i6 



LAUFER, THE DECORATIVE ART OF THE AMUR TRIBES. 



ch-bark Stencil. Tribe, Gold. Length, 43 c 



variations of the same principle, the lower part of Fig. 5 showing negative 



incisions similar to those in Fig. 5, Plate iv. 



DECORATIONS ON BOATS. The bows of wooden rowboats are sometimes 



adorned, both inside 

 and outside, with paint 

 ings. For this purpose, 

 stencils are cut out of 

 strong birch-bark, ap 

 plied to the parts to be 

 decorated, and brushed 

 over with black paint. 

 In all cases the nega 

 tive cut-out parts, which 

 naturally appear as the 

 positive portions on the 

 object to be decorated, 



f ould be ri * arded as 



the ornament proper. 

 They have therefore 

 been blackened in the 

 drawings. The outline 

 of the stencil is sometimes adapted in a certain degree to the form of the pattern. 

 The most frequent motive employed in this case is the double-spiral fillet, 

 although the com 

 pound spiral is also 

 used. 



The ornaments 

 shown in Figs, i and 

 2 are constructed on 

 one and the same 

 principle. The two 

 double spirals form 

 ing the main part of 

 the pattern are sur 

 rounded by a simple 

 band that runs paral 

 lel to the outer curves 

 of the spirals. This 

 band merges above, 

 on either side, into 

 a central head-shaped ornament, the upper part of which consists of a pair of 

 short symmetrical spirals, while the under part results from the combination of 

 two conventionalized fishes. 1 The lower edge of the pattern is in the form 



1 See p. 29. 



h-bark Stencil. Tribe, Gold. Length, 44 l 



