The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in Asia William Trousdale SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 SERIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION The emphasis upon publications as a means, of diffusing knowledge was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. In his formal plan for the Insti- tution, Joseph Henry articulated a program that included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge. This keynote of basic research has been adhered to over the years in the issuance of thousands of titles in serial publications under the Smithsonian imprint, com- mencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: Smithsonian Annals of Flight Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics Smithsonian Contributions to Botany Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology In these series, the Institution publishes original articles and monographs dealing with the research and collections of its several museums and offices and of profes- sional colleagues at other institutions of learning. These papers report newly acquired facts, synoptic interpretations of data, or original theory in specialized fields. These publications are distributed by mailing lists to libraries, laboratories, and other in- terested institutions and specialists throughout the world. Individual copies may be obtained from the Smithsonian Institution Press as long as stocks are available. S. DILLON RIPLEY Secretary Smithsonian Institution \om J^ qrnet ^ SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in Asia William Trousdale ISSUED MAY 8 1975 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS CITY OF WASHINGTON 1975 ABSTRACT Trousdale, William. The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in Asia. Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology, number 17, 332 pages, 100 figures, 24 plates, 1975.—The scabbard slide is a distinctive carrying device developed 2,500 years ago for the long, iron, equestrian sword. The history of the long sword and scabbard slide in Asia begins and ends in the same region, the steppelands of the southern Ural mountains. The association of this weapon and its suspension device endured for a thousand years, during which time it may be observed among many settled and nomadic cultures between China and the Mediterranean, and even beyond, as far west as France and England. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the significance of this association in its broadest cultural sense in terms of an aspect of weapons history among the peoples in Asia who employed the long sword and scabbard slide. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION DATE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. SI PRESS NUMBER 4989. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Trousdale, William The long sword and scabbard slide in Asia. (Smithsonian contributions to anthropology, no. 17) Bibliography: p. 1. Swords—Asia. 2. Scabbards—Asia. 3. Jade art objects—Asia. 4. Asia—Antiquities. I. Title. II. Series. GN1.S54 no. 17 (U853) 739.7'3—15511 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $7.55 Stock Number 4700-00279 Acknowledgments The results of this study of the long sword and scabbard slide in Asia could not have been achieved without reference to the works of several scholars who earlier took a particular interest in these objects of military equipment. Among those whose studies of the sword or scabbard slide have helped to form the opinions and theories expressed here, or have suggested new approaches to old problems, Max Loehr, W. Percival Yetts, and M. I. Rostovtsev must be mentioned. Acknowledgment is equally due the late Alfred Salmony whose pioneering work in responsible jade studies has guided me in the chronological and stylistic study of early jade. A particular debt of gratitude is due the late Otto J. Maenchen-Helfen who, as the author's teacher, first drew his attention to the interesting and important problems posed by the history of the scabbard slide, and whose own researches on this subject have provided valuable insight into the problems related to the diffusion of this object in central and western Asia. The detailed study of the Chinese scabbard slide presented in the first two chapters was possible only because of the generosity of many museum officials on three continents who kindly permitted me to examine these objects in collections, and whose comments and correspondence furnished new insights into this material. I should like especially to thank R. Soame Jenyns and William Watson, late of the Oriental Antiquities Department, British Museum; P. Lasko and D. M. Wilson of the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities, British Museum; Elisabeth Munksgaard of the Nationalmuseet, Copenhagen; Max Loehr and the late Usher Coolidge of the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University; Aschwin Lippe of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Curator-Emeritus Kojiro Tomita of the Museum of Fine Arts; the late Margaret Gentles of the Chicago Art Institute; Laurence Sickman of the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art; the Conservateur of the Musee des Antiquites Nationales de la France, St.-Germain-en-Laye; Mr. Saeed ul-Hassan of the Taxila Museum, West Pakistan; Mr. M. A. Shakur of the Peshawar Museum, West Pakistan; Mr. Malik Shamsuddin and Mr. Nisar Husain Jafari of the Central Museum, Lahore, West Pakistan; Dr. Sivaramamurti and Dr. Gairola of the National Museum, New Delhi, India; the curator and staff of the Lord Curzon Museum, Mathura, India; Mr. Bachir Zouhdi of the National Museum, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic; Professor Kazimierz Majewski of the University of Warsaw. I wish also to thank the private collectors: Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York; Dr. Paul Singer, Summit, New Jersey; Mr. Louis Zara, Philadelphia; Professor Ralph Chaney, Berkeley; Mr. Frederick Mayer, New York; Mrs. James Marshall Plumer, Ann Arbor; and the late Mr. Desmond Gure, London, for permission to include in the catalog scabbard slides from their collections and to express freely my critical appraisal of the pieces. Mrs. Elizabeth FitzHugh kindly performed technical examinations of several scabbard slides at my request. The drawings and the profiles of slides included in the text and Catalog were kindly executed for me by Mr. Frank Haentschke and Mr. George Robert Lewis. The assistance of Mr. Takashi Katsuki in the use of Japanese sources is most gratefully acknowl- edged. I wish especially to express my gratitude to Miss Betty-Jean Bailey for her patient assist- ance in the preparation of an earlier draft of the manuscript, and to Mrs. Anne Lewis and Mrs. Chang-su Houchins for their assistance with the final draft. Finally, I should like to express my gratitude to The Ford Foundation for their award in 1959 and 1960 of a Foreign Area Training Fellowship which enabled me to observe first-hand much material pertinent to this study in museums and at archeological sites in Europe and Asia. For the opinions expressed herein and the conclusions drawn, sole responsibility rests with myself. Washington, D.C, April 1972. Contents Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS v INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 1. The Chinese Scabbard Slide: Description 3 Form I: Description 3 Form II: Description 7 Summary 10 Chapter 2. The Chinese Scabbard Slide: Chronology 11 Late Eastern Chou 12 Western Han 18 Eastern Han 28 Summary 33 Late Antiquarian Scabbard Slides 34 Chapter 3. The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in China 38 Function of the Scabbard Slide 38 The Long Sword and Form II Scabbard Slide 52 Summary ....*. 68 Chapter 4. The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in Central and Western Asia and Europe 71 The Territory of the Kushan Empire of North India, Afghanistan, and Soviet Central Asia 71 Iranian Asia in the Parthian and Sasanian Periods 85 South Russia and Western Europe 102 Summary 108 Chapter 5. The Volga-Ural Steppe and Speculations on the Origin of the Scabbard Slide 110 The Volga—Ural Steppe Zone in Late Sarmatian Times 110 Speculations on the Origin of the Scabbard Slide 113 Conclusions 118 Catalog 120 Introduction 120 List of Scabbard Slide Classes 122 Form I 122 China 122 Europe 220 East Turkistan 229 Gandhara, West Pakistan 230 Korea 232 Mongolia 232 Perm District of the USSR 234 USSR 236 Syria 236 South Russia 237 Turkey 243 Lower Volga River Region of the USSR 243 Form II 245 China 245 vii Page Korea 260 Mongolia 260 List of Characters for Recurring Chinese and Japanese Place and Personal Names 263 Tables of Average Measurements of Form I Scabbard Slides 263 Notes on Some Objects Resembling Scabbard Slides 265 Sources for Scabbard Slides 266 Notes 270 Literature Cited 289 Plates 307 Sources for Plates 308 Tables 1. Excavated scabbard slides 263 2. Additional authentic scabbard slides 264 3. Late antiquarian scabbard slides 264 4. Combined average measurements from Tables I—III 265 5. Comparative average length of excavated and additional authentic scabbard slides of (A) Late Eastern Chou and (B) Late Western Han and Eastern Han 265 Illustrations FIGURES 1. Form II scabbard slide profile types 8 2. Distribution of Late Eastern Chou excavated scabbard slides 13 3. Bronze sword excavated with CH.l 14 4. Sword with bronze hilt and iron blade excavated with CH.2 14 5. Bronze weapon excavated with CG.l 14 6. Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Late Eastern Chou 15 7. Distribution of Western Han excavated scabbard slides 19 8. Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han 21 9. Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han 24 10. Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han 25 11. Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han 26 12. Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han 28 13. Distribution of Eastern Han excavated slides 29 14. Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Eastern Han 30 15. Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Eastern Han 31 16. Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Eastern Han 32 17. Chinese iron rapier from Lo-lang, Korea 38 18. Theoretical reconstruction of placement and use of scabbard slide 39 19. Theoretical reconstruction of placement and use of scabbard slide 40 20. Chinese jade statuette of man holding sword equipped with scabbard slide 40 21. Rubbing of a Chinese tomb tile slab depicting a guardian figure 41 22. Stamped Chinese tomb tile depicting a guardian figure 41 23. Chinese stone relief depicting a guardian figure 43 24. Bronze vessel lid from Shih-chai-shan, Yunnan Province 44 25. Detail of bronze vessel lid in Figure 24 45 26. Chinese bronze statuette of entertainer with bear 45 27. Chinese pottery statuette of man wearing sword belt and sword 47 28. Chinese wall painting from Wang-tu, Hopei Province, depicting courtiers 47 29. Chinese molded tomb brick, Szechuan Province, depicting charioteers and equestrians 49 Page 30. Chinese engraved stone from I-nan, Shantung Province 50 31. Chinese pottery statuette of figure holding sword 50 32. Ordinary angle of repose for sword suspended by a scabbard slide 52 33. Fragmentary iron sword, Luristan, Iran 53 34. Fragmentary iron sword, Luristan, Iran 53 35. Chinese bronze sword, Late Eastern Chou 54 36. Chinese bronze and iron rapiers and sabers, Han dynasty 56 37. Chinese bronze sword guards, Han dynasty 57 38. Chinese bronze rapier, end of Chou dynasty or early Han dynasty 57 39. Chinese wooden statuette of sword bearer, Ch'ang-sha, Hunan Province 58 40. Cavalry sword in vertical repose position 58 41. Mexican charro saddle with mounted sword 59 42. Gold plaque from South Siberia 60 43. Chinese iron saber blade tip forms 60 44. Approximate boundaries of Late Eastern Chou states 63 45. Cast bronze plaque, Hsi-ch'a-kou, Inner Mongolia 68 46. Stone statue of King Kanishka 72 47. Stone statue of Kushan deity or royal personage 72 48. Stone statue of Kushan king 73 49. Gandharan stone relief 74 50. Gandharan stone relief 74 51. Gandharan stone relief 75 52. Gandharan stone relief 76 53. Gandharan stone relief 76 54. Fragmentary stucco figure, Hadda, Afghanistan 77 55. Fragmentary stone relief, Shotorak, Afghanistan 77 56. Fragmentary stone relief, Shotorak, Afghanistan 78 57. Painting of sun god, niche of 38-meter Buddha, Bamiyan, Afghanistan 79 58. Fragmentary marble relief, Khair Khaneh, Afghanistan 80 59. Fragmentary stucco plaque, Afrasiyab, Uzbek SSR 81 60. Fragmentary stucco plaque, Afrasiyab, Uzbek SSR . . . ., 81 61. Relief ornamentation on silver bowl, British Museum 82 62. Relief ornamentation on silver bowl, British Museum 82 63. Gandharan stone relief 83 64. Wall painting from niche K, Fondukistan, Afghanistan 84 65. Triclinium of Maqqai, from Palmyra, Syria 86 66. Fragmentary stone figure, Palmyra, Syria 87 67. Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran 88 68. Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran 89 69. Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran 90 70. Sasanian rock relief at Naqsh-i, Rustam, Iran 91 71. Sasanian rock relief at Naqsh-i Rajab, Iran 92 72. Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran 93 73. Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran 94 74. Sasanian silver coin 94 75. Sasanian intaglio 95 76. Sasanian silver plate 96 77. Sasanian silver plate 97 78. Sasanian rock relief at Taq-i Bustan, Iran 98 79. Sasanian rock relief at Taq-i Bustan, Iran 99 80. East Iranian or Sogdian iron swords 99 81. East Iranian or Sogdian iron swords 99 82. Wooden shield from Gora Mug (Panjikent) , Tadzhik SSR 100 83. Leather belt for two-point sword suspension 100 84. Saber with scabbard lockets for two-point suspension 100 85. Military officer with double locket sword scabbard 101 68. 86. Cavalry officer with double locket sword scabbard 101 87. Warrior figure on silver amphora from South Russia 102 88. Relief from Trajan's Column, Rome 106 89. Ivory diptych from cathedral treasury, Monza, Italy 107 90. Bronze mold for helmet boss, Torslunda, Sweden 108 91. Scabbard slide V.l and associated finds 111 92. Sword associated with scabbard slide V.l 111 93. Bronze and gold pommel sockets (?), Orenburg steppe 114 94. Bronze rings from Sauromatae and Early Sarmatian burials, Orenburg steppe 115 95. Chinese Form I scabbard slide: explanation of descriptive terminology 121 96. Sections of decor elements on scabbard slide CV.22 134 97. CG.70 as mounted on its scabbard 185 98. Method of carving CZ.11 from a chape 216 99. Rectangular sword guards from Taxila and China 232 100. Scabbard slide SR.2 as it appears and restored 238 PLATES 1. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Unornamented and Geometric classes 309 2. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Geometric class 310 3. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Geometric class 311 4. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Geometric class 312 5. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Geometric and Ridge classes 313 6. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Grain class 314 7. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Grain class 315 8. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Grain and Hydra classes 316 9. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Hydra class 317 10. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Hydra and Atypical classes 318 11. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, Atypical class 319 12. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, antiquarian specimens 320 13. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, antiquarian specimens 321 14. Chinese scabbard slides, Form I, antiquarian specimens, and scabbard slides from Europe 322 15. Scabbard slides from Europe 323 16. Scabbard slides from Europe 324 17. Scabbard slides from Europe, East Turkistan, West Pakistan, and the Perm district 325 18. Scabbard slides from the Perm district and from Syria 326 19. Scabbard slides from Syria and from South Russia 327 20. Scabbard slides from South Russia 328 21. Scabbard slides from South Russia 329 22. Scabbard slides from the lower Volga region, and Chinese scabbard slides, Form II, Geometric, Ridge and Grain classes 330 23. Chinese scabbard slides, Form II, Grain and Hydra classes 331 24. Chinese scabbard slides, Form II, Hydra and Atypical classes; Form II, scabbard slides from Inner Mongolia 332 The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in Asia Introduction The small object to which the principal part of the following study is devoted has been known and produced in China for over two thousand years. As with many other objects, knowledge of, and reverence for the antiquity of its form, and fondness for the material of its manufacture, chiefly jade stone, sufficed for the continued production of this object when specific knowledge, or reliable or credi- ble record of its ancient function was lacking. Authentic ancient examples, plundered from tombs of unknown date and provenance, as well as antiquarian imitations and outright forgeries, must have been relatively plentiful in the dealers' shops of the larger cities in China during the early decades of this century, for it was during this period that these objects entered collections of museums and private individuals in Europe and the United States in considerable numbers.1 That among them a fair num- ber of authentic examples are to be found is surely as much the result of chance as of knowledgeable discern- ment, for there were as yet almost no reliable criteria by which jade objects could be assigned to particular histori- cal periods. Not until the end of the nineteenth century was a serious attempt made to define the function of this object, and it had the misfortune of being widely noticed and repeated, and of being wrong.2 Wu Ta-ch'eng, whose pio- neering study on ancient jades became the model for early Western specialists in this sphere, considered the object to be a girdle clasp, suii&, in spite of the fact that a plausible means by which it might fulfill this specialized function could not be demonstrated. It is equivocal now whether this opinion was formed in recognition of the fact that certain of these objects were produced in accord- ance with a current belief that they were girdle clasps and thus equipped with knobs on the under side in imitation of those found on the reverse of one end of belt hooks, or whether the examples exhibiting this particular feature were produced in full cognizance of the above belief (which was evidently not entirely original with Wu Ta-ch'eng) in an effort to bring the object more into conformity with the requirements of a girdle clasp (see CV.73, CG.49, CH.45, C.6—references thus indicated throughout the text are to the Catalog section of this publication.)3 Acceptance, at any rate, of Wu Ta-ch'eng's identification has persisted even though the true function of the object has been known for more than four decades.4 Paradoxically, the first definite knowledge of the antiq- uity and function of this object came not from a con- William Trousdale, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560. trolled excavation in China where it had seemed uniquely indigenous, but from a third-century tomb in Kerch in the Crimea of South Russia, some three thousand miles from the borders of China.5 Unfortunately, the opening of the tomb in about 1918 had not been conducted in a scientific manner and the zeal of the excavators led to misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the find. The chalcedony object, evidently found in close proximity to an iron sword, was placed by its finders on the sword in the position of guard (see SR.2).6 This new and seemingly attested identification was widely, if briefly, accepted.7 Apart from the above two early attempts at identifica- tion, the object has, at various times in widely separated places, been considered as a stamp seal,8 a door latch or whetstone,9 a headdress ornament,10 a pestle for grinding pigments,11 a cleat for hanging up a sword.12 These iden- tifications were based on an inadequate knowledge of the chronological and geographical distribution of these objects. Not before 1925, with the publication of the finds made in 1916 by Japanese archeologists at Lo-lang ^il in Korea, was the need for further speculation on the iden- tification of this object terminated and its application as an attachment to the sword scabbard conclusively demon- strated.13 In tomb number 9 the jade object (here CV.8) was found lying upon the well-preserved remains of a black-lacquered wooden scabbard containing the blade of an iron sword. It must be noted, however, that recogni- tion of the true identity and function of these objects had actually occurred at an earlier date, but little attention appears to have been paid to these statements, unsup- ported by actual finds.14 It is interesting to note also that the identification permitted by the Lo-lang finds was, only slightly later, independently proposed by P. Rau (who certainly had not yet seen the Japanese publication) on the basis of excavations conducted by himself near Po- krovsk (Engels) on the Lower Volga in 1926.15 Since these discoveries, a number of special studies have been devoted to the scabbard slide,16 and during the past two decades more than three dozen examples have been retrieved from controlled excavations in China.17 These will be discussed in the following section. Extant examples of the scabbard slide may be classified into two basic groups according to form. The overwhelm- ing majority are of a form which several authors have described as parallelepiped, which is to say their basic shape is that of an object with parallel sides. The under side of each is provided with a rectangular loop enclosing an aperture. The upper plate is extended above and below this rectangular loop (see Figure 95). The second SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 basic type of scabbard slide is of a simpler form, consist- ing of an enclosed aperture only, without the extension above and below of the upper plate. Of the 440 scabbard slides to be examined here, 333 belong to the former type while only 68 are of the latter.18 The material from which scabbard slides of both types are fashioned is preponderantly jade stone. In only a few cases has the stone been subjected to scientific tests and the specific mineral determined. Therefore, the term "jade" as used here should be understood in its broad- est sense, to include any of the wide range of minerals commonly, if incorrectly, classified as jade stone. Scabbard slides made from materials other than jade—bronze, lac- quered wood, gold, ivory and bone, common and semi- precious non-jade stones—are decidedly few in number and, especially as regards the last four materials, are encountered chiefly outside China.19 Neither the interest nor importance of the scabbard slide is to be derived from the size or beauty of its intrinsic form. The average length is only 3.04 inches; the average width .90 inches; the average depth .56 inches.20 Countless other jades whose basic form is not determined by utilitarian or quasi-utilitarian require- ments present more interesting and pleasing shapes and provided the jade carver with a freer range of surfaces for his exacting, painstaking art. The significance of the scab- bard slide lies in the implications inherent in its extremely wide distribution and historical occurrence in one or another of its forms in Asia and Europe. Again, the major portion of known slides, over eighty percent, may be ascribed a Chinese provenance. But in lesser num- bers they have been found in Korea, Inner Mongolia, Viet-Nam, Pakistan, the Crimea and the lower Volga and Perm regions of European Russia, possibly in Turkey, and, in a related form, in Syria, southern Denmark, Ger- many, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, and England. This geographical scope may be extended by the addition of regions where no actual examples have been reported, but where their presence may be inferred from representations: northern India, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Soviet Central Asia, southern Siberia, and Italy. The possible significance of this broad geographical distribution has not been overlooked by specialists in the arts of the diverse regions concerned, and the scabbard slide has, at times, figured as a subsidiary point in extraordinary and sometimes naive theories of sweeping ancient intercultural borrowings based on historical gen- eralizations on areas incidental to the author's scope. It is certainly clear at the outset that the geography of the scabbard slide does imply extensive inter-regional rela- tions of one form or another—the migration of peoples, or of ideas, or simply of goods. The problem has been approached from each of these aspects, but never exhaus- tively and never conclusively. The fullest and most competent study of the scabbard slide to date is the late O. J. Maenchen-Helfen's article "Crenelated Mane and Scabbard Slide" (1957) in which the chronology, distribution, and significant function of the slide were partially outlined. But here, once again, principal emphasis was laid on the diffusion in Asia of a particular style of horse mane, cut into crenelations, and the slide was noted and discussed insofar as its appearance in various places seems to have coincided with the pres- ence of the crenelated mane.21 The crenelated mane has a meaning by itself—symbolic, probably metaphysical— independent of its form, while the scabbard slide has only distinct form and function, and its diffusion throughout Asia is not contingent upon the migration of an idea or belief which moves with people, but on the transference of technical knowledge which need not be related to such movements. The study here presented is concerned almost exclusively with the scabbard slide. The problems of mane and slide are only phenomenally interrelated and it is hoped that, among other aspects, the following pages will assist in the clarification and significance of this relationship. The study of the scabbard slide will be presented in the following manner. I shall commence with a discussion of the scabbard slide in China. Since the majority of known examples may be presumed to come from China, or are, as in the case of those discovered in Korea, for the most part indisputably of Chinese manufacture, this body of slides forms ostensibly the broadest base from which to view the manifold problems of the slide in other regions and historical contexts where it is less well represented. Furthermore, it is from Korea, and most recently from China, that the majority of archeologically attested examples have emerged, and though the specific attention accorded these small objects in the published reports has often been disappointingly little or vague, it is sufficient at least to suggest a typological evolution of the scabbard slide in the Far East on the basis of which upper and lower chronological limits for its duration may be proposed. Upon the basis of a study of the slide in China, it is hoped valid hypotheses relating to its origin and govern- ing its diffusion as a whole may be offered. Accordingly, the problems relating to its appearance in other regions of Asia have been explored in some detail and an effort made to discern the factors involved in an evident greater or lesser interrelation of these areas in ancient times. Finally, an attempt has been made to establish