54 LAUFER, THE DECORATIVE ART OF THE AMUR TRIBES. 



The eye-like circles serve to mark certain termini and resting-places for the bands. 

 Some of the negative portions have assumed the shape of fishes. 



The ornament which occurs on the side of the basket shown in Fig. i, Plate 

 \x, is composed of three sections. The upper starts with a brace in the middle, 

 forming on each side the upturned heads of two cocks with a circle in front of 

 their beaks, except in the case of the cock on the extreme left, where it is missing. 

 These facing birds are connected by two curves, producing a spur. The middle 

 ornamental portion commences under the point of the brace above with two con 

 ventionalized bipartite fishes, whose long-extended bodies follow the outline of the 

 upper brace-line, and finally terminate in a compound spiral. Three heavy 

 dots, one between the heads, another on the body, the third over the coiled tail, 

 denote 1 , the course of this ornamental fish. The third and lowest row in this 

 design starts in the centre with two scrolls, appended to each of which is a fish 

 tail in triskeles form. Farther along, the outer winding of these spirals runs 

 parallel to the fish-body above it, to form on the other side the outlines of a 

 conventionalized bipartite fish. This is completed by a parabolic curve to which 

 three leaves are attached ; and this figure is so combined with the cock s head 

 above, that it forms at the same time the body, tail, and wing-feathers of that bird. 



In the centre of the decoration on another basket (Fig. 2, Plate xx) we 

 observe a vertical axis to which are fastened two cocks (ii) of Type B, standing 

 erect, recognizable as such only by their attitude and feet. As for the rest, head 

 and body bear the form of fishes. The same type, devised as fishes, is shown 

 in c and/&quot;. The tail of c ends in two lobes, so arranged that its outlines form a 

 conventionalized bipartite fish. The fishes at /are combined into a purely orna 

 mental design. In b we see a different but simple style of fish. This figure forms, 

 with the adjoining scroll, another fish. Between a and b is inserted a spiral, 

 whose starting-point is adorned with two leaves. It passes over into another spiral 

 (d.) This second spiral seems to symbolize the body of a cock, whose head lies 

 in the base below, its beak holding the triskeles-shaped fish c. 



The foundation of the ornament on the basket represented in Fig. 3, Plate 

 xx, is based on the double spiral, whose ingredients /; and g are doubled so as to 

 form facing spirals. /; is a compound spiral starting in a rounded fish-head, and is 

 at the same time the symbolical expression for a cock s body, with head visible at 

 a. The oval c, placed under the throat, is the same object which, in other cases, 

 the bird seizes in its beak. The two opponent birds are connected by an arc con 

 sisting of two spurs, and sending down in the middle a cross-formed trefoil (d) 

 which has its counterpart below, resting on a wave-line. The other spiral (jf) is 

 so shaped that it includes a fish, the head of which joins the two united triskeles 

 e and/, the latter of which forms, with the adjoining curve, a conventionalized 

 fish. 



Fig. 4, Plate xx, shows a tall basket for holding spoons and chopsticks. It 

 is usually suspended from the wall. The upper half has a cylindrical form ; the 

 lower, a quadrangular. There is a double ornament here. The upper one is cut 



