FINGER-PEINT SYSTEM LAUFEB. 647 



The use of the hand in sealmg documents is by no means restricted 

 to China and Japan. It occurred as well in western Asia. Malcolm,* 

 in describing the conquests of Timur, states: 



The officers of the conqueror's army were appointed to the charge of the different 

 provinces and cities which had been subdued, and on their commissions, instead of a 

 seal, an impression of a red hand was stamped; a Tartar usage, that marked the manner 

 in which the territories had been taken, as well as that in which it was intended they 

 should be governed . 



The symbolism of the hand is here clearly set forth; it was a political 

 emblem of conquest and subjugation. W. Simpson ^ received, at 

 Constantinople, the information that in early times when the Sultan 

 had to ratify a treaty a sheep was killed, whereupon he put his hand 

 into the blood, and pressed it on the document as his "hand and 

 seal. "3 



The foot impressions attributed in India by popular belief to Bud- 

 dha or Vishnu are well known. They occur, likewise, on the mega- 

 lithic tombs of western Europe and in petroglyphs of upper Egypt. 

 Likewise the numerous representations of hands in the European 

 paleolithic caves ■* should be called to mind. Only vague guesses 

 can be made as to their original meaning,^ and they may be altogether 

 different from the hand stamps much later in point of time. But 

 these various examples of the occurrence of hand representations in 

 different parts of the world should admonish us to exercise precaution 

 in framing hasty conclusions as to hand impressions leading to finger 

 prints in Chma. The former occur outside of China where no finger 

 prints are in use, and do not pretend to serve for identification, nor 

 can they answer this purpose. They have a purely religious signifi- 

 cance; they may symbolize political power or subjugation or become 

 the emblem of a cult. 



K. Minakata, at the suggestion of his friend Teitaro Nakamiira, 

 believed that possibly the "finger stamp" was merely a simplified 

 form of the "hand stamp." This view, in his opinion applies 

 equally well to the case of the (Chinese, for they still use the name 

 "hand pattern" for the finger print." This theory is untenable, 

 if for no other reaso!i than that the thumb print, as will be shown by 

 actual archoological evidence, is very nuich older in China than the 

 haiid impression. The two Japanese, however, may have had a cor- 

 rect feeling in this matter which they were unable to express in words, 



• History of Persia, Vol. I, p. 46.5. 

 ^Journal Royal A.iiatic Society, vol. 21, p. '^(Y^. 



3 The design of a hand i.s found also on Persian engraved gems of the Sassanian period (226-641 A. D.). 

 See E. Thomas, Sassanian Mint Monograms and Gems (Journal Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 13, 1852, PL 3, 

 No. 61). 



* F. Regnault, Empreintes de mains humaines dans la grotte de Gargas (BvUctirt^ ct Mimoircs Society 

 d'Anthropologie de Paris, 1906, Vol. 1, pp. 331-2). 



5 Comp. e. g. G. Wilke, Siidwesteuropaische Megalithkultur, Wiirzburg, 1912, p. MS. 

 8 The latter statement is incorrect; the Chinese expression "hand pattern" only means what it implies, 

 an impression taken from the palm, but never a finger print. 



