此裝飾相同（上揭書，圖2，插圖129～130）。然而，本圖所展示的斯坦因的斷片，完全是平的，加之背面也有裝飾，無法認爲是花瓶。大英博物館的中亞收集品中，也有一件從約特幹獲得的同樣斷片(1902 12-20)，雖然比此片小些，上面有吹橫笛的樂伎，鄰接的便是城齒。它與此圖的斷片都有圓花飾，以及類似城垛口的飾物，背面用一卷粘土支撐（參照單色圖版第99圖）。第三件斷片是Trinkler從和田發現，於1930年收入大都會美術館，提供了進一步確認這些斷片本來面目的線索（參照Gropp，1974年，Fig. 194）。大都會美術館的斷片與上面記述的兩件相同，可合併，其角的外側是象頭。有一個孔，可能是作模型框架使用的小木片造成的，或是穿透後從裏面填塞的增加強度的東西，如果是注水用的洞，又過小。從側面的角度看，大概是六角形的。此斷片上沒有像，內側留有清楚的凸突痕迹。因此，可以認爲以上三件斷片都是寺院的小模型的一部分。內壁凸帶上的圓形花紋帶，收攏於中央，可能是朝向塔的。拱形之下有持花綵的像，明顯是大容器的斷片（《西域文化研究》第5卷，1962年，圖2），都比本圖做工差。主要的差別是，它們有明顯的弧度，裏面也沒有裝飾。像本圖斷片一樣平坦，有印度克林斯多式圓柱支撐的拱形，下邊是半裸像的作品（ “Montell”，1935， Pl.VI:5），在斯文赫定從約特幹獲得的文物中，也可以見到。那斷片的背面也有凸帶，被推測爲“與小形舍利塔相襯”（上揭書178頁）。