the origin of the scabbard slide, to deal with the broader his- torical currents in which the scabbard slide played a part and which, in some measure, may be elucidated or altered in our estimation by an understanding of the history and function of this object. Chapter 1 The Chinese Scabbard Slide: Description Each of the two basic forms of scabbard slide defined in the Introduction may be subdivided into several cate- gories on the basis of the treatment of the outer surface, that is according to its decoration or lack of decoration. The first form (Form I) , on which the upper plate is extended above and below the aperture on the under side, may be divided into five classes, with a sixth class into which a small number of atypical examples are grouped. These classes are designated in the Catalog as CP, CV, CR, CG, CH and CZ.22 The second basic form (Form II), consisting simply of an enclosed aperture, is also represented by five distinct classes which are similar to those of Form I, and a sixth class into which are placed the comparatively few atypical examples. These classes are designated in the Catalog as XCP, XCV, XCR, XCG, XCH, and XCZ.23 The subdivisions of each of the two basic forms will be discussed separately, beginning with those of Form I. The order in which they have been placed does not imply chronological precedence. Relative stylistic and chrono- logical relations of the basic forms and subdivisions will be discussed in the following chapter. It would, of course, be unreasonable and unprofitable to attempt to account here for every minor variation in form and decoration. Of the hundreds of scabbard slides known to me from personal examination or from pub- lished photographs (which I do not presume to be more than a selection of those presently in collections through- out the world, but hopefully a representative cross- section) , I have failed to discover two identical pieces. My aim is simply to outline the typological and stylistic criteria which may serve as a framework sufficiently com- prehensive that the variants within each typological and stylistic group may with care be placed in their proper relation to the main developments. This I have attempted to do in the Catalog for the numerous scabbard slides which will not be individually discussed here.24 For an explanation of the descriptive terminology used in the following discussion, see Figure 95. FORM I: DESCRIPTION Geometric Class (CF./-CV.103) The upper surface is decorated with a bilaterally sym- metrical composition of several curvilinear geometric forms, the principal elements of which are elongated Cs, C-hooks, spirals and volutes, with subsidiary elements, at the sides or along the central vertical axis, consisting of incised lines of various forms and polygonal cross-hatched areas (e.g., Plate 3b). The surface of the decorated por- tion of the slide is cut away so that the principal elements of the composition rise in relief. Along the long sides there are thin, plain borders equal in height to the low relief of the geometric elements. The upper plate is slightly arched so that the side borders toward each end subside to the level of the relatively flatter decor surface. The composition is enclosed at each end by an incised line connecting the side borders, or, more rarely, the ends are open. At the forward end, there is an animal mask facing upward which is executed in low relief with incised details. At first sight the ornamentation of all the slides of this class appears virtually identical, but in actuality I have observed no two pieces identical in detail of pattern and execution. There are, moreover, two distinct systems of decor with only partially parallel development. In both systems, the same basic and subsidiary elements are employed; the distinction between them is to be noted in the way in which these elements are ordered and in the concept of the formation of the design as a whole. TYPE 1 Stage a. In the earliest stage of development the bilat- erally symmetrical pattern is achieved without benefit of a defined central vertical axis.25 The elements of the decor are densely ordered, relief is generally very low and SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 forms tend to be rendered by a beveled rise in the surface level defined along one side by an incised line which gives the impression of an embossed pattern on a soft surface and imparts to the forms a rudimentary quality of vol- ume, or plasticity. From the inside center or lower end of each elongated C in the opposed pairs which alternately back upon the undefined vertical axis, or face toward it from opposite borders, a C-spiral is projected at right angles to the axis, toward either the borders or the axis, in relation to the position of the elongated C. The elon- gated Cs and C-spirals are rounded, almost semicircular, in shape. At corresponding intervals along each side border, small, flattened spirals extend downward and curl toward the borders. At one or two places along each side, a shal- low incised line extends inward at right angles to the border a short distance and then turns upward to parallel the borders. At intervals along the undefined central axis are incised drop-shaped ornaments, pairs of incised lines connecting the backs of the elongated Cs across the axis, and cross-hatched triangles. The form and utilization of these elements remains generally constant throughout the development of Type 1. The background in Stage a tends to be quite flat, except for the slight elevations essential to the formation of the geometric shapes. All of the characteristics of decor outlined above are not consistently evident on all of the slides which seem to belong to this type and stage. As we shall have occasion to observe again, there is a tendency particularly appar- ent in the first stages in the development of each class of decor for the jade carver to use the various elements more freely, a circumstance which suggests the initial phase in a process by which patterns became gradually more for- malized and conventional. In the above stage we find border spirals curving upward and inward (CV.37), or downward and inward (CV.34) , in conjunction with the more regular form. Circular, rounded knob grains, which figure with varying degrees of prominence in the decor scheme here (CV.4, CV.28, CV.29), tend to be eliminated from the later stages. A wider-and freer range of volute forms, with back-curving spirals (CV.34) are employed. The chief distinction between the above stage of Type 1 and subsequent stages is to be observed in the treatment of the surface and in the subtle development of the forms, all, or most, of which remain basically the same as to kind. Stage b. The second stage, represented by a single example (CV.22, Plate 2a), is essentially transitional.26 The central vertical axis is still undefined, the surface still charged with closely set elements and there are two cir- cular, rounded knob grains along the axis. There are, at the same time, new characteristics which foreshadow sub- sequent developments. The pairs of elongated Cs are somewhat flatter and longer; the C-spirals perpendicular to the axis henceforward are uniformly attached to, or emanate from, the lower end of the elongated C. The flat- tened border spirals consistently curve downward and out- ward toward the border. The pairs of incised lines joining the elongated Cs across the axis are straight, whereas in the preceding stage they had curved upward or down- ward, were set close together or drawn apart, were paired or single. The most significant change, however, is in the treatment of the surface which in the first stage had been quite flat. The surface area now is treated as an integral part of the ornamentation, is constantly sloping or undu- lating in one direction or another, creating a sense of volume, depth, and motion independent of the geometric forms; but at the same time interacting with these through the varied plastic volumes imparted to them by the move- ment of the surface. In richness and mastery of carving technique and feeling for the interaction of forms, this piece is without parallel among the slides of this class. The incised lines perpendicular to the side borders which curve upward near the end to parallel the border, as noted above, are here employed in the definition of an irregular, beveled plastic shape. At opposite sides of the lower end are incised lines projected for a short distance marking forty-five degrees in the right angles formed by the borders. These lines constitute a regular feature in the following stages. Stage c. The third stage is closely related to the preced- ing in carving technique and utilization of the decor ele- ments.27 The following changes, however, may be noted: partial definition is usually given to the central vertical axis by a low, beveled ridge at those points where pairs of elongated Cs back upon the axis, joining above and below these Cs pairs of volutes on the axis; the pairs of incised lines joining the backs of elongated Cs across the axis arch downward; the incised lines perpendicular to the sides define the bottom and inward side of low relief rectangles. Stage d. The changes described in the third stage carry over to the fourth,28 but with some decline evident in the quality of the workmanship and feeling for the design. In some cases all elements appear to be incised (CV.6, CV.9). The pairs of incised lines joining pairs of elongated Cs backing upon the axis arch downward as before, but this element is missing from the majority of these slides. The surface has become flatter again, undulating very slightly between thinner, more elongated geometric forms now clearly defined by a beveled plastic relief line setting them apart from the surface and causing them to lack the vol- ume afforded by the richer surfaces of the preceding two stages. In consequence of the elongation and thinning of the geometric forms, the elements are now more widely spaced and there is a corresponding increase in the amount of plain surface area. The pattern is more rigid, formalized, conventional, static. The standard of carving remains, on the whole, technically high, but the loss of the sense of actively interrelated forms and surfaces im- THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: DESCRIPTION parts a general perfunctory character to these scabbard slides. Stage e. The final stage in the development of this type of slide is marked by a continued deterioration in the quality of workmanship.29 The principal geometric ele- ments in irregular relief line are set awkwardly on flat, or nearly flat, surfaces. There is a lack of uniformity in the utilization of the geometric elements that does not sug- gest early experimentation with forms, but rather a lack, or loss, of concern for, or surfeit with, the foregoing for- mality of design. The incised lines joining paired elon- gated Cs across the axis are missing in some instances; on one slide two separate sets appear, each reaching to the ridge of the partially defined axis and arching upward. This form, as well as pairs of incised lines between elon- gated Cs and the side borders (e.g., CV.30, Plate Be) , are characteristic of Type 2, as is also the border spiral curling upward and toward the border seen on CV.62 (a form not earlier appearing on slides of Type 1), in conjunction with the border spiral form normal on Type 1 slides. Such hybrid characteristics (see also CV.25, Plate 3d) and decline in quality of execution and form differentiation suggest perhaps the dissolution of Type 1 and/or its fusion with Type 2 which may have continued until a somewhat later date. TYPE 2 The stages in the development of this type are less clear, owing in part to the fact that the type is represented by a smaller number of slides. Certainly observable changes are less extensive than those of Type 1 and, as shall be seen, the chronological span is less broad. Slides of this type are characterized by a more formal arrangement of the decor elements, allowing less freedom in the place- ment of the elements and carving of the surface. Stage a. In the earliest stage the central vertical axis is well-defined by a relief line, interrupted briefly at two points only by paired volutes opening downward.30 The paired, elongated Cs are relatively flat; replacing the C-spiral proceeding at right angles to the vertical axis in Type 1 is another C, interlocked with the lower end of some of the vertically oriented Cs and turned in the oppo- site direction, but also parallelling the central axis. From the lower end of those Cs is not interlocked with others, a thin curved relief line is extended to the side border. On CV.24 incised lines of this form also join to the axis the upper ends of Cs backing toward the side borders. Along the borders at regular intervals flattened relief spirals curl upward and outward toward the borders, reversing the direction of these spirals on slides of Type 1. The thin incised lines partially outlining relief rectangles at the borders are missing entirely from this type. The elongated Cs backing upon the central axis are joined to the axis by two pairs of downward-curved incised lines which reach but do not cross the axial ridge. (On CV'.83 these lines appear to arch upward and cross the central axis, thus reflecting a feature of Type 1 and, with the C-spirals pro- jected downward from the tips of the eyebrows, suggest- ing a transitional degree between Type 2, Stages a and b.) Elongated Cs backing upon the side borders are joined to the side borders by single pairs of downward-curved incised lines. Incised drop-shaped ornaments and cross- hatched polygonal ornaments along the central axis, com- mon to all stages of Type 1, are likewise uniformly present throughout the stages of Type 2. The background is flat, or undulates only slightly between the principal elements of the decor which are raised in thin, rounded, essen- tially unmodulated relief lines, and this tends to empha- size the relatively larger amount of plain surface and more sparing application of ornamentation. Stage b. A second stage is defined by the appearance of an unbroken central vertical axis which, however, may be interrupted at regular intervals to enclose lozenge-shaped areas of cross-hatching along the axis which are generally not enclosed by paired volutes.31 Except for CV.14 (Plate 4d), the border spirals disappear. The vertical orienta- tion of the pattern is emphasized by the protraction of the eyebrows of the animal mask downward along the sides, and by the principal C-forms which are thin and more elongated and are generally interlocked at each end with subsidiary C-forms or C-spirals extending upward and downward parallel to the vertical axis. The elongated Cs are joined to the axial ridge or side borders by pairs of incised lines in the manner of the preceding stage, but here these lines are straight or arched upward. From the curled tips of the animal mask's eyebrows, C-spirals curl downward, and between the eyebrows there is a somewhat squared, or triangular, area of cross-hatching. The back- ground is flat or only slightly contoured between the principal elements raised in thin, rounded relief line. Stage c. A final stage, closely allied to the foregoing, may be indicated by CV.18 (Plate 5c) and CV.94. The relief line in which the principal geometric elements have been executed on the flat surface has become extremely thin and somewhat unsteady, and a number of new forms, such as semicircles filled with comb-like striae (cf. CV.20, CV.65, CV.96) and thin straight lines drawn between the central axial ridge and the side borders, are introduced. In general, the scabbard slides of Type 1 demonstrate a richer and more varied use of a limited number of geo- metric forms and possibly, linked to a more sophisticated feeling for the potentialities of interaction between sur- face and ornamentation, a higher standard of technical achievement. A tendency marked in the stages of Type 1 for these more complex compositional qualities to pass gradually into simplified, formal geometric patterns, is a SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 more evident characteristic of all of the slides of Type 2. The development of the basic shape of the scabbard slide, of equal, or surpassing importance in determining the typological sequences of this functional object, has been taken into account in the formulation of the above stylistic categories based on surface decoration. But since developments in the basic form proceed in a reasonably regular fashion for all scabbard slides irrespective of sur- face ornamentation, I shall relate these to the parallel decor stages in the following chapter on typology and chronology. Likewise, those aspects of ornamentation and shape which seem to characterize later forgeries or archa- istic imitations of the scabbard slide will be discussed after the chronological range of the authentic pieces has been established. Ridge Class (CR.l) Among the Form I scabbard slides I have studied over the last decade, only one has an upper surface ornamented with a series of vertically oriented parallel concave grooves (Plate bd). Clearly the object constitutes an anomaly among Form I slides, but it is easily accounted for by its obvious relationship to the more numerous Ridge Class scabbard slides of Form II. A description of this slide will, therefore, be more relevant when seen in the context of related Form II pieces, and I have included it in the later discussion of these scabbard slides. Grain Class (CG./-CG.76) Scabbard slides belonging to this classification of decor do not suggest stylistic sequence independent of chrono- logical considerations. Range and variation in decor are more limited than in the Geometric Class. In their simplest form, slides in this class are decorated with small knobs or grains set in straight rows covering the entire surface, or in rows offset vertically or horizon- tally to form diagonals to the undefined vertical axis, and are raised above a recessed ground entirely enclosed by a thin raised border, or framed thus only lengthwise. The pattern is achieved by first laying out on the surface a reticular screen of parallel lines in two or three directions which, intersecting each other, divide the surface into small polygonal areas from which the individual grains are carved. Generally, the surface area between the grains is cut away to a depth sufficient to obliterate all traces of the deeply cut reticulation by means of which the pattern was laid out, but in a number of examples prominent traces of these lines remain.32 The presence of these lines on jade carvings may in some cases be imputed to hasty or careless workmanship, but in other instances the lines are definitely conceived as an integral part of the finished design.33 The use of stencils or dies for laying out and carving the surface decoration on slides of this type may be presumed from the perfect regularity of the patterns, but is even more evident in the occasional misorientation of the rows of grains and consequent appearance of par- tial grains at the side borders.34. The grains are of three types: a tight, modeled spiral or comma-grain, the tail of which may terminate level with the background surface or be extended as a graduated incised line continuing below the surface level (Plate 6b, CG.19) ; circular, rounded knob-grains (Plate 6e, CG.66); and square knob-grains (Plate la, CG.ll). In a number of examples where the surface has been poorly or improp- erly carved, grains of irregular polygonal shape have been formed. Small cone-shaped grains may appear on a single example cast in glass (CG.27). On the surface between the grains, incised linear pat- terns (distinct from the above basic reticulation) of two types are found: short incised lines interlocked at right angles to form a pattern of diagonal stepped Ts (CG.6, Plate 6d, CG.8) ; and curved incised lines interlocking pairs of grains and forming a diagonal step pattern (e.g., CG.12, CG.14 [Plate 6/], CG.17, CG.18). The incised lines of the latter type are sometimes arranged to form patterns of a different sort (e.g., CG.21, plate lb, and CG.30). The animal mask, present on every scabbard slide of the preceding Geometric Class (except CV.71, a late imi- tation) , occurs rarely on authentic jade slides with grain pattern;35 however, of the five glass scabbard slides belong- ing to the Grain Class, simplified, highly stylized animal masks facing upward have been cast at the upper end of three.36 This distinction on the part of the glass scabbard slides is neither clearly typologically nor chronologically significant, and it seems possible, therefore, that the pro- duction of glass scabbard slides may have been governed by a convention in part distinct from that governing the production of jade slides. The use on glass slides of a decorative form of evident rarity on jade slides of this class suggests, however, that objects cast in glass may not have served simply, or exclusively, as inexpensive substi- tutes for jade, as has often been maintained,37 but may have constituted a somewhat distinct and separate prov- ince of decorative or symbolic expression.38 Animal forms of a different type appear on only three slides of this class. On CG.6 (Plate 6d), a sinewy bird-headed serpent form in openwork silhouette is projected from the right side of the scabbard slide, and on the forward edge of CG.8 and CG.28 a small figure of a quadruped in relief has been carved. Hydra Class {CH.1-CH.87) The slides belonging to this class employ only a single principal decorative element, the hydra.39 They may be THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: DESCRIPTION divided into two groups: those on which a single hydra appears (CH.5, Plate 8d) ; and those on which two, more rarely multiple, hydra forms appear (CH.8, Plate 96) . The latter compositional type has been called "the hydra watching its young one" owing to the placement of a small hydra at the upper end, or on the forward edge, and a larger hydra below with head turned toward the smaller form.40 Generally, the quadruped hydra forms are curved in relief considerably higher than that used on the Grain or Geometric slides. At times, the figures are partially, or almost wholly, undercut from the surface so that they are virtually sculptures in the round (CH.14, Plate 9d) . On a few examples, however, the hydra form is executed in very low relief (e.g., CH.ll, Plate 9a). Unlike the surface decor of the preceding classes, the hydra is raised above the surface of the slide rather than being carved into it. Borders, therefore, are somewhat less inte- gral and frequently consist simply of faintly incised lines along the sides, with ends open, or of depressed or nega- tive borders along the slides. In only a few cases, and these are the slides on which the hydra has been carved in low relief, partially from the surface of the slide, are low relief borders fashioned. The body of the hydra assumes the form of an extended S and is frequently ornamented with incised or sculpted lines suggesting musculature, claws and various forms of body patterning. The tail is generally long and may be divided into two or more curved "stems." When a single hydra only is employed, the body extends upward from the lower end of the slide with the head at the top, look- ing up, or turned to look back down the slide. The normal body position of the larger hydra on the dual hydra slides is the same as on the single hydra examples, but with the head invariably facing upward toward the smaller hydra which faces downward. I am acquainted with only one seemingly indisputably authentic example (CH.6, Plate 10a) on which the smaller hydra has been placed at the lower end facing upward toward the larger hydra extending upward, but with back-turned head. Among the unquestionably authentic slides of this class, those with dual, or multiple hydras are the rarer. The hydra scabbard slides, like those of the preceding class, do not suggest a descriptive stylistic sequence inde- pendent of typological and chronological considerations. FORM II: DESCRIPTION The scabbard slides classified as Form II, that is those consisting of an enclosed aperture only without the for- ward and rear extensions of the upper plate, here identi- fied by the class prefix X, present a number of special problems. As a type they are known only from China, and from those regions bordering China—Korea, Inner Mon- golia—where Chinese influence or domination may be presumed to account for their presence. They are consid- erably more scarce than slides of Form I.41 Probably, this evident rarity is due in part to the fact that they are of an uninteresting, commonplace form, and less often col- lected or published.42 But the fact that only three jade slides of this type found in controlled excavations in China have thus far been published. (XCG.l, XCG.2, XCG.15) , as opposed to a considerably larger number of Form I slides, suggests that they were indeed less common in China. No special or peculiar characteristics are consistently evident in slides of this form which would facilitate dis- tinguishing the true slide from objects of similar shape intended for different uses. Maenchen-Helfen, in his recent and thus far most thorough study of the scabbard slide,43 did not recognize this type, nor was it recognized by any earlier author treating this subject, owing doubt- less to the fact that their efforts were directed toward attempts to establish the relationship of the scabbard slides of Form I from European Russia to their counter- parts in China. The three examples excavated at Hui- hsien, however, found virtually in situ, on or beside swords, in a position where slides of Form I have more regularly been found, as well as the earlier published examples from Inner Mongolia (XM.5) and Korea (XK.l) , leave no doubt that objects of this shape served the same function as those of the preceding form. Commonly objects of this type have been identified as sword-guards in spite of the fact that the aperture is rather too large and incorrectely formed to accommodate snugly the tang of a sword and shoulder of the blade, and that jade sword-guards of a single and wholly different form only have been found attached to swords recovered from excavations.44 Other authors have believed them to be ferrules, or fittings about the mouths of scabbards,45 though again no scabbard with jade ferrule has ever been recovered and the shape of the mouth of the relatively numerous, known, ancient scabbards is altogether differ- ent from that of the aperture of these jade objects. Their identity as scabbard slides has been recognized by only some compilers of the reports on excavations where such objects have been found and by a few authors of catalogs of jade.4'1 Scabbard slides of Form II are of three distinct profile types (Figure 1). Profile Type A, by far the most common, is attested to by XM2, XM.3, XM.5 (all Type A-l) excavated, or SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 (C 2) A(l) A(21 FICURE 1.