74 LAUFER, THE DECORATIVE ART OF THE AMUR TRIBES. 



tints and shades, whereas the selection of the pigments for painting purposes is, 

 of course, not nearly so diverse. From the very fact that the silks as well as the 

 coloring-matters are traded from the Chinese, we may infer that also in tasteful 

 and artistic arrangement of colors this people has been the instructor of the Amur 

 tribes. This statement is confirmed, moreover, by the fact derived from actual 

 observation, that the more the natives are in contact with the Chinese, the nearer 

 they dwell to a centre of Chinese culture, the more splendidly developed in beauty 

 of color are their works ; while the farther one recedes from that centre, the poorer 

 the color-sense seems to grow, and at last to vanish almost entirely. The choice 

 of colors is not arbitrary, but subject to certain rules of taste, although no definite 

 formulas can be deduced. It may be asserted that, throughout, to the symmetry of 

 the pattern corresponds the symmetry of the colors. This symmetry, however, 

 is not so strictly observed that symmetrical parts must be adorned in all cases 

 with precisely identical colors : there should be different shades of the same 

 ground-color, or even sometimes contrasting hues. There may also be the same 

 set of colors in two symmetrical figures, but with a change in the arrangement. 

 The brilliant colors occur mostly on shirt-embroideries with white background ; 

 and the duller hues, in their various shades, on coats and other clothing. A bet 

 ter knowledge of Chinese art will no doubt throw more light also on this most 

 attractive side of the Goldian works of art. 



To illustrate the appearance and the effect of the colors, five paintings have 

 been selected for reproduction here (Plates xxxn, xxxin). 



Fig. i, Plate xxxn, represents the lateral continuation of the ornament shown 

 in Fig. 4, Plate xxvi. I have already pointed out the peculiarity of the composi 

 tion of this design ; here also is shown an entirely new motive not elsewhere ob 

 served : in the centre are two cocks (a and 6), a of red color ; b, one half red, 

 the other half deep magenta, or the shade &quot; American beauty,&quot; so called. Al 

 though the two cocks correspond to each other in their position, they are not 

 constructed in symmetrical agreement, since the whole composition narrows off 

 toward the side. The cock a is therefore in erect vertical, and b in reclining hori 

 zontal, attitude, the latter running out into a long body, with tail coiled into a 

 spiral. The upper outline is here also an engrailed line, which causes an irregu 

 lar lozenge to spring up in the middle of the body. The beaks of the two cocks 

 a and b are curved downward and then recurved, and each holds a conventionalized 

 bipartite yellow fish, grasping it at a point between head and body. Between the 

 bodies of the fishes and cocks are two greenish cocks whose forms are assimilated 

 to those of the adjoining cocks above. That below a is accordingly represented 

 standing, and that belonging to b in a sitting position. In this way also the ends 

 of the yellow fishes depend upon the forms of the cocks, and are influenced by 

 them : the body of the fish a runs parallel to that of its cock, and terminates, like 

 that one, in a broad plane ; whereas b tapers into a point at the tail, like the green 

 cock belonging to it. The red cock a is joined by a yellow inverted cock, which 

 sends off farther below a blue-colored fish. To the left of this one is a magenta 



