CO129-538-2 Hong Kong University 23-6-1932 - 15-3-1933 — Page 165

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D. J. FINN, S.J.

characters are reproduced from (10). They show in their variations a com- mon type which passes even in them into the hu" shape of the Han period (third from left). Even the Chinese bronzes which stand on tripod legs or on a rounded stand or foot are easily thought of as derived from this type with a support added beneath the superb early tsun (figure 6) shows on analysis the same elements as our pots; a neck standing up from a square shoulder; the rounded body which could stand by itself if the round ring support were taken away: further even the pattern shows by its distinction half way down the body the same allotment of space as the more definite design and the "basket" share on our ceramics. But now the question of the foot comes in the bronzes though following a basic old shape had un- doubtedly, long before any dates we could claim for our material, developed a foot and generally all Han vases have a distinct flattening of the base to make a standing surface. On Lamma, many fragments of bases show that the foot was not usually marked off by any circular contour or rim.

This is not

surprising as we find vases dated from Chou, one in (5) Vol. I, Plate IV. n. 2 and another in (14) plate III, in which the foot is not a marked feature.

Archaeological Finds on Lamma Island

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The basket pattern of

is a dark clay the foot is a distinct reddish ware. the body continues as a grid pattern under the attachment of the foot and appears on the bottom of the pot in the space within the basal ring: this is very interesting in view of the criss-cross pattern that is found on bronze vases (even in the Sung times when archaizing vessels were made) in a similar position: Professor Roffey of the University has one such which is said to be Han: these are probably imitating a revered clay type which must Further to make it clear that have been appropriate for some special use. the foot on our fragment is regarded as an addition to be clearly so marked, it has the stitches" pricks both outside and inside the foot, that is, in a place where the human eye would not ordinarily note them as ornament, fragment 37. The foot itself is on my fragment very neatly bevelled like a bronze edge (compare the lips, figure 7, c and d). The whole vase belonged to a peculiar form of the "double F" type closely related to 1.h.i. Inside its neck, it had a series of decorations in zones (fig. 7, b) the pattern in the lowest of these is found on the glazed vessels also and by M. Pelliot was said to be

CMS.

2.

A.

D.

C.

B

Figure 6.

Sketch of outline and space-distribution on bronze vase in (13) Bronzes, plate 1. However a few interesting remains of fect obviously belonging to vases of the above types have been found on Lamma, and some of the feet certainly go back to bronze for their model. Prof. Shellshear has one very striking specimen that has come away from its pot but is in itself a beautifully shaped and finished member. Here there is reproduced one which I dug out from a coolie-heap but which only lately I have recognized as the foot of a pot of which I have another piece and Mr. Schofield has three pieces. One of my pieces is part of the foot, figure 7, a, and the other is part of the neck (figure 7, b, the interior): Mr. Schofield has a large piece of the foot and two pieces of the body, one of which still carries part of the neck. Thus we can tell what the vase was like. The peculiarities of the foot show that the attachment was regarded as a sort of after-thought to the vessel itself. The body of the pot

The Hong Kong Naturalist.

Figure 7.

A. Section of fragment 37, a foot added to typical pot of type 1. B. Interior of neck-collar of same pot, drawn from a rubbing, B' rim.

C. Section showing neck and shoulder of fragment 1.

D. Section showing neck and shoulder of fragment 28.

common as Han ornament. From the analogy of other vases found at Lamma, the glazed cups, it may be reasonably supposed that this pot was intended for glazing—at very least its decoration indicated that it is contem- It is valuable as a specimen of the poraneous with the glazed pieces.

December 1932.