—Form II scabbard slide profile types. found, in Inner Mongolia (XM.2 and XM.3, Plate 24c-ci) and possibly by XCG.l, XCG.2, XCG.15 (all Type A-2?), from Hui-hsien, though the poor photographs of the lat- ter render verification of this impossible. XCH.16 (Plate 23d) , of unknown provenance but certain authenticity, also exihibits Type A-l profile. Profile Type B is attested to by XK.l, excavated in Korea. Probably those with pro- file Type C are not to be classified as scabbard slides. They appear in each case to belong to periods rather remote from those of the first two profile types and gener- ally exhibit a characteristic which renders their use as scabbard slides unlikely, namely carved ornamentation on both upper and lower exterior surfaces (see XCZ.1, XCZ.2, XCZ.3, Plate 24b). Their use is not known, but some appear to have been worn in recent times as orna- ments at the waist, passed over a belt or sash. On at least two examples with profile Type A (XCV.l, XCH.l, Plates 22c and 23fr), there is a very short projection of the upper plate above and below the aperture, a trait which sug- gests relationship to slides of Form I such as CG.l (Plate 6a), with thick projection of the upper plate below only, and CR.l (Plate bd) and CG.19 (Plate 6b) with very short projections of the upper plate above and below. The very existence of the above-cited problems con- cerning the limited geographical distribution of Form II scabbard slides, the varied aspects of their shapes and ambiguous relationship to Form I slides, has, I think, a significance which I shall attempt to clarify in Chapter 3. Included in the descriptions below are the examples from the Chinese border regions as their form reveals their dependence on, derivation from, or close relationship to, Chinese varieties: XK.l (Korea), XM.l, XM.2, XM.3, XM.4, XM.5 (Inner Mongolia). Geometric Class (XCV. 1-XCV. 11) Here, as with each category below, the examples which may reasonably be considered authentic are so few in number that only the vaguest comparative reference to slides of Form I is possible. The upper surfaces of the slides of this class, all of which belong to profile types A and B, are decorated with bilaterally symmetrical compo- sitions of addorsed and confronted elongated Cs, with laterally projected C-spirals perpendicular to the central vertical axis, similar to Form I, Class CV, Type 1. With the possible exception of XCV.2, which may be an archa- istic piece manufactured in imitation of the authentic Chinese slide, the Form I, Geometric Class, Type 2 decor is not found. At intervals along the side borders, flattened spirals curl downward and outward toward the borders. At one end, presumably that intended as the upper, is an animal mask, facing outward, in low relief with incised details. Along the central axis at one or two points are pairs of confronted volutes. The central vertical axis appears to be undefined on one example only (XCV.l, Plate 22c) ; the open ends and narrow, plain, side borders separated from the ornamented area by an incised line are similar to those on XCV.2. The other slides of this class (here, XCV3, XCV.4, XCV.6, XCV.l 1) have raised, beveled borders and raised, rounded axial ridges which may project slightly beyond the open ends of the decor- ated surface. The central axis here is not conceived as forming a part of the surface pattern, but serves clearly to divide the upper surface into halves. It is not terminated at the animal mask, as is the integral axial ridge on the Form I slides of this class, but divides the mask likewise into halves. On one example (XCV.6), the vertical axis is marked with incised slanted lines suggestive of a sim- plified rope pattern. None of the slides of this class is sufficiently well published to determine the manner in which geometric elements and surface have been carved. From what little can be ascertained from the photographs and rubbings, the background surfaces appear to be later- ally arched between the borders and the axial ridge (in combination with the normal vertical arching of profile Type A), but are otherwise unmodulated. The principal elements are rendered either as semi-plastic forms in low, flat relief (XCV.6), or are perhaps incised only (XCV.4, XCV.11). The central axis and border forms on these slides link them closely to some of those in the following class. Ridge Class (XCR.1-XCR.10; XM.2, XM.3, XM.5) The upper surfaces of these slides are decorated with only five types of ridges. Other arrangements of the basic decor elements are likely since the number of Ridge Class slides included here is small. It is a category of ornamen- tation represented among the slides of Form I by a single example: CR.l. 1. The first type of ridge pattern, represented by two examples only, is clearly related to the slides of the above Form II Geometric class. XM.2 (Plate 24c) is of profile Type A, while XCR.4, which is of inferior quality and almost certainly not authentic, has Type-C profile. The THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: DESCRIPTION authenticity of the type as a whole is confirmed by XM2, which is carved from wood and was found in a reliable, semi-datable context in Inner Mongolia, in the vicinity of Kara-khoto. The upper surface is laterally arched to either side of a raised, rounded, central vertical ridge. The surface is otherwise plain. The central ridge and borders of XM.2 are cut flush with the ends. XCR.4 combines characteristics of this and the following type: a square groove is carved along the inside of each border and along each side of the central ridge, and the surfaces to either side of the central ridge are concave. 2. The slides of this type, represented by three exam- ples, are all of profile Type A. Incised parallel grooves or narrow ridges divide the surface lengthwise into three (XCR.l and XM.5), or five (XCR.7) , concave bands. These bands are either of equal width (XCR.l), or the outer bands may be narrower than the inner (XCR.7 and XM.5) The authenticity of this sub-type is confirmed by XM.5, excavated by Ono and Hibino in Inner Mongolia. Form I slide CR.l belongs to this group. 3. The slides of this type, again represented by three examples (XCR.2, XCR.3, XM.3), are all of profile Type A. Along the sides are raised, rounded or squared, borders, cut off flush with the ends. The surface of the upper plate between the borders has a slight lateral arch, but is otherwise plain. Authenticity of the type is confirmed by XM.3 (Plate 24ci), which is carved from wood and was found in the same region as XM.2 above. 4. The authenticity of the fourth type is not confirmed by a reliably attested specimen. It is represented by three examples (XCR.5, XCR.6, XCR.8), of which at least two (XCR.5, XCR.6) belong to profile Type A, while the profile type of XCR.8, has not been determined. The upper surface of each is divided lengthwise into seven bands of equal width. Alternate bands are depressed below the surface. The edges of bands and grooves are squared. The two bands at the borders and two of the five interior bands are raised. The surfaces are flat and other- wise unornamented. XCR.10, with a central convex band bordered by two concave bands of equal width, consti- tutes a subtype within this group. 5. A fifth type, represented by a single example (XCR.9 Plate 22d), is closely related to 1 and 3 above. At each side are ridge borders framing lengthwise the upper surface marked by a deep axial groove replacing the relief ridge of the first type. The plain surface, divided by the groove into two rectangular biconvex panels, is similar to that of slides of the first type. Grain Class (XCG.1-XCG.16) As far as can be determined from published photo- graphs and the available information on the scabbard slides of this class, all belong to profile Type A.47 The class is attested to by the three scabbard slides discovered in situ at Hui-hsien (XCG.l, XCG.2, XCG.15) , but unfortunately these are so poorly published and so briefly described that nothing concerning them beyond the existence of a grain-pattern surface decoration can be confirmed. In all cases, the decor consists of fine, circular, rounded, closely set rows of knob grains, offset horizont- ally to form diagonals. The majority are provided on all four sides with thin, plain, raised borders (XCG.4 [Plate 22e], XCG.5, XCG.6 [Plate 22/], XCG.7, XCG.16 [Plate 23«]). Only one example appears to have no borders (XCG.3) , in which case the small grains presumably stand in relief above the general level of the surface of the plate. On those examples where traces of pattern- forming background reticulation remain (XCG.3 and XCG.6, Plate 22/), these lines have been laid in three directions. On one example (XCG.9), the screen only has been applied to the surface and individual grains not carved from the irregularly shaped polygonal areas formed by the asymmetrical junction of the screen lines. Hydra Class (XCH.1-XCH.17) The authenticity of Form II scabbard slides of the Hydra Class has not yet been confirmed by excavated examples, but the existence of this class among Form I slides and of a somewhat proportionately equivalent number among slides of Form II suggests that this group may be reliably included. All three profile types are repre- sented among the slides of this class: profile type A (XCH.l, XCH.2, XCH.3, XCH.4, XCH.5, XCH.9, XCH.13, XCH.16, XCH.17) ; profile type B (XCH.6, XCH.8) ; profile type C (XCH.7). The upper plate of XCH.l projects slightly beyond the aperture walls at both the upper and lower ends, but its intrinsic shape is that of a Form II scabbard slide. Among the slides of this class sufficiently well published or studied, onlv three (XCH.l, XCH.16, XCH.17) may be reliably authentic. One of the three (XCH.17, Plate 24a) is decorated with the body of a single hydra in a contracted S with the head presumably indicating the upper end. XCH.l (Plate 23/;) is decorated with two confronted hydras, the so-called "hydra watching its young one" pattern. The smaller hydra is at the top, the larger below. The figures, in moderately high relief, are softly, somewhat indistinct- ly, contoured. Body contours and facial details are partly sculpted, partly incised. XCH.16 (Plate 23d) is decorated with parts of at least two fabulous creatures in low relief. The animal forms are typical of Late Eastern Chou design, and this slide is certainly the earliest and finest of this group. There are thin, plain, only slightly raised and rounded borders on XCH.16; the surfaces are otherwise 10 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 plain The smaller hydra on XCH.l emerges from the surface, and small ripples, as though in water, surround the body where it emerges. No significant variant features are represented among the other slides of this class. One of the two plain Form II scabbard slides (XCP.l) has been published in profile only (type A), and it may properly belong to the Ridge (XCR) Class. Since XCP.2 is clearly of recent manufacture, the existence of authen- tic slides belonging to this class must remain in doubt. XK.l, excavated at Lo-lang, Korea, contains surface dec- oration of some sort, but from the description of it as a form of "tracery" it is not possible to determine to which category of decor it may belong. It may well be that the piece was manufactured outside China, and the decor, therefore, may not wholly conform to Chinese styles. It has a type-B profile. SUMMARY The Chinese scabbard slide, of which the majority of extant examples have been carved from jade stone, is of two distinct forms: (1) a rectangular enclosed aperture with the upper plate extended above and below the aper- ture, and (2) a simpler type consisting of an enclosed rectangular aperture only. Scabbard slides of the first form, far more numerous, may be divided into five classes on the basis of the carving of the outer surface of the upper plate: (A) the upper surface decorated with a bilaterally symmetrical composition of various curvilinear geometric forms, with an animal mask at the upper end facing outward; (B) the upper surface decorated with a series of parallel, vertically oriented, concave bands (represented by a single slide only) ; (C) the upper sur- face covered with relief comma-shaped, hemispherical, or square flat-topped knob grains with an animal mask, facing outward, appearing rarely at the upper end; (D) the upper surface decorated with single, dual, or multiple hydras in either low, moderate, or high relief, with body contours and patterning partly sculpted, partly incised; (E) a fifth class on which the flat surface of the upper plate is polished, but otherwise plain. Scabbard slides of the second form, numerically less common, may be divid- ed into four, possibly five classes: (A) the upper surface decorated in a manner similar to Form I, Class CV (A above) ; (B) the upper surface decorated with various forms and combinations of parallel, vertical, relief bands or engraved lines; (C) the upper surface covered with a pattern of hemispherical knob grains; (D) the upper surface decorated with single or dual hydras in the manner of Form I, Class CH (D above) ; (E) a possible fifth class on which the upper plate is undecorated. The relatively few scabbard slides which may not be placed in one or another of the above classes (classes CZ and XCZ) do not introduce decorative elements or schemes typo- logically or chronologically inconsistent with other con- temporary objects fashioned from the same materials, nor introduce any consistent criteria which would invalidate the above classification of ornamentation. Chapter 2 The Chinese Scabbard Slide: Chronology Individual scabbard slides have been dated as early as Late Eastern Chou (ca. 450-250 B.C) and as late as the Chi'ien-lung ^M. period (1736-1795) of the Ch'ing dynasty, thus intimating a chronological range of at least two thousand two hundred years.48 As shall be seen, in terms of individual preserved specimens, a chronological range of such vast extent is certainly correct. But the fact that the function of this object, even its name, has been unknown, or the subject of speculation, over a period of at least the last thousand years justifies taking a somewhat narrower view of its meaningful chronological limits. Writing in 1912, Berthold Laufer stated: "The speci- mens in my collection are all of the Han period, judging from material, technique and ornamentation. So I am inclined to believe that the type itself is not older than this epoch, and that its formation may be credited to the Han."49 Similar opinions have been expressed by H. Riviere, Pelliot, Hommel, and, as late as 1957, by S. H. Hansford.50 Attempts at the formulation of a systematic typology and chronology of ancient jades have been few in number until recently. The chronological touchstones provided by excavated pieces were exceedingly rare.51 Owing to the conservative nature of the jade carvers art and tradition- al repertoire of shapes and decorative motives, convincing criteria for distinguishing jades of later periods from those of the earliest periods have been slow to evolve. Inscribed pieces are relatively rare before the Ming dynasty and possibly do not exist for those periods under primary consideration here. Furthermore, jade interacts more subtly than many materials with its envi- ronment so that the age of a piece cannot be determined from its physical condition unless provenance and nature of burial or preservation are known. To some extent, at least, jade may be "restored," stains produced by contact with other objects and minerals in the soil removed, and surface decomposition polished away. Like- wise, the skilled forger has at his disposal numerous ways of simulating age by discoloring the stone and artificially decomposing the surfaces by application of acids or heat.52 To date, the most ambitious and rewarding stylistic and chronological studies of ancient jade have been based in part upon comparisons with bronzes where the evolu- tion of decor styles has been more convincingly demon- strated, and by this means a basic chronology for ancient jades tentatively established. Owing to an intensive arche- ological program instituted in China after 1950, we are in an incomparably better position today to assess the chron- ological range of the scabbard slide in China. Before this time only the scabbard slides belonging to the Han colony at Lo-lang in Korea, a single specimen from Viet-Nam, and those from a Han-dynasty locality in Inner Mongolia had been discovered and recorded under conditions of controlled archeological excavation, the lat- ter reported in an extremely rare publication.53 Now, several more slides have been excavated under controlled conditions in different regions of China, and probably the tombs from which these were recovered very nearly represent the full span of time during which the scabbard slide in China served its intended function. This recent and wider range of excavated scabbard-slide types makes it possible to expand the reliably authentic assemblage by a fairly large number of unattested pieces which may be related to the range of shapes and decor observed among the excavated slides. Whenever possible, emphasis in the following sections on the typology and chronology of the scabbard slide has been placed first of all on the examples recovered in archeological context, and, secondly, upon consideration of forms, carving techniques, and decora- tion of jades of different types also reliably attested, and finally by reference to comparable pieces in older, pub- lished collections. No scabbard slide with decor characteristic of Middle Chou (ninth-seventh centuries B.C.) has been found and Maenchen-Helfen's contention that "it is extremely unlikely ...one will ever appear" is strongly supported by the evidence afforded by the 440 slides included in the present study.54 Virtually all of the decorative elements represented on the scabbard slides of all classes, however, appear during the Late Eastern Chou period. Stylistic distinctions between early and late slides are to be noted chiefly in the organization of the decorative themes and changes in carving techniques. More revealing of the typological and chronological development than an exhaustive cataloging of stylistic comparisons could be is the study of the alteration or development in the basic shape of the scabbard slide. In 11 12 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 this context the stylistic progression, insofar as it appears meaningful. The following discussion concerns slides of to coincide with logical developments in form, is more Form I only. LATE EASTERN CHOU On the basis of available reports, to date eight scabbard slides have been excavated from tombs of this period.55 Three classes of decor are represented: Geometric, Grain, and Hydra. Only the Ridge and Unornamented classes are lacking from the group. Though found in only three localities,56 the broad distribution of these sites indicates that the slide was probably in use throughout most of China during at least part of this period (Figure 2).57 The presence at Ch'ang-sha and at Lo-yang of slides with all three classes of decor suggests that these classes may have been in simultaneous use over the wider area. None was found in a context that immediately suggests a relatively precise date within the period. Four of the slides (CG.l, CG.58, CH.l, CH.2) were found in association with their swords. The bronze sword found in association with CH.l (Figure 3),58 16-26 inches long, is of the type described by Max Loehr as the "classic" Chinese sword, developed during the late Chou period.59 Among the swords of the Werner Jannings collection is one nearly identical to it in length and form, placed by Loehr in his category Chou IV, or later, that is, close to the end of Late Eastern Chou.60 The sword to which CH.2 (Figure 4) apparently belonged is of a more unusual type, with long, narrow, double-edged iron blade and tubular bronze hilt with a concave, circular pommel socket and jade guard decor- ated on one side with an animal mask and C-shaped spirals, and on the other side with a hydra-figure carved in relief. The hilt, probably hollow, is believed by Loehr to be the precursor of the hilt on the classic sword, solid with ringed grip.61 But the jade guard which imitates the form of bronze guards found on the later classic sword type (e.g., Figure 35), with rounded shoulder and depressed central saddle, clearly indicates that this particu- lar specimen constitutes a later continuation of a hilt type, perhaps by then generally replaced by the solid handle girt by two or three bronze rings cast with the hilt. The extraordinary combination of bronze hilt with iron blade suggests that the sword may be a transitional type between Chou swords,62 almost exclusively of bronze, and the full iron sword which seems not to have become common much before the end of the Late Eastern Chou period.63 The transition from bronze to iron weapons seems to have followed a similar course at an earlier time in the Minusinsk and Upper Yenisei regions of southern Siberia.64 Use of an essentially non-functional jade guard projecting beyond the edges of the blade suggests a furth- er development from the late Chou classic sword on which the guard, cast with the blade and rarely projecting much beyond the edges of the blade, served as a solid base for the blade, with hilt mounted in the saddle between the raised, rounded shoulders of the guard (cf. Plate 9d with Figure 35). Separately cast projecting guards of bronze, which become during the following Han dynasty a common feature of iron swords, are only rarely encountered on swords of late Chou date.65 It is unlikely that jade guards of the same basic form precede the separately cast bronze types. The length of this sword, 34.96 inches also suggests the transition between the bronze swords of late Chou with lengths seldom exceed- ing 20 inches and even longer swords of iron commonly in use during the Han dynasty. While William Watson has pointed out the tendency for older forms of the sword to coexist with later varieties,66 the rarity of combining parts of iron and bronze in sword manufacture, at least as regards China, suggests that the hilt may be older than the iron blade which was secured to the bronze hilt after the jade guard had been passed over the tang of the iron blade and fixed in position. The jade guard could not have been placed in any other manner. Our concern, then, is logically more for the date of the blade than of the hilt, and both the material of its manufacture and its length point to a date close to the end of the Chou dynasty. The bronze weapon associated with CG.l (Figure 5) is too short to be classified as a sword. The blade is only 6.42 inches long; the total length of the weapon, 9.84 inches. The solid bronze hilt with three rings and flat, circular pommel socket, resembling the handle of the classic Chou sword, is mounted on a thin rhombus- shaped plate serving as the base of the blade, a feature derived from the earlier swords with hollow handle.67 The flat, thin blade, splayed slightly at the upper end, is strengthened by a central vertical rib on either side which lessens in height as it approaches the point, receding into the flat tip. More suggestive of date than is this atypical weapon is a wooden sword with which one of the small, painted, wooden human figures in the tomb had been equipped (Figure 39).68 The actual length of this mini- ature sword, carved together with its scabbard (fur- nished with an imitation of a jade chape), is 9.84 inches, but the narrow form indicates that a thin rapier-type sword of much greater length is imitated. Max Loehr is inclined to believe that narrow swords nearly a meter in THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: CHRONOLOGY 13 1— . ^ * v..^ "N ' / ,#" / / r .J r-:. s i i MANCHURIA \ H. %» ••* * r*'-* J1-- V„~"—•-. y / « Ji 40»^ j V ^-^ ^•m0' INNER MONGOLIA • .-%_ f f? \ V_.-*-\ ^—-__ —^ y \ ^v v.--^—'*"•, />. / / Si J) KOREA V: \ r* fM ■' ( , A >* -jf :/<\ I ^ ^-^ ^ / / r':' ■'■% e##y *•%, < i i -^ j ? i j ^V—x_^-v I ' K^G.5 XCG.1 / f XCG.2 / In, : . • ^XCGJS/ V%'; ^x \ V » ^—~^ _^-^r CV. I02 / t^'' k V~^ ^s-^_ » ""~-—--^ LO-YANG CV.4 X \ ■V ^ v^-j ^ CG.58 rf#-V \" CH. 5 ^^-^""^ *k V, \ ..* ^ ' \ «•* , sj A \ / *^% SJ 30'"" jf ^~— \\ X~ v^, #j —< ,w y X-*"*—/ J» \ J^~ CVJ * • ,, I /^ CG.l • CH'ANG-SHA/ 1 ^..-\ \ \ f\ / CH.l /-* v j V r CH-2 / •*:' /*"' ' 1 -^N ^ y u^^—^ 1 / vpc -/ /- V ^-^^-v^^. J Ss"^ ' :\ J S ,--* ^-^v. i—>^ -^ J£: \s. E • .^-^ *^^ ^^v?r?i^Vy; %{' • . — •>-• BURMA *> [ \ <-. ,^\/ • VIET J^^^b /wwf^ 20°"" _^ f NAM /rrf': 1 "• ii / ^. LAOS \s f" yu^^H'- / ■' * r i / \ ( • v A / \ i.s^\ ^ \ V NA \ S \ V . i ; ; \,.. o 200 400 600 800 i r \ \ \k- r ■ ^^^H ^^^ ^^^B . v THAILAND N • \ 1 ■ ! *•» \ MILES ;/ /^H f ? i:,r 120° !•! 41,,? i i fe,i 1 FIGURE 2. -Distribution of Late Eastern Cliou excavated scabbard slides. 14 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 i FIGURES 3—5.—Left, bronze sword excavated with CH.l. [After Ch'u wen-wu (1954), plate XXXVIII.74 (1).] Center, sword with bronze hilt and iron blade excavated with CH.2. [After Ch'u wen-wu (1954), plate XXXIX.75 (1).] Right, bronze weapon excavated with CG.l. [After Hu-nan sheng wen-wu kuan-li wei-yuan-hui (1957a), plate 111,5.] length, such as is suggested by the proportional relation- ship of this wooden imitation to the human figure, are to be placed toward the end of his Chou IV category, probably not before the end of the fourth century B.C.69 Some ambiguity surrounds the sword associated with CG.58; probably it is the small double-edged bronze sword with unusual rectangular jade guard and round jade disk pommel inlay (both ornamented with a plastic comma-spiral similar to that of the slide) described in the Catalog. According to present estimates, the artifacts from this tomb span several centuries. A date falling somewhere between the end of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. is, however, indicated for the two swords found in this tomb, and this scabbard slide may, there- fore, be the earliest of the four Late Chou slides recovered with swords. The evidence thus afforded by the above four scab- bard slides and their associated swords points, in the main, toward the later rather than the earlier part of the Late Eastern Chou period. In that sense, a date somewhat more precise than that suggested by the decor of the slides is indicated, for sufficient criteria is still lacking for distinguishing more than the general characteristics of jade objects within given historical periods. Grain Class Of the three scabbard slides with grain pattern (CG.l, CG.5, CG.58), only CG.l (Plate 6a) and CG.58 are sufficiently well published to determine the type of grains decorating the upper surface. These are grains of the comma-spiral variety which first appear on jades of Late Eastern Chou and are a special and widely employed decorative feature of this period,70 being largely sup- planted by various forms of the knob grain in the Han. The grains, in both right and left spirals, are fully modeled; the surface is depressed around each grain. The rows of grains are oriented horizontally (CG.l) in contrast to the later more normal vertical orientation, or have no apparent order, but perhaps contain some symmetrizing elements (CG.58). Among the unattested slides are two others with a similar surface decoration of comma-spirals: CG.19 (Plate 6b) and CG.15 with both right and left comma-spirals arranged in somewhat irregular rows offset horizontally. It may be presumed, from the irregular spacing and absence of screen lines, that the grains on CG.l, CG.19, and CG.58 were applied without aid of a symmetrizing die. On these scabbard slides the comma- spirals begin as incised lines below the surface level, mounting into relief as the spiral contracts toward the center. The grains on CG.15 are almost wholly above the surface and probably were applied with the aid of a die. In general, grains of the former type, in conjunction with a less ordered arrangement on the surface, precede those THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: CHRONOLOGY 15 3 CG. I CG. 58 CH. 10 CG. 19 CV. 37 fc^ I 1 CG.15 CV. 82 Cnr gr^ CV. 28 CH. FIGURE 6.—Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Late Eastern Chou. of the latter type.71 The evident typological order of these slides is reflected in significant profile changes (Figure 6). CG.l consists of a deep aperture enclosed by thick, sturdy plates. The fiat upper plate is not projected beyond the aperture at the forward end, but curves inward to merge with the for- ward aperture wall. Below the aperture, there is a short straight extension of the upper plate. If the depth of this extension is considered to represent the depth of the upper plate, it will be noted that the aperture penetrates upward into the upper plate from which it is in part carved. A rubbing only of the profile of CG.58 has been published, but from this, and from the slightly oblique top/profile photograph of the piece, it may be seen to closely resemble that of CG.l. On this less massively pro- portioned piece, the aperture does not appear to pene- trate the upper plate which is almost imperceptiblv arched, curving inward slightly in the briefly extended area below the aperture. The profile of CG.19 is closely related to the preceding, but here the upper plate, in addition to being slightly arched, is terminated above the aperture with a small curved beak-like projection. The short extension of the upper plate below the aperture is curved more sharply inward, with blunt end. The aper- ture, still deep in relation to the length of the slide, does not properly extend into the upper plate. The profile of CG.15 advances further, in a logical way (though an intermediate stage may be lacking) , the characteristics of the preceding examples. The slide has become longer in relation to its depth. The curved beak-like projection of 16 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 the upper plate above the aperture is more pronounced. The projection of the upper plate below the aperture is also longer; it is extended straight for a ways and termi- nates in a deeper, bolder inward curve. Unlike the preceding three slides, the comma-spirals of CG.15 have a regularized formation and orientation, a factor in keep- ing with its more advanced profile. The jade art of Late Eastern Chou is inclined to break with tradi- tion. Its repertory of material culture favors and invents objects of secular use, the carver creating new patterns, especially of geometric character. The patterns remain with jade art throughout its long history, although the perfection of their rendering is equaled at no other time.72 The outward form of scabbard slide CG.l (Plate 6a) hardly coincides with such an estimate of late Chou jade carving. Whereas thin, gracefully shaped curvilinear orna- ments typify the work of this period, this scabbard slide is angular, massive in appearance, and awkward and pon- derous in feeling. The possibility that CG.l, in keeping with its curious weapon, is a clumsy, atypical specimen is, I believe, eliminated by its similarity to, and evident relation with, CG.58 (Figure 6) and CG.19 (Figure 6 and Plate 6b), and by the logical way in which its outward form develops into such a still bold, but rather more sophisticated, shape as CG.15. Though typologically more advanced than CG.l from the southern site of Ch'ang-sha CG.58 from Lo-yang to the north, in all likelihood, is the earlier of the two. The possible significance of this disparity between chronology and form development will be discussed later. The profile of CG.l is in sharp contrast to the meticulously executed delicate decor of its upper surface which is wholly within the range of Late Eastern Chou style and accomplished technique. Therefore, one is drawn toward the conclusion that decor and shape do not originate in the same milieu. Since the decor agrees well with what is known of Late Eastern Chou form and style while the shape of the slide has no parallel from this same period, it is the form of the scabbard slide itself which must be related to shapes outside the jade reper- tory. This problem which concerns the origin of the scabbard slide will be returned to in a later chapter. Geometric Class The evident stages in the development of scabbard slides of this class are less well supported by excavated examples. Unfortunately, the only certainly excavated piece is a completely atypical and unique example (CV.1) and has been published only in drawings which almost certainly are inaccurate. The only other scabbard slide of this class of reasonably sure provenance and reliable Late Eastern Chou attribution is one (CV.4) salvaged by Bishop White from the plundering of a group of tombs in the vicinity of Lo-yang belonging, on the whole, to this period. The profile of this piece (Plate le) is similar to that of CV.82. The decor of its upper surface, that designated as Type 1, Stage a, permits the assemblage of a small number of slides with similar characteristics.73 Among these are four (CV.28, CV.29, CV.37, CV.82) with known profiles (Figure 6). On the whole, the profiles of this group appear to be slightly more advanced than those of the preceding Grain Class. Possibly the earliest stages are not here represented. CV.37 and CV.82 are the most archaic of the group and are to be placed between profiles CG.19 and CG.15. The upper plate, more pronouncedly arched than those of the Grain slides, is also projected further beyond the upper aperture wall before terminating bluntly, or with a slight inward-projecting beak. Below the aperture is an extension of almost equal length, deriving its gentle curve from the arc of the upper plate without turning sharply inward at the end. The profile of CV.28 clearly carries the development well beyond the most advanced stage in the Grain class as does that of CV.34 (Plate le). The upper plate, less arched than those of CV.37 and CV.82, is terminated at its lower end by a squared wedge turned inward at a right angle to the upper plate. The slight forward slope of the inner side of this lower end ridge points toward the subsequent development of more substantial forward- projecting wedges at the lower end of the slide. The rounded forward edge, terminating in a sharp, slightly back-curved and undercut hook, suggests also the begin- ning at this time of a distinctive feature more fully developed during the succeeding dynasty. Obviously one or more stages between CV.82 and CV.28 are missing. This gap may in part be filled by CV.35, but the profile of this slide, seemingly terminated at each end with blunt inward-projecting ridges, is poorly known. In profile, CV.45 may also represent an intermediate stage between CV.82 and CV.28, but the published rubbing is possibly unreliable, the decor of its upper plate atypical (cf. CV.101). The Late Eastern Chou slides of this class all belong to Stage a of Type 1 surface ornamentation. Unlike the comma-grain of the preceding class which was widely used to decorate a variety of objects during the Late Eastern Chou period, a composite geometric decor of the type employed on the scabbard slides of this period seems rarely to have been applied to other shapes.74 Isolated geometric shapes forming a part of these patterns, and particularly the subsidiary incised elements, are relatively common, however, on late Chou bronzes and on jade objects of this and succeeding periods.75 Insofar as may be ascertained, the profiles of this class are in general more advanced than those of the Grain Class. The aperture in no instance projects into the upper plate and none of the shapes is as clumsy and THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: CHRONOLOGY 17 unrefined as CG.l. As shall be seen, however, scabbard slides of the Geometric Class are consistently more sophis- ticated in profile than the grain slides which tend to be the most static of the three classes. This distinction is probably not indicative of a chronological precedence of the Grain Class as a whole, but rather of the utilization of different styles and shapes for each of the three groups, with certain common characteristics governing the carv- ing of scabbard slides reflective of their function and the tastes of the periods. A characteristic common to the slides of both Geometric and Grain classes during the Late Eastern Chou is their relative shortness compared to those of succeeding periods.76 Slides somewhate longer than any thus far discovered, however, seem certainly to have been in use before the end of Chou.77 Hydra Class Among the scabbard slides of the Hydra Class recovered from Late Eastern Chou tombs,7S the profiles of only two (CH.1-CH.5) are known. Among the unattested slides which may reasonably be considered to belong to this period,79 again the profile of only one (CH.10) is known. We are, therefore, in a correspondingly poorer position to define the earliest stages in the development of this class of slide. There is perhaps some significance as regards both the typology and chronology of the scabbard slide to be drawn from the fact that all but one (CH.5) of these slides have come from, or been ascribed a prove- nance within, territories occupied by the Late Eastern Chou state of Ch'u £S Attention will be drawn to this circumstance at the end of this chapter. Slide CH.l (Figure 6) from Ch'ang-sha, is longer (2.94) than any reliable piece of the preceding two classes. The decor of the upper plate has not been published, but is evidently that of a hydra figure carved in moderately high relief. The profile suggests that the piece is extreme- ly clumsy. The aperture, enclosed by thick walls, is less clearly rectangular and more oval than those of the other slides of this period. I'he upper plate, apparently very thick, is extended considerably below the aperture and is terminated in an extraordinary upward curve which imparts to it the appearance of merging with the surface decoration. Above the aperture, the upper plate is extended briefly beyond the forward aperture wall, curving inward awkwardly and terminating in a blunt ridge. The significant aspect of the forward edge, and the one which suggests the slide might conceivably be typo- logically more advanced (in spite of its crudeness) than any thus far presented, is the pronounced back-slope, a characteristic more fully developed during the early pari of the Han dynasty. Slide CH.10 (Figure 6) is, again, known only in profile. Karlbeck, who published the piece, believes it to be in a fragmentary condition.80 But the similarity of this slide in profile to CG.l and the absence of any signs whatso- ever of breakage, suggest that it is complete and that its extarordinary shape may be a cause for Karlbeck's mis- interpretation of the piece. Some uncertainty exists, how- ever, as to the proper classification of this slide. The unusually formed, extremely thick upper plate is extend- ed briefly above the aperture and is terminated bluntly, a circumstance which suggests the placement of this piece midway between CG.58 where there is no forward exten- sion of the upper plate and CG.19 where the extension is handled in a more refined manner. The extension of the upper plate below the aperture, curved inward very slightly and rounded at the end, suggests likewise a posi- tion between the above two slides with straight projection and more subtly curved projection respectively. If the depth of the forward extension is taken to represent that of the upper plate, it will be noted that here, as with CG.l, the relatively deep aperture penetrates upward into the upper plate from which it is in part carved. CH.5 seems to fall between CH.10 and CH.l. The ends of the upper plate are projected straight above and below the aperture, terminating abruptly, but with rounded edges. The aperture does not extend upward into the mass of the upper plate. Meager as the evidence is, it seems to indicate that in general the profiles of the Late Eastern Chou slides of this class may be somewhat more primitive in form than those of the Geometric Class, though slightly more advanced than the simplest profiles of the Grain Class. On the other hand, the pronounced back-slope to the forward edge of CH.l (an otherwise clumsy piece) , quite surpass- ing that of GY.28, marks an advancement over any other of the Late Eastern Chou slides here reviewed by the in- troduction of a trait to become more fully developed on the scabbard slides of the succeeding period. Unfortunately, the surface ornamentation of the two slides with published profiles is not clearly known; con- versely, of the two attested Late Eastern Chou slides (CH.2, CH.5) with published surface ornamentation, the profile of only one is known. It seems probable, however, that the surface decor of the profile pieces would not strictly augment or alter those characteristics discernible on the two pieces with known decoration; and on the basis of these general characteristics, it is possible that another unattested and poorly published slide (CH.9) mav belong to this group. In each case (excepting CH.9) the upper surface is decorated with the figure of a single hydra carved in moderately high relief and, even within so small a group, of strikingly varied representational form. All are strongly modeled, vigorously organic crea- tures, but all are somewhat roughly carved and naively proportioned. The head of the animal on CH.2, an almost unarticulated oval with two small borings set like SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 eyes near its top, is especially archaic. The conception and rendering of these animals is far below the normal standard of the dynamic, superbly refined and graceful animal silhouettes and figures carved during the late Chou period. The most sophisticated of the hydra repre- sentations on this group of slides is that of CH.5 (Plate 8rf) where, contrary to what will in succeeding periods become the conventional representational form, the ani- mal is depicted in profile. From the more graceful curva- ture of the body, the more sensitive modulation of body volume, it is certainly to be considered as an effort to reproduce on the surface of this slide one of the techni- cally superior late Chou animal-profile silhouettes of the type seen, for example, on the outer rim of a large jade disk in the Nelson Gallery.81 The generally coarse quality of the ornamentation on these slides is probably not indicative of relative earliness among jade artifacts generally. As we have seen above, there is no evidence at present for the appearance of the jade scabbard slide in China before the end of the fifth, or early fourth, century B.C., by which time techniques for the carving of jade had already become highly advanced and countless superior works had been executed. Of the four, possibly five, slides here ascribed to the Late Eastern Chou, four were either excavated or collected within the territory of the southern Ch'u state, while the fifth (CH.5), which appears to be the most technically refined of the group, comes from the Lo-yang region in central China. The suggestion presents itself, therefore, that jade carving techniques may perhaps have been more advanced in central and northern China at this period. Such, at least, would appear to be borne out by a cursory comparison of the Ch'ang-sha jade finds with those of Chin-ts'un near Lo-yang.82 Other factors as well might be introduced here to account for this discrepancy between date and quality, but these will be discussed later in the chapter when the chronology of the slide is reviewed in relation to its full time span. Before proceeding to a review of the Western Han scabbard slides, several conclusions on the general char- acteristics of the Late Eastern Chou slides may be sum- marized. The anomalous Form I, Ridge Class slide has not been discussed separately here, since this single speci- men is clearly related to the more numerous Form II slides with the same type of surface decor. That CR.l (Plate bd) must be placed within the typological sequence for the Late Eastern Chou scabbard slide offered here is clearly indicated by its profile which is nearly iden- tical to that of CG.19, though the piece itself is consider- ably more massively proportioned and has certain other features to be discussed later which mark it as a more archaic specimen. Including CR.l, all four categories of surface ornamen- tation are present, Grain and Geometric in sophisticated form wholly in keeping with the advanced techniques of Late Eastern Chou jade carving; the Hydra Class alone exhibits an unexpectedly clumsy, unrefined style. In the early stages, the upper plate is thick and may project only beyond the lower wall of the deep aperture. The later slides of the series demonstrate changes in form which are further developed during the succeeding period: the upper plate becomes thinner and is slightly arched, project- ing both above and below the aperture, and curving inward slightly at either end, with the formation of rudi- mentary involuted hook-ridges. The forward edge becomes slightly back-sloped. The apertures acquire greater length in proportion to depth. Thus a form which first emerges essentially as an enclosed aperture, probably sometime during the fifth century B.C., develops into a more elegantly proportioned and aesthetically appealing object by the end of the Chou dynasty. WESTERN HAN With the emergence of the Han dynasty, we arrive on surer ground. The chronological touchstones provided by excavated examples are more numerous, and among unattested slides are a much greater number of pieces which may safely be related to these, or serve to fill in, in a logical way, certain stages in the development which cannot be demonstrated among the excavated pieces. As may be expected, the larger number of slides attributable to the Western Han period introduce a correspondingly wider variety of forms which, taken individually, do not seem to present an orderly progression. While these vari- ants have been taken into full account, emphasis has been placed on those examples which are most revealing of the general course taken in the development of the scabbard slide throughout the Western Han period. Four classes of slide represented during the Late Eastern Chou (Geo- metric, Grain, Hydra, Atypical) are present also in the Western Han. But a new class is added: Unornamented (CP). The large number of scabbard slides excavated from Western Han tombs precludes a separate detailed discus- sion of each here. The reader is referred to the Catalog for the pertinent details concerning these.83 A few general remarks on the group as a whole may be made. The geographical distribution of the excavated Late Eastern Chou slides extends over northern, central and southern China, with Shansi, Honan, Anhui, and Hunan provinces represented (Figure 2). In Western Han the THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: CHRONOLOGY 19 distribution is very much broader and includes even ter- ders of China (Figure 7).84 Within China proper, scabbard ritories to the north, west, and south of the present bor- slides of Western Han date have been recovered from FIGURE 7.—Distribution of Western Han excavated scabbard slides. 20 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 tombs in the provinces of Honan, Hunan, Szechuan, Kwangtung, and Yunnan.85 Though the number of exca- vated examples hardly exceeds one-third of the slides here ascribed to Western Han, the geographical distribution of the classes permits speculation on several factors. It may be observed that the number of scabbard slides excavated beyond the borders of China exceeds that of those recov- ered within the country—fifteen from outside as op- posed to twelve from within. Against attributing too much significance to this, it may be noted that of those slides found outside of China, over half were found at a single site, the Chinese colony at Lo-lang, Korea. Still, the number of Western Han sites excavated within China, particularly during the last decade, vastly exceeds the ones opened chiefly earlier outside China; it seems likely more than pure chance that the number of slides from all the Western Han tombs excavated in China barely sur- passes that of the single site of Lo-lang. The three principal classes of decor (Geometric, Grain, Hydra) have been found together at only one site, Ch'ang-sha in Hunan Province. Slides of the Grain Class are rare in North China and absent from the regions far- ther north, but occur in three provinces of South and West China. Two slides of the Hydra Class were found in Korea, together with another of the same type (K.l) of local manufacture. On the other hand, slides of the Geo- metric Class are numerous in North China and Korea while a single example only has been found in South China. If one may venture to presume, on the basis of these relatively few excavated slides, that the Geometric Class reflects a more particularly northern fashion, it is less surprising then to find slides of this class not only most numerous in the government-controlled colony at Lo-lang, but also in the government-administered terri- tory of Annam (Viet-Nam) . Of the two Geometric Class slides from Viet-Nam (CV.80, CV.81, a chance find) at least one (CV.80) is a locally made copy of the Chinese type. The fashion of mounting a short dagger and its scabbard to the sheath of the sword, noted both at Lo-lang and in Viet-Nam, further joins these two widely separated areas.80 Of the ten swords of Late Eastern Chou date found, or associated, with scabbard slides, seven of the swords were bronze while only two were iron, and one combined an iron blade with a bronze hilt.87 The iron sword associated with CZ.10 was not recovered in context; that with the doubtful CV.1 had wholly decomposed, but is presumed to have been iron. The ratio is quite reversed in Western Han. Of the nineteen swords found, or associated, with slides, only two are of bronze while seventeen are of iron.88 All of the iron swords are tanged, double-edged types. Six (CV.6, CV.9, CV.88, CG.3, CG.59, CG.60) , possibly seven (CV.84), were provided with separately cast bronze guards of the type shown on Figure 37, while six (CV.7, CV.8, CV.10, CG.4, CH.3, CH.l), possibly seven (CH.6) , were provided with jade guards of essen- tially the same form. Only one sword (CG.3) is of the classic Chou bronze type with hilt, guard, and blade cast as one piece. Black-lacquered leather or wood scabbards were found with eight of these Western Han swords.89 If we add to these statistics the scabbard slides from the reliably authentic group which will be brought forth to augment the excavated examples in the following discus- sion we find that the ratio of bronze to iron among the excavated slides is upheld. Bronze oxide is found on two slides only (CG.17, XCG.ll), whereas nineteen, possibly twenty-two, slides show iron-oxide stains which reveal their one-time association with iron swords.90 Almost cer- tainly more, unobserved or unreported, bear metal-oxide stains. The majority of the iron swords are poorly pre- served, but for the most part they are longer than any of the bronze swords, a few exceeding a meter in length (e.g., CV.8, CV.88) . Unfortunately, the excavated scabbard slides do not provide us with a complete cross-section of Western Han developments. Of the twenty-one excavated slides, only two were found in burials which may be ascribed to mid- Western Han, possibly even somewhat earlier (CG.3, CP.l) . All of the others, excepting two for which no rela- tive position within the period can be determined on the basis of the brief reports (CG.2, CZ.l) , belong to the closing decades of Western Han, probably within the last fifty years,91 or to the Interregnum of Wang Mang 3-.# (A.D. 9-23) which separates the two Han periods (CV.84, CG.60) . In studying the development of the scabbard slide during this period it will be necessary, therefore, to introduce a fairly large number of reliably authentic slides which seem to represent intermediate steps between the stage of development at the conclusion of the Late Eastern Chou and those clearly indicated by the exca- vated slides from mid- and late-Western Han. Grain Class Among the Grain Class (Figure 8) slides are five speci- mens excavated from Western Han tombs. Of these, one (CG.3) belongs approximately to the middle of this period while CG.4 and CG.59 belong to the end of the dynasty, and CG.60 to the Interregnum. The date of CG.2 is not surely known. Probably it belongs to the later part of the dynasty, but its extreme southern provenance (Kwangtung), far from the principal known centers of jade carving, may account for a somewhat archaic character. All of these slides are ornamented on their outer sur- faces with knob grains, in contrast to the comma-spiral variety which characterized the Late Eastern Chou, Grain Class slides. On two of the slides, the grains are set in THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: CHRONOLOGY 21 'nci^r^ CG. 10 ft in> CG. 65 CG. 21 ^ CG. 3 2/ ■^ CG. 25 °i^^7=::::^ CG. 20 vn IT =D CG. 14 FIGURE 8.—Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han. parallel vertical rows: on CG.2 the grains are of a rare variety, square rather than round (cf. also CG.10, CG.ll, Plate la) ; on CG.59 the hemispheric nodules are joined in pairs by curved incised lines set at the right side or above the pairs, interlocking them in such a way that the grains and their joining lines form a diagonal step pat- tern. On CG.3, CG.4, and CG.60, the rounded grains are set in horizontal rows offset horizontally to form diag- onals. They vary considerably in size and spacing, from the widely spaced and moderately small grains on CG.10 and CG.65 (Plate 6c) to a very closely set small variety on CG.3. In the interstices between the grains of CG.4 there may be a "stepped-T" pattern of incised lines forming a diagonal, but the presence of this feature is uncertain. At the upper end of CG.59 there is an animal mask, partly incised and partly carved in low relief. This is the only reliably excavated jade scabbard slide of the Grain Class on which the animal mask appears, though it is frequently encountered on the glass scabbard slides belonging to the same period and on other jade slides of unquestionable authenticity. Probably it is to be considered as an influ- ence extending from the Geometric Class slides; for had it been a meaningful element of ornamentation on Grain Class slides, it would certainly have been more widely employed. A fairly large group of unattested slides with similar surface ornamentation and/or profiles might be adduced to broaden our view of the range of decor on Grain Class slides during this period.92 It has already been noted that grains of the square variety occur on two unattested examples that assuredly also belong to this period. (CG.10, CG.ll). The profiles of both of these pieces have been published so that one is able to discern that the grains rise in full relief above the surface of the slide and are flanked by plain recessed borders (Plate 7a) . On the more numerous slides with rounded knob grains, normally the grains rise to a height not greater than the flanking plain relief borders; in other words, the grains have been fash- ioned by the carving away of the surface around them, leaving borders and grains at an equal height. The "stepped-T" pattern, possibly observed on CG.4, is found also on CG.6 (Plate 6d), CG.8, CG.l6 and CG.63, in conjunction with rounded knob grains in every case arranged in parallel vertical rows. Extending in open- work beyond the right side of CG.6 is a design of dissolved animal parts in flat silhouette reflecting related forms of Late Eastern Chou ornamentation. Possibly the appear- ance of this element may indicate relative earliness for the "stepped-T" group as a whole. The profiles of this group are not sufficiently well-known to suggest a single typological stage for all. Grains joined in pairs by curved incised lines of the type noted in connection with CG.59 occur on CG.18 also. This basic motive has several variations: incised 22 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 lines arched to the right and below pairs of rounded knob grains (CG.14 [Plate 6/], CG.17), to the left and above (CG.12), and a combination of two or more of such forms interlocking grains in units of four or six rather than forming a diagonal step pattern (CG.2L Plate lb). The grains in every case are arranged in parallel vertical rows.93 Three glass scabbard slides probably also belong to the Western Han group. All are decorated with parallel ver- tical rows of rounded knob grains, two with very fine, widely spaced points (CG.23 and CG.25, Plate 8b) and the third CG.26 with larger but rather irregularly formed rounded grains. Both CG.25 and CG.26 are provided with animal masks at the upper end, stylized in a curious way never observed on stone scabbard slides. A final variation in the treatment of the grain decor on Western Han slides is represented by CG.20 (Plate 7c). While the profile (Figure 8) exhibits a highly refined form (though the aperture has been somewhat crudely cut), the upper surface is treated in a summary fashion uncharacteristic of any but the latest and poorest imita- tions. This creates the impression that the piece may not have been finished though deep and widely spread iron- oxide stains indicate that it was indeed fastened to the scabbard of an iron sword at the time of burial, the slide having come into direct contact with the oxidizing blade of the sword after the scabbard had entirely decomposed. The surface of this slide is simply scored with a reticula- tion of parallel lines laid in three directions, forming roughly triangular areas by their intersection. This is the normal first stage in laying out a grain pattern. After- wards, small individual grains are fashioned from each of these triangular areas and quite possibly, therefore, work was halted on this piece after only the grid had been laid upon the surface. The profiles of the Grain-Class scabbard slides exhibit, on the whole, a logical progression from the most devel- oped stage of the Late Eastern Chou Grain Class slide. Just as both Geometric and Hydra profiles during Late Eastern Chou exhibit rather more advanced forms than those of the Grain Class, so during the course of the West- ern Han does the profile of the Grain slides reflect a more conservative development. Compared to the slender, graceful elegance of the Late Western Han Geometric Class slide, there is a quality of rigid restraint in the Grain slides, an unwillingness to achieve or to imitate the flowing contours of the slides from other classes, though basically an equivalent progression in the development of form is present. The earliest stage is probably represented by CG.10 (Figure 8), a slide with square grains raised in relief above the surface. The upper plate, somewhat thinner than before, is subtly arched and is extended briefly beyond the upper aperture wall, curving inward in a regu- lar arc to meet the slightly undercut inner face at just less than a right angle. Below the aperture, the upper plate is extended further than on Late Eastern Chou Grain slides, curving inward at the lower end less than ninety degrees and cut off squarely to form a blunt ridge. The aperture henceforward never intrudes into the area of the upper plate, but is always projected inward from the underside of the upper plate. There is a general tendency for the aperture to become longer, harmonious in proportion to the expanding length of the slide, though there is no clear correlation in this relationship. In depth, the aper- ture remains fairly constant. The other slides with square grains (CG.2, CG.ll, Plate la), including one excavated example, have seemingly more highly developed profiles and are similar to each other. It is a type somewhat out- side the main course of development and while it may indeed represent a considerable span of time, it seems probable that slides of this type belong to the second century B.C. A second stage, also within the second century B.C, and perhaps coeval with CG.10, is marked by CG.65 (Figure 8 and Plate 6c). Above the aperture the upper plate is ter- minated with a short beak-like projection only slightly more developed than that of the Late Eastern Chou slide CG.15 in that the beak on CG.65 is bent inward, suggest- ing incipient upper hook formation. The projection of the upper plate below the aperture is uncommonly short, but the inward-projecting undercut wedge at the lower end represents a clear advance in the developmnt of Grain Class slides. A third stage, probably still within the second century, is marked by CG.21 on which the upper plate is almost imperceptibly arched, the forward edge slightly back- sloped, the end of the upper plate being drawn inward slightly. At the lower end, the upper plate curves ninety degrees inward through a regular arc and is cut off bluntly. CG.3, an excavated piece, probably of mid- Western Han age, is very similar to the preceding piece. Advancement in form is to be marked chiefly in the elon- gation of the slide and in the treatment of the lower end: the inner side of the plate is very slightly undercut so that an angular wedge projects forward. Possibly the glass scabbard slides (CG.23, CG.25 [Plate 86], CG.26) are to be placed next in the sequence, though the casting of this material in molds and subsequent filing of the sides has given them somewhat distinct shapes. In fact, both in form and decor they depart sufficiently from the standard stone variety that it would be hazardous to suggest a precise position within the period. The upper plates are slightly arched, the forward edges slightly back- sloped, with inward-projecting wedges, either rounded (CG.25, CG.26), or squared (CG.23). The lower edges of the upper plate are also back-sloped, with inward-project- ing wedges similar in form to those at the upper end. THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: CHRONOLOGY 23 These inward-projecting wedges at the ends of the upper plate are not undercut, possibly because the pieces were cast in reusable molds. The general characteristics of the glass slides broadly point to a Western Han date, and their profiles suggest a date during the first century B.C, but since many details of their form may be attributed to their material and casting technique, they may in fact be either slightly earlier or later than this (see CG.66, Plate 6e) . Between CG.3, to be placed in mid-Western Han, and CG.20 near the end of the dynasty, it would seem several subtly progressing stages are here lacking. The back- sloped forward edge of CG.20 is similar to that of the glass slides, while the lower end exhibits the full, and almost final, development of this part. At the lower end, the upper plate turns inward rather abruptly, the angle on the outer side being obtuse, the inner angle acute owing to the inward side being undercut, having an angular forward-projecting ridge at its extremity. Judging from the oblique top/profile photographs of the excavated examples CG.59 and CG.60, the latter belonging to the Han Interregnum, they have essentially the same form, though their upper ends project inward to a greater depth and may resemble the following slide. The final stage in the development of the Western Han, Grain Class slide may be illustrated by CG.14 (Fig- ure 8 and Plate 6/. The lower end of the upper plate turns inward more sharply than on CG.20 and the inner side is deeply undercut, leaving at the extremity a pronounced, squared, forward-projecting wedge. The upper end, back- sloped as before, curves inward more gracefully and reaches a greater depth. It also is deeply undercut to form a sharp hook-ridge. Fully formed upper and lower bays emerge as a result of the deeper inward projection of the ends. Throughout the Western Han, development of the Grain Class slides is to be noted chiefly in the subtle alter- ations of profile. The decor itself gives little hint of these changes beyond the fact that the comma-spiral of Late Eastern Chou is replaced by the knob grain, and that those slides with squared grains and those with "stepped-T" patterns of incised lines point to the earlier rather than later part of the period. Incised lines dividing the corners of the ornamented surface into forty-five degree angles appear on some pieces (e.g., CG.l6) ; such lines constitute an early Han innovation on Geometric Class slides and seem not to appear earlier on Grain slides (see pages 4 and 24, CV.22). The grain pattern is inherently the sim- plest of the three principal classes of decor, its potential for continued dynamic variation less than that of cither the Geometric or Hydra Class. The use of dies in laying out the grain patterns may in some cases be assumed (see CG.l8). The glass slides appear to have been cast in one- piece molds, the surface ornamentation pressed into the cooling glass with a die. An aspect of the development of the scabbard slide, also present on Late Eastern Chou slides (e.g., CG.19), is the appearance among Western Han slides of a vertical taper, that is, an inward slope to the sides so that the lower aperture plate is narrower than the upper plate. No pertinent conclusions may be drawn from the exis- tence of this often scarcely detectable feature. Such tapering appears not to be accidental, but may be a mat- ter of style in that it imparts to those slides which have it a more graceful shape. The taper is too slight to have contributed measurably to an easier accommodation of the scabbard slide on the wall of a narrow sword scabbard. Such tapering is never reported in the published descrip- tions of scabbard slides, so that it is impossible to tell how extensively it occurs. Of the scabbard slides discussed in this section, I have observed this vertical taper on six examples, all personally examined (CG.14, CG.15, CG.20, CG.25, CG.26, CG.63). One pertinent point is, however, worthy of being stressed. On nearly every slide of prob- able authenticity that I have examined first-hand, I have found some degree, however slight, of vertical taper, while it has appeared on only a few of the numerous late anti- quarian slides seen by me. Geometric Class The largest group of excavated slides from the Western Han period belongs to the Geometric Class (Figures 9, 10).94 However, all of these slides were recovered from tombs which may be dated in the later part of the dynasty, so that once again it becomes necessary to hypothesize the stages intervening between the most highly developed types of the Late Eastern Chou and those stages repre- sented by the excavated specimens of the end of Western Han. The majority of the excavated slides (6) were recovered from Late Western Han burials at Lo-lang, Korea (Figure 7),95 but in lesser numbers they were found at Lo-yang and Liu-chin-ch'u in Honan Province (CV.83, CV.84, CV.88), Ch'ang-sha in Hunan Province (CV.79) and in Viet-Nam (CV.80). In the discussion of the Late Eastern Chou, Geometric Class slides it was noted that all belonged to Type 1, Stage a, decor. The range during Western Han is much greater: Type 1, Stages b-d; Type 2, Stages a-b. All of the exca- vated slides of Type 1 belong to Stage d, excepting the example from Viet-Nam which is atypical and is certainly non-Chinese imitative work. Both Stages a and b are represented among the excavated slides of Type 2. Type 1, Stage a, appears to belong exclusively to the Late East- ern Chou period. Among the comparatively small num- ber of unattested slides with known profiles which may with fair certainty be ascribed to Western Han, Stages b and c of Type 1 decor are represented.90 Ten of the unat- 24 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 tested slides belong to Type 1 decor, while four belong to Type 2. Before proceeding with an examination of the profiles in this class, several atypical elements in the surface deco- ration should be noted. Apart from the Viet-Nam imita- tion which naturally contains slight misinterpretations of the Type 1, Stage d, decor the craftsman endeavored to copy, two other elements of an atypical nature are intro- duced. These atypical features occur only on unattested slides, but are not of such a nature as to preclude authen- ticity. Along the right side of CV.15, and extending in openwork beyond the right side of the upper plate, is a sinewy hydra figure in an extended S-shape and with bifurcated tail, carved in relatively low relief, with the head at the upper end, the tail reaching approximately three-quarters of the distance down the slide. The hydra figure overlaps elements of the normal geometric surface decor as well as a portion of the animal mask at the upper end. Both the geometric decor, which seems to lie between Type 1, Stages b and c, and the profile suggest that the piece belongs to the earlier, rather than later, part of the dynasty, possibly mid-second century B.c The lower end of the upper plate is similar to CG.21 (Plate lb), but the upper end is atypical. The forward end curves inward to meet the under side of the plate extended straight. Set slightly back from the forward end is a transverse ridge, triangular in cross-section. At two points along the central vertical axis of CV.20, arched lines join the open ends of paired volutes. Appended to the concave side of these lines and extending downward are comb-like striae. This "comb" pattern, which may first appear during the Late Eastern Chou, is commonly found on the flanks of carved jade animals during Han and immediately post-Han times,97 and as a revival on comparatively modern pieces (see CV.65, CV.96). The profiles of the Geometric Class, already more advanced in Late Eastern Chou than those of the Grain Class, perhaps developed still further during this period than I have been able to demonstrate on the basis of the few specimens known to me. I think in particular of CV.34 which seems slightly more advanced than any I was able to include. At any rate, the sudden, almost star- tling, development in the form of the Geometric Class slides as reflected in the earliest Western Han piece on hand (CV.22, Plate 2a) suggests that at least one interme- diate stage is lacking. Likewise, it is impossible to place this earliest Western Han slide chronologically with pre- cision owing to its rather significant advance over known Late Eastern Chou types and its seemingly more imme- diate relations to slides of known, later Western Han date. I suggest only that it belongs to the earlier half of the Western Han period, to the second century B.C In its earliest adducible stage (CV.22, Figure 9), the Western Han Geometric Class scabbard slide exhibits a taut and powerful, yet rhythmic form hardly equaled at any other point in the development of this object. In its proportions, it is both sturdy and graceful. The subtly CV. 22 f\c CV. 36 c CV. 8 FIGURE 9.—Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han. THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: CHRONOLOGY 25 flowing lines do not diminish the sense of compact design. The earliest demonstrable stage of the Geometric Class scabbard slide, falling sometime during the second cen- tury B.c, clearly represents the finest stage in the centuries- long development of this object. Always more dynamic in its development, both as regards surface ornamentation and basic form, than the slides of the Grain and Hydra classes, the early Western Han Geometric Class scabbard slide, in beauty of design, is at no point equaled by slides of other classes. Though it is fairly evident that stages are missing between the profile of CV.22 and the latest Late Eastern Chou profile, still the logical progression in the develop- ment of the form may be apprehended. Characteristics begun in late Chou are here elaborated. The upper plate, still slightly arched, is extended to greater lengths above and below the aperture. At the upper end the plate curves inward, the forward edge is back-sloped and undercut so that an involuted hook-ridge of graceful proportions is formed. At the lower end, the upper plate curves inward rather abruptly and is undercut to produce a squared, forward-projecting wedge. Among Grain Class slides a corresponding stage (more clumsy in appearance) is not reached before the later part of the Western Han period. The surface decor is Type 1, Stage b. A second stage is probably represented by CV.36 (Fig- ure 9), an unpublished slide in the Musee Cernuschi. Though in most respects similar to the preceding piece, it is slightly weaker in conception. The lower end curves inward still more abruptly, but is undercut with a forward- projecting squared wedge. The upper end, still back- sloped, is less gracefully formed, with practically no under- cut, so that a more softly contoured inward-projecting wedge, rather than sharp hook-ridge, is formed. The sur- face decor is Type 1, Stage c. CV.103 (Plate 2b-e) belongs to the same stage. A final stage in the development of the Type 1, Geo- metric Class scabbard slide during the Western Han is best represented by CV.8 (Figure 9 and Plate 3fe), from Lo-lang, Korea, the first slide to have been found in situ. The characteristics of CV.36 are here still further elabo- rated. The slide has lost it compact design and has become elegantly elongated with a corresponding weak- ening of the design. The lower bay, much extended, is closed at the lower end by the sharply turned-in upper plate, again undercut to form a squared, forward- projecting wedge. This inward extension of the upper plate, which earlier did not surpass in thickness the depth of the upper plate, is now nearly twice its dimension, in keeping with the elongated form of the slide. The upper end is curved inward, but hardly, if at all, back-sloped and only slightly undercut. The surface decor is Type 1, Stage d. Development of the Type 2 decor, if one may judge from the profiles of these slides, belongs to the later part of Western Han. No scabbard slides with Type 2 decor have profiles which logically should much precede the final Western Han development of the Type 1 slide. The earliest discernible stage is represented by CV.24 (Figure 10 and Plate 4a), a slide in every respect nearly c CV. 24 CV. 23 FIGURE 10.—Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han. identical to SR.l (Plate 19c) believed to have been found in a South Russian tomb datable in the third or fourth century after Christ. Rather shorter and more solidly con- structed than the languidly proportioned CV.8, it other- wise exhibits many of the same qualities. In profile it seems to fall between CV.36 and CV.8 of Type I. The upper end, curved inward, is not back-sloped and is only slightly undercut. The lower end, though somewhat less thick in proportion to a deeper upper plate than that of CV.8, curves inward abruptly, almost at a ninety-degree angle, and is undercut to form a squared, forward-project- ing wedge. The surface decor is Type 2, Stage a. 26 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 At first sight, it would seem difficult to account for the profile of CV.23 (Figure 10 and Plate 4e) as a logical development from the preceding slide. Its nearest analogy would appear to be CV.22, placed in the earlier part of the Western Han. Yet, a close examination reveals that those elements which it seems to have in com- mon with CV.22—the back-sloped forward edge under- cut to form a hook-ridge, the undercut lower end with forward-projecting wedge—constitute essentially a "streamlined" version of that form. The aspects of form which it shares with CV.22 are exaggerated: the forward edge is more severely back-sloped, the upper plate more strongly arched and disproportionately thick in relation to the depth of the slide, the thickness of the aperture walls and lower aperture plate, the whole construction of the lower end less integral to the generally weakened design. While its form is certainly more immediately derived from that of such pieces as CV.22 than from what I believe to be contemporary forms, the exaggeration and consequent weakening of this type appears to approach the decorative, suggesting that the craftsman may have had an awareness of producing an object of art inde- pendent of utilitarian function. This seemingly self- conscious conventionalization of an earlier form of greater integrity suggests the possibility that CV.23 might, in fact, carry us a stage beyond Western Han, into the early decades of Eastern Han. The surface decor is Type 2, Stage b. (See also CV.14, Plate 4d.) We may observe, I believe, a gradual alteration in the form of the Geometric Class scabbard slide, both in pro- file and in decor, during the Western Han that amounts to a decline in the perceived usefulness of the object. While I do not mean to suggest that the later forms have evolved into strictly ornamental objects—the late West- ern Han Geometric Class slides are finer shapes than ever produced in either the Grain or Hydra classes— there is a marked tendency, after the superb attainment of the earlier part of the period, toward a concern for thinner, longer, more elegant and ultimately languid, shapes, or for exaggeration in reinterpreting the earlier form. This tendency is not discernible solely in the pro- file of the slides, but also in the gradual conventionaliza- tion of the surface decor which is transformed from a coherent design of energetic, interrelated geometric forms, interacting with the undulating surface of the slide itself, into a rationalized, formalized, and tradi- tional grouping of conventionally reproduced geometric forms on flat surfaces. The scabbard slide itself is still rather far from its ultimate dissolution into a purely decorative object, but the late Western Han slides offer the first hint of characteristics to be reiterated and still further elaborated in succeeding centuries. Hydra Class The number of Hydra Class (Figure 11) slides exhumed from tombs of Western Han date is smaller than that of ^CZZDf =0 CH. 13 CH. 6 FIGURE 11—Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han. either the Grain or Geometric class. Once again these slides were found only in tombs ascribed to the later part of the period, at Lo-lang, Korea, and at Ch'ang-sha in Hunan Province.98 Equally unfortunate is the fact that the profile of only one of these slides (CH.6) is known. While the ornamentation of Late Eastern Chou Hydra Class slides seemed to consist of a single hydra only, carved in moderately high relief, most of the Western Han slides are ornamented with the figures of a larger and smaller hydra, carved in high, rounded relief, and in one case at lease (CH.6) undercut in places so that the figures are in nearly full round. On two of the slides (CH.3, CH.7) the smaller animal is placed at the upper end and faces downward toward the larger hydra oriented upward in THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: CHRONOLOGY 27 an extended S-curve. In both cases the animals have bifurcated tails and no horn. On CH.6 (Plate 10a), on the other hand, the smaller hydra is placed at the lower end of the slide and faces upward toward the larger hydra which is oriented upward in an S-curve, its shoulders and neck doubled back so that the head faces toward the left side of the slide. The body of the larger hydra is rather heavily marked with sculpted and incised linear pattern- ing probably intended to suggest musculature, or a writh- ing motion. The relatively simpler and more organically conceived hydra forms on CH.3 and CH.7 may indicate a slight chronological priority. Our knowledge of the development of the Hydra Class slide profile is hardly increased by the introduction of those slides which, by their general agreement in decor with the excavated examples or by their still earlier qual- ities, may with some certainty be ascribed to the same period.99 Among this group, the profile of only one (CH.l3) is known, and being molded in glass we are accordingly less reliably informed on the development of the stone shape. Consequently, it is necessary to hypothe- size the probable course of development not only of the profile, but of the surface ornamentation as well. It has been noted that during the Late Eastern Chou, the single hydra figures ornamenting the surfaces of the slides have single-stemmed tails. This characteristic may carry over into Western Han. CH.8 (Plate 9b) and CH.l2, both relatively short, have smaller hydras at the upper end and larger below, oriented upward in extended S-curves. Both of the larger hydras, quite powerfully con- ceived, have single-stem tails and both are carved in only moderately high relief, similar to that of Late Eastern Chou forms. These two slides may belong to the earliest part of the dynasty. The glass slide (CH.13), also com- paratively short, is decorated with a single hydra oriented upward in an extended S-curve. Molded in very low relief, this highly simplified animal with single-stem tail prob- ably does not reflect very accurately contemporary designs on stone. The profile, however, of this somewhat shorter, deeper slide is virtually identical to that of CG.25 (Figure 8) which is probably to be placed at least two stages pre- ceding the final form of the Western Han Grain Class slide and it may belong to approximately the earlier half of the first century B.C Between this stage and the final form as expressed by CH.6, there is little evidence of the significant changes which must have occurred. CH.54, with smaller hydra at the lower end, larger above, may have a profile similar to CV.24 (Figure 10) and repre- sent a stage very close to the end of the period, but this piece is known only from a slightly oblique top/profile photograph and these frequently distort the appearance of the profile. CH.18 has a fully rounded upper end char- acteristic of the later stages in the development of the scabbard slide and probably does not precede CH.6 in date. Both CH.18 and CH.ll, with single hydra figure in low relief, have atypical features which require placing them outside any regular, or typical, Western Han series. CH.6 carries the development of the scabbard slide form a bit beyond the most advanced stage of the Geomet- ric Class which was, in turn, more advanced than the Grain Class. Hence, the relative development of the three classes stands, at the conclusion of the Western Han period, in the same relation as at the conclusion of the Late Eastern Chou. The upper plate is nearly flat, the aperture walls perpendicular to the upper plate. The upper end is curved inward in a regular rounded arc and is deeply undercut to form a hook-ridge more severely involuted than that of any other Western Han slide. This thin, weakly pendant hook marks a stage not reached in the Geometric Class where, toward the end of the period, the degree of undercutting tended to be lessened rather than increased. The lower end exhibits every character- istic of late, perfunctory, meaningless imitative design. The inward curve is abrupt, but imprecise, the exterior line bows outward in a regular arc. The inner face of this projection, earlier flat or very slightly arched, is here more rounded; undercut on the inner side, it has no pre- cise, squared, forward-projecting wedge, but only an ang- ular ridge. Among the many late antiquarian scabbard slides of the Hydra Class that I have examined, there is a marked tendency for the body of the slide to be more carelessly carved than is the case with slides of either the Grain or Geometric class. This is possibly the result of the greater attention lavished upon the carving of the complex sur- face ornamentation which in turn conceals the surface of the slide more than does either the Geometric or Grain Class decor. Consequently, the body of the slide may more easily be accepted as the under support for the surface design and correspondingly less exacting attention paid to its carving. This tendency, so pronounced in later imi- tations, may possibly have begun before the end of Western Han. Before attempting to summarize the evidence afforded by the above scabbard slides of three classes relative to the development of this object during Western Han, two excavated examples of different classes should be described briefly. CZ.l was recovered from a Western Han tomb in Kwangtung Province. In terms of profile (Figure 12), it falls between CG.10 and CG.21 (Figure 8), and its sur- face decor of fine grains framed by wide borders formed of dissolved animal parts links it more closely to this class than to any other. Two similar pieces (CZ.2 and CZ.3) had previously been ascribed to Late Eastern Chou; these must also be ascribed a Western Han date. While the decor may be slightly archaic in design, the profile clearly belongs among the earlier Western Han types. Probably CZ.l was not carved in Kwangtung Province, but brought 28 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 Hj=>/^ CZ. I C CP I FIGURE 12.—Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Western Han. there from some more northern locality. CP.l (Figure 12 and Plate la), from Shih-chai-shan in Yunnan Province, may be fairly certainly ascribed to the end of the second century B.C Cut from a lustrous black stone, the slide is not of Chinese manufacture but imitates the contempo- rary Chinese form. It seems to be more nearly related to either the mid-Western Han Geometric or Hydra types than to the somewhat more conservative Grain forms. Forthright in conception, the inward-curving terminal parts of the upper plate are rather naively handled and no attempt was made to copy the surface ornamentation of the Chinese slide. This slide was made for suspending a Chinese-type sword, some of which were probably imported into this region before it fell under Chinese domination. The local sword was of an entirely different type and probably used a different form of suspension device (see CP.l). Some generalizations on the development of the Western Han scabbard slide may be made. The wider distribution and greater number of examples discovered in burials implies a more extensive use of the object dur- ing this priod than in the preceding Late Eastern Chou. Whereas during the Late Eastern Chou the majority of excavated slides were associated with bronze swords, in Western Han slides were almost exclusively found, or associated, with long iron swords with either separately cast bronze guards, or with jade guards imitating the form of the contemporary bronze guards. There is a tendency for the slide to become longer (see Table V), while the width and depth measurements, restricted by the functional requirements of the slide, do not signifi- cantly change (see Table IV). The average length of the Han scabbard slide (combined Western and East- ern) is nearly one and one-half inches longer than the Late Eastern Chou slide (see Table V) . Allied with this increase in length is a greater elaboration of aspects of the slide's basic form, a development seemingly not equally shared by all of the classes. The Grain Class slides tend to be more conservative in their development though their gradual progression points toward stages more swiftly evolved in the Geometric and Hydra classes. The Geometric Class slides, probably chiefly carved in the more sophisticated jade carving centers of North China, exhibit the most dynamic development. They move rather swiftly from a stage of superb power and refinement into a condition of languid and convention- alized elegance by the end of the dynasty. The Hydra Class slides, though least well-known and possibly of southern origin, apparently never attain a stage of high refinement in their basic form, perhaps because of their elaborate surface decor which tends to conceal the basic slide. But by the end of the period, they seem to share with the Geometric Class a significant and somewhat less graceful decline. EASTERN HAN No scabbard slide has ever been found in a post-Han burial and we may assume, therefore, that after the East- ern Han a sword suspension device of a differentsort was used.100 It is possible, even likely, that the scabbard slide became obsolete before the end of Eastern Han as there is a sharp decline in the numbers recovered from tombs of this date and a correspondingly small number of unattested slides which seem to reflect authenticity either by similarity to an excavated example or through some other factor—logical profile development, iron- THE CHINESE SCABBARD SLIDE: CHRONOLOGY 29 oxide stains, quality of carving, and decor form. number precludes the formation of any firm conclusions There is a marked constriction in the geographical from this evidence (Figure 13). Five Form I scabbard distribution of the excavated slides, though the small slides only are known from tombs of Eastern Han date 0 2Q0 400 600 800 I ^HH ■■■ . HM t^^m MILES 120" 1 FIGURE I3.--Distribution of Eastern Han excavated scabbard slides. 30 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 and, with the exception of CH.4 from Chekiang Province in central China, they belong to northern provinces.101 The Grain Class is missing from this group, though the Unornamented class, first encountered in Western Han, is again represented. The swords found associated with two of these scab- bard slides. (CH.4, CP.2) are revealing specimens.102 With CP.2 was a bronze sword about seventeen inches in length. In form it resembles the classic Chou sword (e.g., Figure 35), with blade, guard and hilt cast in one piece. The solid hilt is girt by two bronze rings, the guard projects slightly beyond the blade. That this sword does not reflect the type in use during the Han dynasty is clearly enough shown by reference to the swords found in the Western Han tombs. Two explanations only are possible for its appearance in a tomb of Eastern Han date: (1) the sword was a treasured antique at the time of its burial, or (2) it is a conscious archaistic revival of a Late Chou type intended for ceremonial use. Whether the former or the latter is, in fact, the true explanation hardly matters. The ceremonial implication is equally strong in either case. No one during the Eastern Han period actually fought with a short bronze sword against adversaries equipped with iron swords up to a meter or more in length. " The sword found with CH.4 is equally anomalous. Again, it is of bronze, but it rather faithfully reproduces a common Eastern Han type of single-edged, ring- pommeled, iron sword. Since swords of this type origi- nated in iron (Chapter 3), the bronze sword is clearly an imitation, and like the sword with CP.2 must there- fore be considered as having been intended for ceremonial use. The sword is provided with a typical bronze guard of the type shown in Figure 37, but since the single-edged sword has no shoulders where the blade meets the hilt, the blade side of the guard was furnished with a serrated collar to provide additional adhering surface. Probably both slide and guard were adapted to a sword whose cere- monial character is emphasized by the reproduction in the "lovely metal" of an element of military equipment which by this time was exclusively manufactured of the "ugly metal." 103 Meager as is the evidence afforded by only two swords, it points uniquely toward a function of the scabbard slide of which the preceding periods provided no hint. The swords heretofore found with scabbard slides basically conformed to contemporary development of that weapon form. Grain Class In the absence of any excavated pieces of this class (Figure 14) the final stages in its development may be hypothesized only on the basis of a small group of unat- tested slides which seem to carry forward in a logical manner preceding developments of the class, or to reflect D ^ CG. 30 rz U IJ CG. 29 FIGURE 14.—Chinese Form I scabbard slide profile typology: Eastern Han. certain eccentric characteristics more clearly represented in presumably contemporary slides of the Geometric and Hydra classes. Of the unattested Grain Class slides which seem to belong to the Eastern Han period,104 the profiles of three only are adequately known (CG.29, CG.30, CG.66 [Plate 6M The passage recounts the attempted assassination of the King of Ch'in M by Ching K'o in 227 B.C He [King of Ch'in] pulled at his sword, but the sword was long and clung to its scabbard .... The sword (hung) vertically, and therefore he could not draw it out immediately .... The bystanders then cried out: "Put your sword behind you, King!" (The King) did so, and thus (had room) to pull it out.ioi One may wonder if anyone found this long, unwieldy sword any more convenient a weapon than did the King of Ch'in. One may ask also whether any significant advantage accrued to the Chinese infantry in battle carrying such a sword that rendered it superior to the earlier short sword. Why was it needed or desired? In hand-to-hand engagements it is doubtful that one fares better with a long than a short sword, unless, of course, one's adversary carries a long sword. In marching, also, it would have been necessary to stabilize the sword with the 58 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 FIGURE 39.—Chinese wooden statuette of sword bearer, Ch'ang-sha, Hunan Province. [After Cheng Chen-to, ed., Wei-ta-ti i-shu ch'uan- t'ung t'u-lu (Shanghai, 1955) , volume 1, plate 11.] left hand to prevent a contrapuntal swinging motion as the sword hung on its loose belt. In sum, I think this an odd sword to have been developed for the foot soldier. This, together with its quite sudden appearance in China, entitles us, I believe, to seek other explanations for its existence. Awkward as the long sword was for the foot soldier, and the numerous illustrations depicting this sword bear this out, both sword and mode of suspension are admirably suited to the requirements of the equestrian.192 A man astride a horse cannot conveniently have either a short or a long sword suspended vertically by its scabbard mouth from his garment belt. His protruding hip and the convexity of the horse's side would cause the sword to hang at an angle, the hilt pressing against the horseman's side, the scabbard projecting outward. The low-slung sword belt seems to have been designed to remedy this situation. Hung on such a belt by a scabbard slide, the sword may be moved backward on its belt by the horse- man so that it rests upright behind his leg and along the horse's flank, or, when required for action, pulled forward so that it falls forward across the leg at about a 40-degree angle, with the hilt forward and within convenient reach of the right hand, the scabbard projecting behind, out of the way of the leg.193 These must be considered the normal positions of the sword borne by an equestrian. The suspension of contemporary cavalry swords is designed so that they may be hitched in such positions (Figure 40). In cases where the sword is not suspended from the equestrian's person but secured to the saddle— as illustrated by the nineteenth-century Mexican charro saddle (Figure 41)—a convenient readiness angle is maintained. The cavalry rifle is carried in a boot set at an equivalent angle.194 FIGURE 40.—Cavalry sword in vertical repose position. [After Wilkinson (1969), page 29.] The looseness of the sword belt, however, and nature of the scabbard slide which permits the sword to slip within limits on the belt makes it possible for the position THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CHINA 59 and angle of the sword to vary, either in accordance with the bearer's wishes or in response to the motion of the horse and the equestrian's body position. Thus, it can be noted that in some Chinese representations the horseman has moved the hilt of the sword to the rear where, presumably, it is held upright, or inclining even slightly backward, by his own body (p. 48). The sword cannot, of FIGURE 41.—Mexican charro saddle with mounted sword. [After Mexico, Museo Nacional de Artes e Industrias Populares (1954) , page 45.] course, be drawn in this position and it must, therefore, be concluded that it is not a normal position but simply one in which the resting equestrian then as today may place his sword, A small gold plaque from Siberia, of which more will be said later, illustrates the position into which the sword falls under the stress of a galloping horse with the rider leaning forward to release his bow (Figure 42). The motion of the horse and the sudden forward inclination of the rider produce a logical contrapuntal motion of the sword, the hilt swinging back, the rider's left leg locking over the scabbard to arrest the swinging motion of the sword. As many authors have suggested, the long sword in all respects seems a more suitable cavalry than infantry weapon.195 The sword belt and scabbard slide increase the utility of this weapon immeasurably more for the equestrian than for the foot soldier. But the long swords we have examined are rapiers rather than sabers, that is they are thrusting and piercing swords for infantry combat, not slashing swords for cavalry attack. Such a single-edged slashing saber does exist side by side with the long piercing rapier in China, and it points more directly toward an equestrian use. The single-edged iron sword in China did not evolve from, nor is it related to, the earlier bronze swords. It has a much simpler form consisting of a long blade blunt along one edge and sharpened along the other. The blade leads directly into the hilt at the dull edge and is usually stepped back slightly at the grip on the sharpened edge. The hilt is terminated with an oval ring of cast iron (Figure 36g). Swords of this type are rarely provided with guards. The hilts were probably wrapped with braided cord. The ring may be cast separately and locked in place by the folded-over hilt end, or in some cases it may be cast directly with the hilt. Ring-pommeled daggers and knives occur over a wide area of northern Eurasia at times much earlier than that with which we are here concerned. Probably the ring- pommel, in the form in which it appears in China, originated in southern Siberia, in the upper Yenisei and Minusinsk Basin regions.196 During periods perhaps cor- responding in part to the Shang dynasty in China, but surely to Western Chou, the ring-pommeled knife is the most common variety encountered in the Ordos and Suiyiian regions north of China.197 It is not, however, necessary to search outside of China for the origin of this pommel form on the long iron sabers which appear in great number in Western Han graves and which probably were already in use before the end of the Chou dynasty.198 Small bronze knives of this type were relatively common in Shang China;199 the form continued in use throughout the Chou period and with the introduction of iron into the manufacture of tools and weapons, such bronze forms were carried over essentially unchanged into the new material.200 The single-edged, ring-pommeled saber is nothing but an enlarged, lengthened version of the typical late Chou iron knife and there is, I believe, no need to look elsewhere for its origin within, or outside, China. Owing to its apparent identity with similarly formed knives and the wide range of lengths, it is difficult to tell exactly at what point the knife becomes a sword.201 During the Western Han period, however, these single-edged swords become common throughout China and they are nearly as numerous as the double-edged and generally equal to these in length.202 If we consider that far more iron swords than bronze swords of Han age have entirely decomposed, the former must have been much more common than the latter. The blade tips have two forms: most common is the type with a straight flat side and cutting edge which curves back at the tip toward the unsharpened edge (Figure 43a); less commonly the tip has a form resem- bling the prow of a ship (Figure 436).203 Both point forms are found as well on the shorter knives of the Han 60 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 FIGURE 42.—Gold plaque from South Siberia. [After Rostovtsev (1929b), plate X.] period.204 Just as we observed in the case of the long rapier, that its form and length were imitated by contem- porary bronze swords almost certainly uniquely cere- monial, so also were the iron sabers imitated in bronze (Figure 36/), and it is equally probable that these were intended for ceremonial use only.205 ~7 y a b FIGURE 43.—Chinese iron saber blade tip forms. Iron sabers are rarely found with jade parts. CH.4, a clearly ceremonial sword, is an exception. The jade disk inlay for the pommel of the rapier could not, of course, be used with the ring pommel. Possibly saber scabbards were occasionally provided with jade chape ornaments, but I am familiar with no such examples.206 The blade, having no real shoulders but only a slight step back from the sharpened edge to the grip, cannot easily accommo- date the roughly cardiform guard adopted by the iron rapier from the classic bronze sword which is, except for a few rectangular examples (Figure 99) the only kind found in China. Nevertheless, a few sabers have been found with such guards. In some cases it is unclear just how these were secured at the base of the blade, but in others it is evident that the usual form of the sword has been altered somewhat, providing a shoulder at the back of the blade, to permit a guard to be attached.207 One method of fixing a guard to the normal saber was to provide the guard with a bronze collar enclosing the butt end of the blade and providing a binding which the guard itself cannot do.208 In general, jade scabbard slides have not been found with sabers. It might be argued that since the other jade elements of sword furniture associated with the rapier and classic bronze sword also are not found with the saber—in part, because these objects seem to have been developed for the specific characteristics of the former types—that it is probable the saber sheath was not provided with this object. But since the iron sabers are comparable to the rapier in length, that is often exceeding a meter, it must be assumed that they also were carried on a sword belt and scabbard slide.209 Furthermore, one of the rare representations of the scabbard slide in use shows it attached to the sheath of what is certainly a ring-pommeled iron saber (Figure 23). We are, therefore, drawn toward the conclusion that the scabbard slide usually associated with the saber was not made of stone but of some more readily decomposing material, hence the lack of preserved examples. For a number of interre- lated reasons which I intend to examine, I believe the scabbard slide normally associated with the saber of the Han dynasty to have been carved from wood. Throughout the Eastern Han period long iron rapiers and sabers exist side by side, though ring-pommeled types seem to outnumber the tanged varieties. Bronze swords in the form of the classic Chou sword are, as noted earlier, occasionally still found in the tombs of this date. These are, of course, strictly ceremonial, as are also the bronze rapiers and sabers encountered in Eastern Han tombs.210 Sabers with plain ring pommels continue into the imme- diately post-Han periods in considerable number while THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CHINA 61 rapier types are noticeably scarce.211 But sometime during the Eastern Han dynasty, perhaps after the beginning of the second century after Christ when the scabbard slide was being replaced by a different suspension device, the character of the saber changes. The ring pommels, here- tofore simple cast ovals or rounded rectangles, become more elaborate, and the more ornate ones are cast in bronze. The latter are sometimes cast in the form of an animal, or the pommel encloses an animal head, usually a crested bird. Simpler ones are trilobed, or enclose a trefoil grip end (Figure 36«), or the two ends of the pommel ring are simply involuted where they join the tang.212 Sometimes cast with these bronze pommels is a socket, or more accurately a sleeve, into which the iron grip-tang is fitted. Some of these bronze sleeves are ornamented with elaborate tracery of inlaid gold wire; others show traces of overall gilding.213 These more elaborate pommel forms continue until at least the T'ang dynasty.214 The saber, like the rapier, is commonly represented in the stone reliefs and stamped bricks of Eastern Han age, and in post-Han reliefs up to the T'ang dynasty.215 In no case is the suspension device represented on these reliefs, but I believe it may safely be assumed that on some of the earlier ones among them the scabbard slide was the intended suspension form, whereas some other device would have been indicated on the later reliefs. In terms of suspension position, it hardly matters which device was current. Xormallv, the sword would have hung in approx- imately the same position with either device. It is inter- esting to note that in the reliefs a pair of leather or cloth streamers is frequently knotted to the ring pommel.216 The observations which these reliefs permit are possibly less interesting as regards the history and function of the Chinese saber than they are revealing of Chinese repre- sentational conventions. As noted in connection with the representations of the rapier, the sabers hang on either the left or the right side, but usually on that side which is away from the viewer. Likewise, the swords are held in either the right or the left hand, and sometimes a small fending shield is carried in the other hand. Laufer considered that this ambivalence toward sword suspension reflected actual usage, that the soldier wearying in a prolonged engagement simply changed ofT hands, as it were.217 One is inclined to doubt the existence of such widespread ambidexterity among the early Chinese and to account for such irregularities by a certain laxiiv in representational conventions. One wonders, therefore, if other characteristics exhib- ited by these representations are any more reliable as regards reality in the situations they depict. We have- already remarked on the characteristics of the saber which render it particularly suitable to the equestrian. Vet in the representations, the sword is rarely carried by eques- trians who instead seem generally to use bow and arrow. It may be observed also that the swordsman, whether on foot as usual or more rarely mounted on horseback, wears a long outer robe reaching to between knee and ankle, whereas the archer or cross-bowman, whether mounted or on foot, wears a short belted tunic and trousers—a more suitable military dress. The unsheathed sword is carried upright, the dull side of the blade resting on the shoulder. When the sword is wielded, it is held firmly in the hand and projects at right angles to the forearm as though used in an underhand thrusting motion for which the saber is wholly unsuited. When wielded from horseback, it may be held aloft as a dagger. In no instance is it represented as extended before the bearer, prolonging his reach, as one would expect the saber normally to be used. It is impossible to trace the development of the ring- pommeled saber from earlier Chinese swords. Unlike the rapier which has clear relations to preceding types, the nearest prototvpe for the saber is to be found in the short ring-pommeled knife known in China from the Shang dynasty onward. The saber, however, appears quite sud- denly. It is rare in the late Chou period, but ubiquitous in early Han. Whether or not the Chinese developed the saber for use on horseback cannot be determined on the basis of the available record; the representations on the tomb reliefs seem to suggest that it was used more extensively by the foot soldier than by the equestrian. However this may be, the saber is a cavalry weapon and could hardly have been developed initially for an armv fighting on foot. The identity of this weapon as a cavalry sword is, I believe, demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt by the numerous examples which exhibit a slight inward curve, a form which may be used effectively only by an equestrian striking downward blows and for whom parry-and-thrust actions cannot be effectively carried out. For a fool soldier, a single-edged sword, and more espe- cially an inward-curving one, is much less useful than the straight double-edged blade which permits maximum versatility. These inward-curved blades are found onlv on sabers.218 If the long iron sword, and especially the saber, is essentially an equestrian weapon, we might hypothesize that it was introduced into China at the time the Chinese modified their military organization in accordance with that of the barbarians along their northern frontier, or that the Chinese were, at least, prompted to manufacture long swords because of the existence of such among their nomad adversaries. Among the changes instituted in Chinese military tactics and materiel was the introduction of cavalry. This very celebrated reorganization has tradi- tionally been attributed to King Wu-ling :itfi who ruled the small state of Chao %ft 325-299 B.C, abdicating in his son's favor five years before his tleath in 294 B.C Chao occupied a precarious position, encompassing part of the 62 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 territory now included in the provinces of Shansi U-lffi and Hopei ffiit (Figure 44). To their north and north- west the Chao people came into contact with horse-riding nomads who constantly menaced their frontier; to the south were larger, autonomous, and often hostile states of che disintegrating late Chou realm, and the survival of the Chao state was as much owing to the military and diplomatic cunning of Wu-ling as to its force of arms. This famous decision by Wu-ling to adopt certain tactics of the barbarians, and their practical clothing of boots, trousers, and short jackets that facilitated equestrian maneuvering, is recorded as having taken place in 307 B.C, in the nineteenth year of his reign. Unfortunately, the credibility of this event hinges on the veracity of the account, or more properly tale, in chapter 19 of the Chan-kuo Ts'e ^fcMWi, where it is first recorded. This work is not an historic chronicle, but a group of semi- didactic historical anecdotes assembled in roughly chron- ological order by state and probably first appeared as a unified text in the early part of the second-century B.C.219 While the value of the text as history would appear to be slight, its style was evidently much admired by the first- century B.C historian Ssu-ma Ch'ien who, in addition to imitating stylistic features of the Chan-kuo Ts'e in the writing of his Shih Chi, incorporated the story of Wu-ling verbatim from the former text, thus elevating it to the status of history.220 Actually, the pertinent texts of the Chan-kuo Ts'e and Shih Chi are somewhat vague as to the nature of the innovations imputed to Wu-ling, especially with regard to their military orientation. It is chiefly emphasized that Wu-ling proposed the adoption of barbarian clothing, not just as battle attire but for court dress.221 Possibly it is a justifiable assumption that the introduction of the barbarian riding costume implies acceptance of barbarian military tactics and equipment;222 in so doing authors have probably interpreted Ssu-ma Ch'ien as he intended, that is, attaching a known historical circumstance or development to a discrete action and time.22:i Centuries earlier in Western Asia, the Assyrians effected a similar accommodation to nomadic military tactics in their efforts to cope with the intrusions of their horse-riding neighbors to the north.224 The probability is, however, that the story in the Chan-kuo Ts'e refers only to a condition increasingly widespread throughout the northern Chinese states dur- ing the last centuries of Chou and such an interpretation has been accepted by Wang Kuo-wei in his celebrated essay on barbarian clothing.225 Quite apart from military considerations, the Chinese have, during several periods of expanded contact with other regions, been attracted by the novelty of outlandish costumes and the pursuits and habits of the peoples with whom the costumes origi- nate.226 Thus, during the earlier part of the T'ang dynasty especially, the Iranian riding costume was favored by both men and women of the court and gentry.227 Wang Kuo-wei pointed out that, together with cavalry and the nomadic costume of short tunic, trousers, and boots, the leather belt and belt hook were adopted by the Chinese from their northern nomadic neighbors. Though the long sword is nowhere cited as forming a part of these innovations, we may hypothesize that it formed a part of the equipment of the equestrian nomads and that, if the Chinese did not directly borrow the long sword from them as seems unlikely, the stimulus to develop a compa- rable sword probably came from this quarter. Maenchen- Helfen has shown that the Chinese words for belt and belt hook are of foreign, ultimately northern nomadic, origin.228 Unfortunately, the term by which the scabbard slide was known to the late Chou Chinese is not known; if it were, we might possibly trace it to a similar origin (see n. 17). But the intimate association of leather belt, belt hook, and scabbard slide, together with the greater suitability of the long sword and scabbard slide to an equestrian warrior, strongly suggests that the origin in China of both sword and slide may be traced to points beyond the Chinese frontier. However this may be—and the matter of the origin of the long sword and scabbard slide will be considered more extensively in the final chapter—the influence of the nomads upon the organization of the Chinese mili- tary machine has probably been overemphasized to the exclusion of equally significant internal Chinese develop- ments. It must be remembered that the more or less constant military activity which marks the closing cen- turies of the Chou dynasty was largely between the autonomous states. These wars had far more influence on the future course of Chinese history than did barbarian incursions from the north which remained a continuing nuisance throughout the Ch'in and Han dynasties which followed. In his detailed study of Eastern Chou society, Hsu Cho-yLin has pointed out that until the early sixth century B.C war was still primarily the occupation of the nobility, attended by an elaborate etiquette.229 As such, it was fought in chariots attended by a limited number of foot troops who probably had as their chief weapon the ko :£ halberd. As the appeal of war as a noble sport was diminished by the increasingly earnest conflicts of the ever more jealously independent later Chou states, char- iots were found too expensive and cumbersome, especially for maintenance by the smaller states. They were, as well useless in the swampy lands of the southern regions, notably in the Ch'u S£ state, and in rocky terrain. Increasing involvement with nomad equestrians in the north border states doubtless pointed up to the Chinese the vulnerability of the chariot to the swift cavalry charges of the nomads. It became strategically necessary, THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CHINA 63 _,-—- _.