36 GEORGE D-S-DUNBAR ON 



be taken to be iyl inches diameter at the mouth of the bowl, where it is widest, by 8^ 

 inches in depth, the difficulties of manufacturing them must be considerable. Two 

 types of danki have been found. The more common variety is made of a brittle grey 

 alloy, in which there is a considerable proportion of antimony. Round the inside of 

 the bowl are, as a rule, eight symbols (sometimes there are only seven), or occasionally 

 four. The eight usual symbols are: (i) The Wheel of Life (in its simplest form). (2) 

 The White Umbrella. (3) The Fish. (4) The Pot of Treasure. (5) The Lotus. (6) The 

 Conch Shell. (7) The so-called Noose of Love. (8) The Armorial Flag of Victory. 

 Judging from the numerous dankis of this type that have been examined, the form of 

 the Lotus, the Fish and Wheel of Life may be elaborated or simplified, whilst the other 

 symbols adhere to the same conventional design in each case. Below these symbols 

 the bowl narrows to a diameter of about 15 inches. The bottom of the bowl is almost 

 flat. Outside the bowl, and coinciding with the symbols inside, are four large and four 

 small metal cleets, the latter being placed in the centre of a conventional leaf design. 

 These large and small cleets are alternate. They are either used for carrying the 

 dankis about or for suspending them cauldronwise over a fire on the exceedingly rare 

 occasions that they are used for cooking. Below the cleets a band in key pattern runs 

 round the bowl. Three raised ribbands of metal run down outside from the rim and 

 meet in the centre of the bottom of the bowl, dividing it into three equal parts. The 

 bowls are regarded as money throughout the hills ; the rare occasions on which they 

 are used as cooking utensils appear chiefly to present themselves when treaties are 

 being ratified. 



I am indebted to Mr. Kemp for the opportunity he most kindly gave me of ex- 

 amining the one example known of the second type of danki. This bowl is of the same 

 size as the others, but is made of a different metal, and is in every respect most mark- 

 edly superior to the other bowls that have been examined. The bowl is unfortunately 

 broken, and one of the four symbols with which it was ornamented is now missing. 

 These symbols are : (1) Closed Lotus, (2) The Om, (3) Lotus, (4) missing, but the frag- 

 ment remaining is certainly the portion of a symbol in character, possibly the Om 

 repeated. It is not impossible that this second type of bowl is the relic of some earlier 

 civilization that at least spread its influence many centuries ago, through the hills south 

 of the Main Range of the Himalayas. Such of these bowls that still exist may or may 

 not have been buried , to be found as stated by the present-day Abor when working in 

 his fields. They may, it is conjectured, be the bowls on which have been modelled 

 the rough dankis commonly met with through the hills and are articles of export from 

 Bhotan to the Lohit. 



In the Upper Dihang valley the proximity of Tibet is proclaimed by a marked 

 increase in the metal work, obviously obtained from that country, that is to be seen. 



The only indigenous attempt at making the likeness of anything living upon the 

 earth has been found at Kebang in the form of a copper armadillo of crude but 

 amazing workmanship. 1 It is manifestly of considerable age. On one side (for it is 



1 See Plate XVIII. fig. 12. The only other known specimen is in the possession of Mr. Furze, A. P.O., Pasighat. 



