6 LAUFER, THE DECORATIVE ART OF THE AMUR TRIBES. 



decorative art ; and even where we should imagine they might be, they are ear 

 nestly disclaimed by competent native judges. Nevertheless, Schrenck states sub 

 stantially, &quot; Crude and primitive representations of the human face by means 

 of a pair of circles with a point in the middle, a vertical line between them, and a 

 horizontal below them, as eyes, nose, and mouth respectively, occur not seldom 

 on utensils of the Gilyak, and owe their origin, I believe, to the idea that by 

 placing them on an object the influence of evil spirits may be avoided, and the 

 use of the implement attended with success.&quot; i I have not succeeded in discover 

 ing the slightest vestige of proof of such a statement. 



The materials used by the Amur tribes for expressing their ornaments are 

 wood, birch-bark, fish-skin (especially salmon and sturgeon skin), elk and rein 

 deer skin, cotton, and silk. All decorations are executed by means of a long, 

 sharp, pointed knife. As regards special points of technique, they will be found 

 at the proper place. 



All needlework is done by women, and clever embroiderers especially enjoy 

 a high reputation among their countrymen. To be skilful in such work 

 is regarded as a great merit, and increases exceedingly the value and esteem 

 of a girl in the eyes of her father, who, a careful calculator, includes the 

 amount brought in from this talent in the purchase-price due from his son-in-law. 

 Men, on the other hand, aspire to possess a woman experienced in this line 

 of art, and take great pride in her work ; while wives are proud of dressing 

 up their husbands with all the costly and gaudy art expedients available, and 

 vie with their fellow-artists in their zeal to produce the most striking effects. 



GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECT. Schrenck, in his book previously mentioned, says 

 (p. 401), that, besides among the Gilyak, the same style of ornamentation 

 as is met with on clothing and other objects is also to be found among all other 

 peoples of the lower Amur region, from the Gilyak upstream, along the main 

 river as well as along its tributaries, as far as the Sungari River. &quot; In spite 

 of the fact that these tribes are of Tungusian origin,&quot; continues that author, 

 &quot;still they have nothing in common with the Russian-Siberian Tungus regarding 

 the ornaments used by them, but follow the Chinese and Gilyak. In this 

 connection one is struck by the fact that the sense for ornamentation, and its 

 display in the Amur country, do not decrease, but increase, with distance from 

 the most influential cultural people, the Chinese, and culminate among the 

 Gilyak, who live farthest away from them.&quot; The reason for this is sought 

 by Schrenck, not in the natural dispositions of the peoples in question, but in 

 political conditions. The Gilyak remained independent of the rule of the 

 Chinese, and thus attained to greater opulence than the Tungusian Amur 

 tribes subject to the Chinese. Secure in their property, they were necessarily 

 better able to enjoy it, and to feel an incentive to adorn and embellish their 

 clothing and implements. 



This statement and its accompanying hypothesis are decidedly erroneous. 



1 Reisen und Forschungen im Amur-Lande, Vol. Ill, p. 402. 