-•-' / , «■ -" ' ''' 1 / ^~~~\^ y^ YEN j^r^'B Jpf?.'.':'"'• / ' i /$&«£&•'■'■' "■••v:rjP p[ // • )—--{■' :;m > i * ^:.-ii;--.-.-.:. . Jy f CHAO ; N. • iri nf^fv---.".-;^^^-: / -A .' / / CH i ; | *r x, / ) / >~^ ^^ '» WEI _-- \v,_/ ><$/... : «Jk- I ( ^ '*vf\ LU '' JK'--' AytviijV;;'. \ — — ^ __ --•s / *"""•> "*V"*i /^ \ / ' i £-'•'''•"• N y » C' /i V 1 /■■■■■:• . ' —^^^ ' —^-'^ \ _ \( s^T m? -W^-', X i / &%:.\:: ^^fryr£z- WLOYANG \ > SUNG X ' **%':'•'•. ^ \ HAN / \ ^UNU ,'\l igiv -,.._J CHrIN 1 ___^_ / s'\ ^ \ %••'.'• "■* -^ ' >> ~"' * \. tv;:;! i \ V v y \S\v *%:% V / CH'U W j—v—-\ Jy / \ ^^ «/ \ / / YUEH ^ \ii^v 1*3 \ i V "~~ ___ v , ~ — — _ -""-- — ^ —v*.*' \ CHANG-SHA • y'' J r' ^-- *'*' I -4LA K1.'*'*-'. FIGURE 44.—Approximate boundaries of Late Eastern Chou states. therefore, for the Chinese to create a cavalry force, not that it ever became a major Chinese defense during either only to improve their defenses against the nomads but to the late Chou or Han dynasty. The real transformation in replace the obsolete tactics of chariot warfare. internal Chinese warfare was from the war chariot with However effectively cavalry may have been used on the comparatively few foot troops to armies composed of frontier against the nomads, there is nothing to suggest masses of infantry. The well-appointed Chan-kuo military 61 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 force had one thousand chariots, ten thousand cavalry, and several hundred thousand infantry soldiers.230 In the year 570 B.C., mention is first made of infantry as the sole force on the field.231 Even during the Han dynasty cavalry seems neither to have been the major component of the forces attacking the Hsiung-nu ^J£X barbarians nor, with such notable exceptions as the daring second-century-B.c cavalry commanders Wei Ch'ing ftrW and Huo Ch'u-ping H^lm , an especially effective one.232 The dynastic annals record far more cavalry disasters and stalemates than successes for the Chinese.233 Part of this was doubtless owing to the Chinese inability to equip a highly mobile force equal to those of the nomads. Typical was the spring campaign of 119 B.C when 100,000 cavalry set forth for the frontier attended by baggage trains of 140,000 horses.234 Thus encumbered, a cavalry can hardly realize the full advantage of the swift strike and diverting- maneuver and is hardly better than a force of mounted infantrymen. One must, I believe, conclude with Berthold Laufer that the Chinese did not sit well upon horses.235 One encounters almost no reference to the sword in accounts of military engagements.236 The chief weapon of the cavalry was the bow and arrow, but for close fighting, not only with opposing cavalry but against masses of infantry the Chinese also employed against the nomads, the sword must have been used. It could not have been a short sword similar in length to the classic bronze sword of Chou, but must have been a long saber of iron. In earlier Chou times the chief weapon of the chariot warrior was the bow and arrow; that of the attending foot troops, the ko halberd. The appearance of significant numbers of swords in China, hardly earlier than the sixth century B.C, corresponds well with the development of infantry as the major fighting force. Presumably the sword initially carried by the infantry was the earlier, rapidly evolving, short bronze sword. By the late fifth century B.C the sword was suspended by a scabbard slide (CG.58), and the introduction of the long iron sword cannot have been much later. Whether or not the long sword and scabbard slide entered China in the same wave of influences which suggested cavalry and barbarian dress is not known. Since contact between the northern states and the barbarians was more or less a constant condition, acceptance of barbarian equipment and tactics by the Chinese probably occurred gradually along the entire frontier. One of the most ambitious and warlike of these frontier states was Ch'in M on the northwest frontier. Ch'in was continuously at war with the nomadic tribes in order to enlarge its territory, and to aid its program of military expansion introduced a military government.237 By the middle of the sixth century B.C Ch'in had realized the superior advantage of infantry over chariots in campaigns in mountainous regions.238 In the middle of the third century B.C, the reasons for the military superiority of Ch'in were succinctly set forth by Hsiin Tzu: As for the rulers of Ch'in, they have only a narrow, confined area on which to settle their people. They employ them harshly, terrorize them with authority, embitter them with hardship, coax them with rewards, and cow them with punishments. They see to it that if the humbler people hope to gain any benefits from their superiors, they can do so only by achieving distinction in battle. They oppress the people before employing them and make them win some distinction before granting them any benefit. Rewards increase to keep pace with achievements; thus a man who returns from battle with five enemy heads is made the master of five families in his neighborhood. In comparison with the other methods I have mentioned, this is the best one to insure a strong and populous state that will last for a long time, a wide expanse of territory that yields taxes. Therefore Ch'in's repeated victories during the last four generations are no accident, but the result of policy.239 Such effective centralized control enabled Ch'in to raise seasonal armies of one million peasants while smaller neighboring states might raise no more than 300,000.240 The superior military power of a state is not necessarily contingent upon the size of its army. A state can afford to build armies only by taking men away from the land, and in this connection it would appear that Ch'in was able to do this more easily than other states owing to progressive and productive agricultural policies while other states, more conservative, lingered with older, less satisfactory methods.241 Great attention seems to have been paid to efficient methods of irrigation and one author contends that to a great degree the stability that permitted the increase of wealth and territorial expansion during the Han dynasty was derived from the previous example of Ch'in agricultural policy.242 But even with a rigidly regulated economy and massive disciplined army, effective weapons are required if the army is to be victorious in battle; and there seems to be widespread agreement that the superior weapon with which the Ch'in conscript armies were provided was the iron sword.243 Since a short iron sword, comparable in length to bronze types, seems not to have existed, it may be assumed that this weapon was the long iron sword wielded not in the hands of cavalry, but by infantry as their chief weapon. In this connection, it is significant to note that archeological record suggests that during late Chou, iron swords were most plentiful in the territories of Ch'in and its chief contender—the large state of Ch'u in south China.244 The territories occupied by the states of Ch'in and Ch'u were apparently richer in iron ores than other regions, or these states were quicker to develop these resources. Sekino believes that the techniques of forging were introduced into China from the West and that this knowledge passed first into the state of Ch'in on the northwest frontier, and that it was effectively employed by this growing power in its career of empire building.245 THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CHINA 65 When we consider that steel (accidental or intentional) blades were known in western Asia possibly as early as the twelfth century B.C, but at any rate not later than the tenth (Figures 33 and 34), it is a reasonable assumption that this knowledge, evidently reaching China bv the fifth century B.C, came from the West and that it was gradually perfected in a state such as Ch'in situated in a geographic position to receive such impulses first and where ample iron resources were to be found. Ch'in interest in the development of its iron industry is revealed by records of its efforts to capture wealthy iron founders to promote its own iron industry.246 The states of Ch'u and Han f$ both possessed a large number of working iron deposits, and it is perhaps significant that these states were among the last to succumb to the superior power of Ch'in.247 The enormous carnage of the final campaigns of the Ch'in state is also taken as evidence that the principal weapon was the iron sword. Between 364 and 260 B.C, Ch'in fought eleven wars and these accounted for well over one million slain. Though the numbers may be exaggerated in that they represent the victor's reckoning, the 450,000 soldiers beheaded in the defeat of Chao in 260 B.C cannot be far from the truth as the entire fight- ing force of this state was massacred after surrender.248 The distinguished career of the long iron sword in China and the factors which made its use general through- out the country may, then, have had comparatively little to do with the nomads even if its ultimate origin is to be traced to them. The iron sword may well have been the weapon of victorious Ch'in, and if so, the swift suc- cesses of this state must have commended this weapon's efficiency effectively to Ch'in's enemies. If such be true, the adoption of the long sword was less contingent upon its being an effective weapon against horse-riding nomads —bows and arrows were surely better—than upon its being more effective in Chinese internal warfare. The tactically superior weapons of the conqueror are always admired and, if possible, adopted by the vanquished. Hence we note, with the collapse of Ch'in's brief hege- mony, the founder of the Han dynasty, Kao-tzu jSffl , boasted that he had "conquered the world wearing the plain clothes of a humble citizen and wielding the three- foot sword."249 The long iron sword became the standard weapon of the Han dynasty, and its use may have been a contributing factor to the strength and stability of the period.25" If, as I believe, the iron sword became during the last centuries of the Chou dynasty the principal fighting weapon—the traditional ko halberd becoming in con- sequence an increasingly ceremonial weapon possibly already actjuiring symbolic values reverenced for their reference to a superior order of past dynasties—swords must have been produced in prodigious numbers approx- imately equal to those of the massive armies of the period. All of these swords were suspended by means of a leather sword belt and a scabbard slide. The sword introduced by Ch'in, and the one to become ubiquitous in the Han, except for ceremonial varieties, was almost certainly the single-edged iron saber, a slashing sword probably origi- nating among a horse-riding people of the frontier. It was a simply made weapon, essentially no more than a band of iron from which a sharpened edge was hammered out along one side, leaving a plain area at one end to be wrapped with cord to serve as the grip. From the apparent difficulty in providing such a sword with a guard, it must be assumed that normally they had none. The only refinement was the ring at the end of the hilt, generally attached simply bv folding over the metal of the hilt end to secure it to the sword. The double-edged rapier was somewhat more difficult to produce and, if dictated only by tradition and analogy, was furnished with a separately cast bronze guard and probably often with a concave bronze disk pommel pegged into the wooden grip which enclosed the tang. Such a sword could not as easily have served as the weapon issued to infantry troops by the hundreds of thousands. The majority of them must be considered as swords made for the gentry who mav have esteemed the form imitative of the classic Chou bronze sword; or one which differed from that carried by the common peasant soldier; or as swords which, while reflecting a new know- ledge of, and desire for, a long sword of iron, were made before knowledge of the simpler saber was widespread or the techniques of forging steel mastered. Metallurgical studies are still inadequate to determine whether in both cases the manufacturing technique was identical. It may be speculated, however, that the iron rapier evolved in a traditional manner from older casting techniques while the saber introduced a forged steel produced by a sub- stantially different process. If such should prove to be true, and the forms of the swords suggest it may well be, the saber represents an effectively superior and more practical weapon, one which presumably could be manu- factured quickly and with relative ease. Quite obviously, all of these swords were not fitted with jade scabbard slides. It has been suggested that the ordinary scabbard slide was made of wood. The fully developed jade scabbard slide (e.g., CV.22, Plate 2c?) would not be a shape easily executed in wood. Nor is it conceivable that the upper surface of the practical wooden slide would be ornamented with finely modeled grains, subtly modulated geometric patterns and animal masks, or contorted hydras in high, complicated relief. These are not wood carvers' designs. Whether thev are essentially lapidary designs, or owe their origin to earlier cast bron/.e models, is a question which need not concern us here. 66 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 Two scabbard slides found in the ruins of Chinese frontier military structures in Inner Mongolia (XM.2, XM.3, Plate 24c-d) offer a clue to the nature of the wooden scabbard slide, and provide as well a significant hint as to the earliest form of this object. Both of these slides, of the type designated here as Form II and de- scribed in the first chapter, are simple rectangles, without any extension of the upper plate above or below the aperture. Yet they share with Form I slides sufficient similar characteristics that their identity as scabbard slides is certain: the thin lower plate which was inserted into a socket on the scabbard wall; the slightly arched upper plate. Others of the same form exhibit sides which slope inward toward the narrower lower plate, a feature observed on a number of Form I slides. Both are finely proportioned carvings in hard wood, and one at least (XM.3) was covered with black lacquer. Both have been placed in the Western Han period and probably belong to the first century B.C Possibly the refinement of their form is related to contemporary pieces in jade. But the treatment of the upper surface of these wooden slides is distinctly different from that of Form I jade slides. These are plain, except for parallel vertical ridges, one along each side on XM.3, and a narrow central ridge in addition to border ridges on XM.2. Form II slides of this class from China have been grouped into the Ridge (XCR) class. Inasmuch as this Ridge class seems more closely allied to wood carving rather than to intricate contemporary lapidary work, it is significant to note that this class of decor is found on a single Form I slide only (CR.l, Plate bd). This sturdy, utilitarian specimen, typo- logically early, establishes not only the early coincidence of this decor in wood and jade, but points to the early occurrence, if not precedence, of wooden scabbard slides where actual examples are lacking. Though a few authors have recognized the true func- tion of the Form II scabbard slide,251 most have con- sidered these objects to be ferrules, that is decorative reinforcing to the mouth of the sword scabbard.252 Aside from the fact that no known scabbard of Chou or Han date is now, or ever was, provided with a ferrule of any type, the shape of the object does not conform to that of scabbard mouths. Considering the thinness, delicacy even, of these lacquered leather or wood scabbards, the lack of reinforcement at the mouth is rather surprising. It is not always possible to distinguish clearly Form II scabbard slides from similar objects undoubtedly intended for different use. Objects of approximately the same shape were worn as plaques passed onto belts at least as late as the Yuan dynasty.253 Almost certainly all of those with type-C profile, and some with type B (Figure 1), described in the Catalog, as well as those ornamented on both the outer and inner surfaces, are not true scabbard slides.254 Some of these are inept antiquarian imitations, others may have been intended for a different use. A rather high percentage of the Form II jade scabbard slides carved with surface patterns similar to those on Form I slides are, for technical or stylistic reasons, consid- ered to be late antiquarian pieces.255 A much higher per- centage of the Ridge Class and Unornamented Class slides, however, are probably authentic.256 The comparative rarity of Form II slides in China, I would attribute to the likelihood that the majority were made of wood and, being the type furnished ordinary soldiers, were less suitable for interment than the more refined Form I slide worn by the gentry whose tombs are more frequently encountered and whose fashionable para- military accoutrements were more likely to be imitated at later times. Of the seven authentic Form II slides with known provenance, four (XK.l, XM.2, XM.3, XM.5) were found in north and northwest border regions. The majority of these are unornamented, or of the simple Ridge Class. The implication is that these simple Form II slides, like the Unornamented Form I class (CP), were made chiefly for utilitarian purposes or by non-Chinese. The decor systems of the Form I slides are purely Chinese; no single element can be related to designs anywhere outside China. Regardless of how highly jade may have been esteemed by the outer barbarians, it was not possible for them to imitate the sophisticated patterns and techniques of the Chinese jade carvers. The numerous finds of plain or crudely worked jade ornaments from non-Chinese burials in Mongolia and Manchuria are adequate testimony to this.257 The chronological relation of Form II to Form I scab- bard slides is not clearly revealed by the known dates of several Form II slides. Authentic examples are too few in number to permit a close study to be made of the relationship of their surface decor to those of Form I. It is furthermore quite unlikely that the highly simplified shape exhibits any significant, or even clearly discernable typological sequence. The majority of the authentic Form II slides belong to the Han dynasty.258 Only six may with fair certainty be ascribed a Late Eastern Chou date and all of these belong to the later part of the period.259 The three Hui-hsien slides (XCG.l, XCG.2, XCG.15) are too poorly published to be adequately described and the other three, of unknown provenance, have been dated Chou on the basis of their relationship to late Chou jade carvings of different types (XCH.16), or to Form I scab- bard slides (XCV.l, XCR.l). There are, I believe, sufficient grounds for considering the Form II scabbard slide typologically earlier than the Form I. The typology of Form I slides demonstrated quite clearly that the development of the slide's basic form was to be noted chiefly in the gradual elongation of the upper plate and in the refinement of its terminal THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CHINA 67 curves and angles. The earliest excavated Form I slides (CG.l, CG.58) very closely resemble Form II slides; that is, they are basically rectangles with no extension of the upper plate above the forward aperture wall and only a short projection below the lower aperture wall. The Form II slide is, therefore, the logical typological predecessor of the Form I, and the shape out of which Form I slides developed. We may assume then that some- what before the emergence of the earliest Form I slide in the late fifth century B.C., the scabbard slide had only one shape, that designated here as Form II. The division here of the scabbard slides into two basic categories was necessary because the original form remained current and fundamentally unchanging throughout the entire period of the development of the Form I slide. Such a circumstance is unlikely to be the result of pure chance. The explanation lies, I believe, in the interpreta- tion of the Form I slide as a luxury, or semi-luxury object developed from the simple utilitarian Form II slide by the Chinese essentially for use by the gentry. In this sense, the scabbard slide as it is commonly known constitutes a purely Chinese invention; that is, in creating the Form I slide the Chinese altered its less often recognized original form in accordance with their own tastes. The simpler Form II scabbard slide continued to be produced after the Form I slide had emerged because it was the more easily made, less delicate, utilitarian variety used by the millions of common soldiers for the suspension of the sword. That the Form II slide which must have been much more numerous than the more elaborate Form I is now the rarer type must be taken as a kind of negative evidence that it was ordinarily made of wood. The simply carved but durable hardwood examples found in Inner Mongolia strengthen such an hypothesis. But these truly isolated examples may have passed unnoticed had the Chinese not, in spite of a preference for the more elegant Form I slides, also carved from jade a few slides of the simpler form. The history of the long iron sword in China, the simple shape of the earliest scabbard slides and their probable relation to wood-carving traditions, the leather belt and the belt hook, all seem to point to an origin outside China. Though the arrival of all of these elements in China can- not be ascribed to a single date, they must have begun to appear sometime during the earlier fifth, or even late sixth, century B.C Probably it is a case of continuous exposure over a long period of time. What is certain, however, is that Wu-ling's famous recorded introduction of barbarian elements into China in 307 B.C misses the mark by well over a century. All of these "barbarian" elements had certainly been firmly established in China long before this time. The question is, then, if the long iron sword, scabbard slide, and various other barbarian accoutrements are to be considered as foreign innovations in China, from where, or from whom, did they come? Maenchen-Helfen has quite rightly maintained that they could not have come from the Hsiung-nu, or their related antecedents,260 the prominent ethnic group that plagued China along its northern border throughout the Han dynasty.261 That they were not without edged wea- pons of some sort is clear. Hundreds of daggers and knives have been found in their territories.262 They must also have possessed a type of short sword, possibly akin to the "Perso-Scythian" akinakes. This weapon seems to have played an important role in their religious observances.263 Their chief weapon, however, was the bow and arrow.264 Later, during the last decades of the Western Han period, some, at least, of the Hsiung-nu equestrians must have carried long swords. The swords from late Western Han Hsiung-nu burials at Hsi-ch'a-kou Sfirp in Inner Mongolia are almost certainly Chinese imports.265 The graves contained numerous Chinese articles and it would appear, therefore, that they must give evidence of a heav- ily sinicized community. The swords are of both rapier and saber type; the long ones, especially the single-edged sabers, curve inward slightly along the sharpened edge and are certainly equestrian slashing swords. Alongside these Chinese swords were shorter ones of non-Chinese type