banner;
textile;
幡(Chinese);
紡織品(Chinese)
- Museum number
- MAS.885.b
- Description
-
This body panel from a banner consists of two rectangular pieces of complete loom widths. The main piece (a) is of a clamp-resist dyed plain weave silk showing confronting horses backed with piece (b) of plain weave silk. The horses are similar in style to the relief with six horses in the tomb of Li Shiming (599-649), the first emperor of the Tang dynasty, and also the stone horses in the tomb of Empress Wu Zetian (624-705). The bodies of the lower pair of horses are decorated with a swastika motif, but the uppermost pair of horses also have spots. At the bottom of the panel, another pair of horse's legs are visible, showing where the plain weave silk was folded during the process of clamp-resist dyeing. The block used for the pattern probably measured about 76 cm in length.
The lining (b) is almost the same size as the top piece (a), but has a small tape, 5 cm wide and 15 cm long, of plain woven silk attached to one corner. Studies by Stein and Roderick Whitfield indicate that this tape could be the border for the head at the top of a banner. If so, the full-length banner would have been similar in size to the banner with a standing Bodhisattva (Stein Painting 217 [Ch.xxviii.007] in the British Museum).
Stein believed the pattern showed Persian influences, however the horses have the short stubby legs that are characteristic of Mongolian ponies.
Weave structures:
b: Panel b
Warp: silk, untwisted, single, 44 ends/cm; Weft: silk, untwisted, 26 lats/cm. Weave structure: 1/1 plain weave.
Silk tape:
Warp: silk, untwisted, single, 38 ends/cm; Weft: silk, untwisted, 28 lats/cm. Weave structure: 1/1 plain weave.
兩片有完整幅寬的長方形絲織物，一片爲對馬圖案的夾纈絹，另一片只是平紋絹。兩片原來釘縫在一起，一片作表面，另一片作背襯。一對馬身上飾有卍字紋，另一對馬身上則飾有斑點。織物的底部另有一對馬可見馬腿，但馬腿方向相對，正說明在這兩行馬之間是夾纈製成時的折叠中軸線。這樣可以推測夾纈板的大小在76釐米長左右。平紋絹的尺寸與夾纈絹基本相同，但在角上縫有一長15cm的絹帶。根據斯坦因的描述，這一絹帶可能是一件幡首的斜邊。而且，斯坦因在《Serindia》認爲這一題材無疑有著薩珊波斯的影響，不過，這種小馬（pony）矮腳、大肚，有著明顯的蒙古馬特徵。
組織結構：
織物b
經線：絲，無撚，單根排列，44根/cm；緯線：絲，無撚，26根/cm；組織：1/1平紋。
絹帶
經線：絲，無撚，單根排列，38根/cm；緯線：絲，無撚，28根/cm；組織：1/1平紋。
- Production date
- 8thC-9thC
- Dimensions
-
Length: 66 centimetres
-
Width: 55 centimetres
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1917
- Acquisition notes
- The 1917-11-28 group (with MAS numbering) refers to objects from Stein's Second Central Asian Expedition, 1906-08. As the expedition was financed 3/ 5 by the Government of India and 2/5 by the British Museum, it was agreed that the finds from the expedition should be allocated in these proportions. All the finds were shipped to London for sorting, research and publication, and subsequent distribution. The distribution of the finds between London and India was determined by specialists, appointed by the Government of India (through the India Office, London) and the British Museum, who drew up lists of the objects for approval by both sides. The specialists included: Raphael Petrucci, under supervision of Dr E Denison Ross (nominated by India Office) and Laurence Binyon (British Museum) on paintings; Dr F W Thomas, Dr E Denison Ross (both nominated by India Office) and Dr L D Barnett (British Museum) on manuscripts and written documents; Dr E Denison Ross (nominated by India Office) and Laurence Binyon (British Museum) on archaeological/other finds. Although the lists were drawn up and approved in 1915, the Government of India asked the British Museum to look after the entire collection during the First World War, and those allocated to India were eventually shipped in 1919.
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- MAS.885.b
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: Ch.00357 (Stein no.)
