225
66
Archaeological Finds on Lamma Island
233
if means allow, it may be possible to reproduce it as a tone block. It was actually being found when Plate 32, figure 4 was snapped, it comes from what apparently is a coolie-heap." The ware is a yellowish red of soft brickish type. The shape of the vase was like that of the typical Han period "hu in which the shoulder of the vase is not well marked: the form however occurs far back in the Kansu prehistoric pottery as in (11) Plate 6.
The mouth of this vessel was bevelled, its breadth was about 7 inches. The only ornament was a series of four zones, altogether in width 14in. beginning an inch below the lip. The ornament between the dividing lines of the zones consists of impressions of a toothed comb reminiscent of the guard of a miniature safety razor; six triangular impressions of teeth about one millimetre each at base go to each imprint which is about one centimetre long; the im- prints are set slanting up to the left. This motive furnishes an important link between this series and the glazed cups. Another point of great importance has been noted already: the dividing lines between the zones show the potter's attempt to secure a double line-in the lowest boundary line he was success- ful but the upper ones went astray on him and in one case his point went careering wildly up from the second lowest line and raced in an elliptical curve over all the upper zones: it would seem that he was working with a wheel that revolved from his right hand to his left.
1.h. We now come to the most distinctive and the most interesting of our ceramic finds. As I write this, almost at the last possible moment for the printing, I have just heard of the coming to light of some new material, but I must trust to add in its confirmatory or corrective value at the end of the whole article. (See plate 34 and Appendix I p. 243).
""
In its
The fragments from 16 to 36 illustrate the pattern which, for the sake of definite reference and from the desire not to prejudice its interpretation I have chosen to call the double F pattern
or as we shall know it here 1.h. It appears to be a pattern little found elsewhere and was quite new even to such an authority as Professor Paul Pelliot when I showed it to him. most typical form, it consists of an S scroll which branches at each side pro- ducing the effect of a capital F upright coalescing along the vertical stroke with an inverted F. Sometimes only one F is used and I refer to this as a half stamp sometimes the stem branches into three limbs at each side (frag- ment 29 seems to be a specimen but clearer ones have been found).
The series speaks for itself: an attempt has been made here to arrange it in a morphological development which is indicative of a variation from an original motive, without however claiming any strict value for it as a strati- graphic test. For the moment, all that can be said is that the whole series is one showing distinct variations in the direction of degradation; to use a hint given by Prof. Pelliot, the series goes from poterie des seigneurs" to Ipoterie des paysans," from an imitation of bronze to a typical ceramic treat-
ment.
Before proceeding to the fascinating study of its origin, it will be best to point out the main factors in the variation.
<<
1.h.i. The double-F" is not really the pattern, but only lines of demarcation of a more important, interiorly modelled pattern consisting of
December 1932.