40 LAUFER, THE DECORATIVE ART OF THE AMUR TRIBES. 



as the upper ones have ovals connected with them. Likewise the horns on one 

 side are characterized by a triskeles in the form of a fish-tail. The two central 

 dragons are connected by two combatant carp. The dragon-tails are wholly 

 fashioned after the form of the cock-tails. These may be designated either as 

 dragons or as cocks with dragon-bodies, so that one may speak of cock-clragons as 

 well as of dragon-cocks. 



On Fig. i, Plate xin, a dragon in front view is sprawled over the cover of 

 a Goldian tobacco-box, the greater part of which it occupies, in fanciful connec 

 tion with a chain-band pattern. The head looks similar to that of an elephant. 

 In the mouth are designed a pointed tongue and two pairs of front teeth. In 

 general the ornamental treatment recedes as much as possible into the back 

 ground, that the animal character may receive more emphasis. Ingenuity is 

 given free scope, in this case, by the introduction of the perfect representations 

 of the four feet stretched out to both sides, each with four claws. 1 The bobtail 

 also is not a decorative part, but consists simply of seven natural-looking furca 

 tions. Between the two hindmost claws on each foot is inserted an oblong object 

 which they seem to hold. The band-ornament along the edge of the cover is so 

 placed around the monster as to suggest that the animal might be bound with 

 ropes. The bands start from the ends of the upper and under jaw, and are 

 twisted into three loops above and three below, which show two, and in one case 

 four, prominent tips. Several S-shaped figures, which also presumably represent 

 portions of the band, are inserted between the single knots. 



This monster, conveying the impression rather of an enormous python, is 

 very likely the embodiment of the rain-dragon soaring in the clouds, but hampered 

 by its fetters in pouring out its blessings on the thirsty land. In this connection 

 mention should be made of the Chinese and Japanese &quot; cloud-and-rain pat 

 terns,&quot; simple illustrations of which are given in Fig. 3, Plate xm, and in 

 Fig. i, Plate xiv. The former is a cloud pattern composed of spirals with cocks 

 resting on them, and of clusters formed by a central spiral with six scrolls 

 around it. The latter is the device on a Japanese weaving belonging to the 

 period between the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. It is constructed 

 of a combination of semicircles and spirals, and adds another to the already 

 wide range of objects for which the spiral is a symbol, as, in this case, for cloud- 

 formation. 



Fig. 4, Plate xm, an old Chinese weaving-pattern, gives a somewhat more 

 graphic account of Chinese notions of atmospheric phenomena. The upper 

 and lower edges are taken up with two variations of the meander, while the inter 

 vening part is occupied with an evidently emblematic effigy. This special repre 

 sentation is designated in Chinese art as a &quot; cloud-and-thunder picture.&quot; It 

 reproduces a dragon, which, as Hirth~ sets forth, in its aerial abode starts the 

 thunder a-rolling with its hind-paw upraised and stretched backward. The 



1 Five-clawed feet are only accorded to the Imperial dragon. 



s See Hirth, Verhandlungen der Berliner Anthropologischen Gesellschaft, i88q, p. 493. 



