64 LAUFER, THE DECORATIVE ART OF THE AMUR TRIBES. 



seem to be climbing up. On the second boughs blossom two quinquefoliate 

 flowers, the petals of which are grouped in the form of hooks around a circle. 

 Between the two flowers are two large tortoises ; over these, cocks placed sideways, 

 with a two-lobed leaf behind them. To the right and left of the large tree-trunk 

 are two smaller trees decorated at their tops with a trefoil surrounded by triskeles- 

 formed branches. From the trunks of these trees proceed to both sides cocks 

 that appear, as it were, to be growing out from the tree. The ground on which 

 the trees stand is characterized by a line sending off downwards at both ends four 

 offshoots corresponding to the cocks plumage. At a short distance from the tops 

 of the small trees are two elks with antlers. In the escutcheon-like piece in the 

 upper right-hand corner of the embroidery are to be seen two conventional forms 

 of musk-deer with faces turned away from each other. 



Fig. 6, Plate xxvi, represents an embroidered shirt. In the centre of the 

 longitudinal border (a) are two combatant fish-cocks with a bifid crest on their 

 heads and a spur-line combining these. In the other concavities are pairs of 

 strongly conventionalized opposite musk-deer, their necks recurved so that they 

 face each other, with erect ears, spiral bodies, and two long curved legs. This 

 type is nearest to that described in the preceding figure. The ornament on the 

 two pockets (6) is composed of two portions. The upper part contains two 

 scrolls, oval in shape, the outer winding of which continues in the form of a 

 conventionalized bipartite fish, the ends of which are connected by a spur-line. 

 Lying within the scrolls are two inverted cocks, whose type is derived from that 

 of the fish just mentioned, except that here a tripartition is employed. Both 

 from this fact and from the crest marked on the head, the gallinaceous character 

 of this theme is indicated. The under part is taken up by a group of two 

 parallel tendrils, the lower of which encloses a quaclrifoil ; and the upper, four 

 spirals grouped around a lozenge-like rosette. In the two under lateral tendrils, 

 which issue from a branch, the conventionalized bipartite fish is used to connect 

 the two. The field c shows an interesting variety of the conventional dragon. 

 There are two creatures represented in confronting attitude. The heads are two 

 simple scrolls. The bodies are indicated by spirals wound three times. In the 

 outer windings a portion is marked off on which the scales are characterized by 

 three short teeth. The outer spirals, forming double spirals with the dragon 

 bodies, are set with three claws to indicate the feet. Over them the tail of the 

 dragon is symbolized by three cock-feathers. The two serpentine lines lying 

 between the tails and the bodies are explained as snakes, a further ornamental 

 expedient to characterize the animal nature of this creature. 



Fig. i, Plate xxvn, represents an embroidered shirt of the Gold. From 

 the collar, down both sides of the front opening, is a border (a) composed of 

 double spirals consisting of two parallel lines. These double spirals are so inter 

 locked that the outer winding of the scroll at one end merges into the inner line 

 of that at the other end, and vice versa, the outer line of both scrolls being 

 adorned with a double triskeles. In the fields b and c ornamental trees are 