which probably represent locally manufactured wea- pons 266 In that their hilts are bronze while the blades are of iron, they represent an archaic manufacturing tech- nique and suggest that the Hsiung-nu may not have had an iron technology sufficiently developed to produce their own long iron swords. The same condition may be noted at Lo-lang ^Itl in Korea and at Shih-chai-shan SSIllJ in southwest China; the long iron swords are strictly Chinese types while the shorter weapons are frequently of non-Chinese, presumably local, varieties. It is not only the length and curve of these swords that suggests equestrian use. The ordinary short sword, if we may judge from representations, was held within a firm grip at right angles to the arm. The grip area on these swords is extremely short, rarely exceeding three and one-half inches. An equestrian sword serves to protract the arm's reach and hence extends in the same line as the arm in delivering its downward blows. The hand, there- fore, must loosen and the fingers spread to accommodate this position. A grip five to five and one-half inches long is required. The hilts of the iron sabers are invariably of sufficient length to allow such a grip and the long tangs of many Han dynasty iron rapiers suggest that they as well were intended for use as a slashing weapon.267 There is even an instance where the grip of an archaic bronze sword was cut and an additional length of metal bonded in to bring the sword into conformity with contemporary types.268 If the Hsiung-nu borrowed the long iron sword from the Chinese during the Han period, they must also have 68 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 FIGURE 45 Cast bronze plaque, Hsi-ch'a-kou, Inner Mongolia. [After Hsin Chung-kuo-ti k'ao-ku (1961), plate XC, 1.] borrowed the scabbard slide. From the same group of tombs at Hsi-ch'a-kou are several openwork bronze plaques in the "animal style," most of which were "cast for, even if not invariably by, the Hsiung-nu."269 One of these depicts two warriors riding fabulous beasts (Figure 45). At the left side of each hangs a long sword. The chape of the scabbard worn by the right-hand figure has the truncated pyramidal shape of the Chinese jade chapes. Below the guard on each sword, a belt may be seen to pass through a scabbard slide mounted on the sheath wall.270 The Hsiung-nu, then, must have been familiar with the long iron sword and scabbard slide. But they were not the purveyors; they borrowed this equip- ment from the Chinese. To the west of the Hsiung-nu in late Chou and the early decades of Han were another equestrian people, the Yueh-chih H&: .In the third decade of the second cen- tury B.C, Hsiung-nu equestrian archers defeated the Yueh- chih in a number of decisive battles and drove them westward from the borders of China.271 Whether the Hsiung-nu had already adopted the long Chinese sword is not known; the evidence belongs to the following century. How long prior to this time the Yueh-chih had resided on the northwest frontier of China, is not known. We know only that by the middle of the fourth century B.C, at least, they were inhabiting the Ordos region.272 Maenchen- Helfen has convincingly demonstrated that the Yueh-chih spoke an Indo-European language and that the Chinese words for belt and belt hook may be traced to an Indo- European origin.273 If the scabbard slide belongs together with the belt and the belt hook, the probability is that they arrived in China at the same time and were brought by the same people. The evidence suggests that the Ytieh- chih may have been the purveyors. As far as is known, they were the principal nomadic group in contact with the northwest Chinese states throughout the Late Eastern Chou period. Whether or not these objects were original with them, we cannot say. Nothing is known of their earlier history. If, however, the Yueh-chih had the long sword and scabbard slide at the time of their defeat by the Hsiung-nu and subsequent flight westward, they should have taken these with them. SUMMARY From the late fifth century B.C until the second century after Christ, the Chinese sword was suspended by means of the scabbard slide passed onto a low-slung, leather sword belt which was distinct from the garment belt. The THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CHINA 69 manner in which this device worked is clearly revealed by several representations of sword bearers dating from the late Chou and Han periods. In spite of numerous, and at times incompatible, eccentricities in the representa- tions of sword bearers on Chinese stone reliefs, wall paintings, stamped tiles, metal belt plaques, which sug- gest certain inadequacies in the function of the scabbard slide, it seems clear enough that the slide was designed as the suspension device for the long sword which generally was too long to be hung by the scabbard mouth at the waist. The contention that the loose belt and slide were designed to permit the sword to be passed from one side to the other cannot be supported logically or historically. The maneuver is impossible on horseback and extremely awkward and impractical for the infantryman. The position of the scabbard slide, set in the scabbard wall approximately at the balance point, allowed the sword to hang in an inclined position, handy to the grip and away from the legs. The evidence of wear on several scabbard slides confirms this normal angle of repose. The loose belt allowed the sword to be drawn by thrusting the scabbard back with the left hand while drawing the sword with the right. With the scabbard in a fixed position, the long blades could not have been drawn from the scab- bards by a normal, single arm's span. The difficulty encountered by the inexperienced in manipulating this sword from its scabbard is revealed in the biography of Ching-K'o in the Shih Chi. Though the scabbard slide seems poorly suited as a suspension device for the short bronze sword, there is ample evidence that these as well were carried by it. The jade scabbard slides on hand from China cannot be taken as representative of the type worn by the ordi- nary soldier. Jade slides are retrieved from the tombs of the nobility and gentry classes; the tombs of common people are less often encountered. The evidence suggests that both the jade slides and their swords were basically ceremonial. Two wooden slides found in military locali- ties in the Edsen-Gol region of Inner Mongolia suggest that the scabbard slide used by the soldier, and hence presumably the majority, was made of wood. The sword appears late in China, long after other hand weapons. Though its development cannot be clearly related to types from elsewhere in Asia, the impetus to manufacture swords may have been of foreign origin. The early bronze swords ranged from 15.75 to 21.65 inches in length. In the fourth century B.C, or earlier, a sword double the length of the classic Chou bronze sword with double-edged blade and ringed hilt appeared, though the latter continued to be manufactured. These slender, long rapiers were provided with tangs which were inserted into wooden or bone grips, but otherwise they appear to be derived from earlier bronze models. The majority of these swords were probably made of iron, though comparatively few of these remain, and hence it is possible that the long iron sword appeared somewhat earlier than the archeo- logical record permits us to state. The bronze swords of this type were chiefly ceremonial. At about the same time the long double-edged iron rapier appears, or slightly afterward, long single-edged sabers appear. They represent a wholly new type of sword whose form may have been suggested by simple ring- handled knives known in China since the Shang dynasty, but whose length, like that of the rapier, suggests out- side influences. The saber, especially, is more suitable as a cavalry than as an infantry weapon and it may be, there- fore, that the impetus to manufacture long iron swords was among the numerous impulses and accoutrements reaching China during the last centuries of Chou from the horse-riding northern nomads. It is suggested that the saber may have been introduced into the state of Ch'in first and that it was a forged and tempered iron, if not steel, weapon of simpler form and greater strength and efficiency than the iron rapier which seems to be more closely related to earlier casting processes. The saber is comparatively rare until the end of Chou which speaks in favor of its possibly geographically restricted use. Later, in the Han dynasty, it becomes the most common variety throughout China. Though both the long iron sword and its suspension device seem more suitable to cavalry than infantry use, the Chinese appear to have adopted them for use by the latter. Cavalry troops played an important role on the frontier, but the major military force in the frequent and desperate internal conflicts in late Chou China was mas- sive conscript armies of infantry. It is widely assumed that the chief weapon of these armies was the long iron sword, and that the success of Ch'in may be attributed to their early use of the superior saber whose manufacturing technique may have come from the West where steel blades were known at a much earlier date. If the scabbard slide by which all of these swords were suspended was chiefly made of wood, it could not have resembled the sophisticated jade shapes, but must have had a simple shape similar to the wooden slides of Han age found in Inner Mongolia. These slides, designated as Form II, and consisting of a simple enclosed aperture, are typologically earlier than Form I slides, though none on hand can be dated before the earliest available Form I slides. The earliest slides in China, therefore, were prob- ably of the Form II variety, and the more elegant and refined Form I slides represent a purely Chinese develop- ment effected gradually from the earlier form. The long iron sword, leather belt, belt hook and scab- bard slide, especially if it developed in a culture with wood carving traditions, all point to an origin outside China. They could not have come from the Hsiung-nu who seem not to have used a long sword until well into 70 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 Han times, and to have borrowed it from the Chinese. language. If the belt hook and belt may be traced to the The words for belt hook and belt in Chinese are of Indo- Yueh-chih, the probability is that the slide and long European origin. Maenchen-Helfen has shown that the sword intimately associated with these may be ascribed Yiieh-chih, situated on the northwest frontier of China by the same origin, at least the fourth century B.C, spoke an Indo-European Chapter 4 The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in Central and Western Asia and Europe The use of the scabbard slide as a suspension device associated with long iron swords is widespread in other areas of Asia to the west of China during the period roughly corresponding to the later phases of its existence in that country and continuing for a considerable time after all evidence of it has disappeared from the Far East. However, extant examples of the slide are extremely rare outside China and in no region are there sufficient num- bers to permit so detailed a study as has been offered for the Chinese slide. In no case, however, do these non- Chinese scabbard slides introduce features incompatible with the findings relative to the Chinese slide. In all cases their relationship to Chinese slides of Form I is clear; and since all are either contemporary with, or later than, related types within China, their derivation from the Chinese scabbard slide seems certain. More important than the extant examples of the scab- bard slide outside China, all of which are described in the Catalog, are representations of the slide in use. Examina- tion of these representations suggests that in the majority of cases the scabbard slide shown is basically related to the Chinese Form II. The existence, therefore, of slides related to Chinese Form I is demonstrated from actual finds; while slides of Form II, in all probability made of materials other than stone, are known only from repre- sentations. The absence of Form II slides outside China somewhat parallels their relative scarcity in that country, and the same reasons may govern the situations in both cases. Obviously we cannot here enter into lengthy discus- sions of the military organization in all those areas of Asia and Europe where the scabbard slide has been found or is represented. Having described in detail the develop- ment, use, and association of the slide with long iron swords in China, our chief remaining concern is to eluci- date its origin, mutation, diffusion, chronology, and the historical significance which attaches to these aspects. Hence, the discussion of the scabbard slide in areas out- side China shall be focused on the clarification of these matters. THE TERRITORY OF THE KUSHAN EMPIRE OF NORTH INDIA, AFGHANISTAN, AND SOVIET CENTRAL ASIA It was proposed at the conclusion of Chapter 3 that the long iron sword and scabbard slide had been acquired by the Chinese from the Yiieh-chih, a nomadic people known to have inhabited the north and northwest frontier of China from at least the middle of the fourth century B.C until their defeat by the Hsiung-nu in the third decade of the second century B.C The main group of the Yiieh-chih migrated westward, finally occupying the region of Bactria in northern Afghanistan and adjacent territories in Soviet Central Asia at the end of the third quarter of the second ;entury B.C.274 Following a period of consolidation con- cerning which little is known, the Yiieh-chih, now known as the Kushana, or Kuei-shang HrH in Chinese sources, advanced their kingdom over the major portion of Afghanistan and conquered northern India as well. The identity of the Kushana with the Yiieh-chih has long ago been conclusively demonstrated.275 The chronology of their western conquests, and of their rulers, however, constitutes a complex and yet unresolved problem outside the limits of our concern here. The dating of nearly all monuments in the Kushan territories hinges upon the unknown accession date of Kanishka.276 But whether those of concern to us here belong in truth to the first, second, or third century after Christ is of secondary impor- tance. That they are essentially products of the Kushan kingdom is what matters. From within the borders of the Kushan empire only two scabbard slides are known (GP.l and GP.2, Plate 17ci). These were recovered at Sirkap in the excavations conducted by Sir John Marshall. Their find position in 71 72 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 the spoil earth close to the surface clearly indicated that they were brought into this city at the time of, or soon after, its conquest by the Kushana who shortly afterward may more or less have abandoned Sirkap in favor of the new city Sirsukh constructed by them about one mile north-northeast of it.277 Both are carved from a whitish marble or marble-like stone, pebbles of which are found by the Haro River near the site.278 Both may be consid- ered as crude imitations of the Form I Chinese scabbard slide. It is impossible to relate them to a particular stage in the development of the Chinese slide, but their fully developed forward extension of the upper plate, with slightly back-sloped forward edge, suggests relationship to slides not earlier than Western Han. It is clear also that these scabbard slides do not repre- sent a type normally used by the Kushana. The upper plates below the apertures are missing, but above the apertures the involuted terminals of the upper plates extend inward to a depth equal to that of the exterior sides of the lower aperture plates. Probably the lower terminals reached inward to an equal depth. The subtle- ties of practical form in the Chinese slide were thus not perceived by the Kushan carvers, and as a result these objects made less efficient slides. The lower aperture plate could not be inserted into a socket in the scabbard; the slide could be bound to the scabbard wall, but without a socket to lock it at the desired position it was liable to slip. Accordingly, they seem to have been secured in place by metal rivets passed through holes drilled in the stone. FIGURE 46.—Stone statue of King Kanishka. [After Vogel (1930), plate I.] FIGURE 47.—Stone statue of Kushan deity or royal personage. [After Vogel (1930), plate XXXIIIJb.] THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 7:'. FIGURE 48.—Stone statue of Kushan king. [After Vogel (1930), plate III.] The form of these slides suggests that the normal Kushan slide did not fit into a socket on the scabbard wall and that the protruding aperture plate of the Chinese slide was consequently meaningless to the Kushana. Therefore, these slides cannot be taken to represent the form of slide given by the Yiieh-chih to the Chinese (if they were the originators), or to be imports from China as Salmony supposed (see GP.l, reference), or even to be close copies of Chinese types. Thev must have been made in imitation of a Chinese slide by someone who had seen one, but one which probably was not attached to a Chinese scabbard; otherwise, one would expect that the functional aspects of its form would have been readilv perceived and more accurately copied. Evidence other than scabbard slides exists to indicate direct or indirect intercourse between Taxila and China, including Chinese bronze sword guards and a stone guard which may have been intended as an imitation of either a Chinese jade or bronze guard (see supplementary notes to GP category).270 One aspect especially of the form of these Taxila slides separates them from their Chinese prototypes: they are widest at the upper end and taper regularly and quite pronouncedly toward the break in the upper plates at the lower aperture wall. While Chinese slides of this form are not unknown (e.g., CR.l, Plate bd, CG.19, Plate 6b, CH.8, Plate 9b, CH.ll, CH.l2), they are quite rare and seem not to appear after the early Western Han.280 The majority of Chinese slides are widest at a point between the center of the aperture and the upper aperture wall, tapering in barely perceptible arcs toward either end. The propor- tions exhibited by the Sirkap slides may, therefore, repre- sent an archaic feature of the earliest slides known to the Chinese. The survival of this feature (which could not have been present in the Chinese model) in the Sirkap slides suggests the existence of an independent tradition among the Kushana, strengthening the hypothesis that the Chinese slide was acquired from the Yiieh-chih. It is perhaps significant to note that the majority of the non- Chinese slides from western Asia and Europe which super- ficially appeal to imitate Chinese Form I slides have these same proportions. 74 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 If the Sirkap slides do not represent the form normally used by the Kushana, how did their slide differ from the Chinese type? To suggest an answer to this question, the monuments which depict the slide must be examined: A. Statue in the round of King Kanishka, Lord Curzon Museum, Mathura, India; Figure 46.281 B. Sculpture in the round of seated Kushan deity or royal figure, Lord Curzon Museum, Mathura, India; Fig- ure 47.282 C. Sculpture in the round of seated Kushan deity or royal figure, similar to B, but smaller and here less well preserved; Indian Museum, no. A25033, ca. 7.00 inches high, Calcutta, India; unpublished. D. Statue in the round of a Kushan king, Lord Curzon Museum, Mathura, India; Figure 48.283 E. Small warrior figure with skirt of plate armor, from Gandharan relief of dark gray schist; from Kabar Kote, West Pakistan; British Museum 99.6-9.6; unpublished (?). F. Lightly draped figure; gray schist Gandharan relief depicting the Dipankara jataka; British Museum.284 G. Warrior figure from gray schist Gandharan relief; from Buner, West Pakistan; British Museum; unpub- lished (?). H. Group of figures garbed in jackets, trousers, and boots; Gandharan gray schist stair riser relief from Jamal- garhi, West Pakistan, depicting a scene from the Maha- janaka Jataka; British Museum.285 I. Naked warrior figure; Gandharan gray schist relief, Musee Guimet, Paris.286 J. Heavily armored warrior figure (a) bearing shield, spear and sword; Gandharan gray schist relief depicting attack of Mara's host on the Buddha; a second figure (b) in the same relief also carries a sword suspended by a scab- bard slide; Central Museum, Lahore, West Pakistan.287 ftti£& K. Lightly draped warrior figure; Gandharan gray FIGURE 49.—Gandharan stone relief. [After Kansas City, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts (1959), page 222, lower.] FIGURE 50.—Gandharan stone relief. [After New York, Asia Society (1960), page 30.] THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 75 FIGURE 51.—Gandharan stone relief. [Courtesy Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario.] schist relief depicting a scene from the wanderings of the Buddha; William Rockhill Nelson Gallery, Kansas City, 55-105; Figure 49.288 L. Lightly draped warrior figure; Gandharan gray schist relief depicting two warriors from the host of Mara; Central Museum, Lahore, West Pakistan; Figure 50.289 M. Lightly draped warrior figure; Gandharan gray schist relief depicting victory over the black serpent at Rajagriha; Central Museum, Lahore, West Pakistan.290 N. Thinly draped figure of Nanaia, from Gandharan gray schist relief; Central Museum, Lahore, West Pakis- tan.291 O. Six figures in Kushan dress; Gandharan gray schist stair-riser relief; Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; Fig- ure 51.292 P. Six figures in Kushan dress; Gandharan gray schist stair-riser (?) relief; Peshawar Museum, West Pakistan.293 Q. Lightly clad warrior figure; fragmentary Gan- dharan gray schist relief, probably depicting figures from the host of Mara; Central Museum, no. 464, 14.00 inches high by 8.00 inches wide, Lahore, West Pakistan; unpub- lished. R. Lightly clad fragmentary figure from Gandharan gray schist relief; Peshawar Museum, no. 776, 3.25 inches high, Peshawar, West Pakistan; unpublished. S. Robed, headless male figure standing under arch; fragmentary Gandharan gray schist relief; Peshawar Museum, no. W.U. 1471, 8.50 inches wide, Peshawar, West Pakistan; unpublished. T. Male figure in knee-length robe holding spear in right hand; fragmentary Gandharan gray schist relief depicting "Dream of Maya"; Peshawar Museum, no. 251, 14.25 inches wide by 5.50 inches high, Peshawar, West Pakistan; unpublished. U. Two warrior figures, one (a) clad in dhoti (Figure 52), the other (b) in full armor (Figure 53); Gandharan gray schist relief depicting attack by host of Mara on the Buddha; Freer Gallery of Art, 49.9, Washington, D.C.294 V. Standing figure of Pancika holding spear in right hand; Gandharan gray schist.295 W. Armor-clad warrior figure; Gandharan gray schist relief depicting attack by host of Mara on the Buddha; Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin-Dahlem.296 X. Figure of warrior; fragmentary Gandharan gray schist relief; Peshawar Museum, no. W.U. 1216, 6.50 inches high, Peshawar, West Pakistan; unpublished. Y. Lightly clad, standing warrior figure; fragmentary gray-green schist relief from Butkara I, near Mingora, Swat, West Pakistan.297 Z. Fragmentary stucco figure of standing warrior with skirt of plate armor over trousers; excavated at Hadda, Afghanistan; Figure 54.298 AA. Standing figure in Kushan dress; flat, unfinished relief fragment, ca. 14.00 inches high, of a whitish stone; excavated at Surkh Kotal, Afghanistan.299 BB. Fragmentary stucco figure excavated at Hadda, Afghanistan.300 CC. Lightly clad warrior figure; gray schist relief exca- 76 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 vated at Shotorak, Afghanistan; Figure 55.301 DD. Standing figure clad in knee-length tunic; gray schist relief excavated at Shotorak, Afghanistan; Figure 56_302 EE. Standing figure of the sun god; wall-painting at top of niche of 38-meter Buddha at Bamiyan, Afghanis- tan; Figure 57.303 FF. Small standing figure of donor in knee-length tunic and trousers; fragmentary white marble relief excavated at Khair Khaneh, near Kabul; Kabul Museum, Dar ul-Aman, Afghanistan; Figure 58.304 GG. Fragmentary standing sculpture of figure in Kushan garb; excavated at Surkh Kotal; Kabul Museum, Dar ul-Aman, Afghanistan.305 HH. Standing figure of the moon god; wall-painting excavated at Fondukistan, niche K; Kabul Museum, Dar ul-Aman, Afghanistan; Figure 64.306 II. Fragmentary stucco plaque of seated figure in Partho-Kushan garb; excavated at Afrasiyab, Uzbek SSR; Hermitage Museum, Leningrad; Figure 59.307 JJ. Fragmentary stucco plaque of standing figure in Kushan garb; excavated at Afrasiyab, Uzbek SSR; Her- mitage Museum, Leningrad; Figure 60.308 KK. Terracotta figurine of standing figure in knee- FIGURE52.—Gandharan stone relief. [Courtesy Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C] FICURE 53—Gandharan stone relief. [Courtesy Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C] THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 77 2 J J. 11 FIGURE 55.—Fragmentary stone relief, Shotorak, Afghanistan. [After Meunie (1942), plate XIV.48.] FICURE 54.—Fragmentary stucco figure, Hadda, Afghanistan. [After Barthoux (1930), plate CXI.d.] length tunic, possibly wearing armor; excavated at Erk- kala (Merv), Turkmen SSR.309 LL. Silver bowl, Freer Gallery of Art, 45.33, Washing- ton, D.C; seated figure in relief wearing sword slung on baldric passing through slide.310 MM. Silver bowl, British Museum, London; two equestrian figures with swords on scabbard slides; said to have been found on the banks of the Swat river, West Pakistan; Figures 61 and 62.311 NN. Fragmentary warrior figure dressed in short tunic and trousers; stucco relief from Dharmarajika, Taxila Museum, KN 606-31, Taxila, West Pakistan; unpub- lished. In addition to the above examples, the existence of the scabbard slide may be presumed in the representations on numerous Kushan coins, but the majority of these are so worn that the slide itself is not visible.312 The position of the sword in most cases, however, makes it virtually cer- tain that it is represented as suspended on a slide. The monuments listed above do not belong to a single well-defined period. Reasonably precise dates may be ascribed to only a few of them. The majority belong to the Kushan period, but a few belong to a later time. The scabbard slides depicted on these monuments vary greatly, but all are worn on belts loosely slung about the 78 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 FIGURE 56.—Fragmentary stone relief, Shotorak, Afghanistan. hips, or on baldrics. On a number of examples (B, L, U(b), FF, Figures 47, 50, 53, 58) impressed or tooled lines along the edges indicate that the belts were leather, thus agreeing with the evidence from China. One belt (K, Figure 49) has a more elaborate tooled pattern. The method of wearing the belt suggested by Chinese repre- sentations is confirmed by the Kushan period examples. The sword belt was not fastened to the garment belt or to the clothing at any point, but was held in place above one hip by the tension produced by the weight of the sword at the opposite side. In the case of the nude or lightly draped figures (I, K, L, M, Q, R, U(a), CC, and Figures 49, 50, 52, 55) such a method of wearing the sword belt seems obvious enough. The sculpture in the round of a stand- ing figure in Kushan garb (D), here shown in front, side and back views (Figure 48), clearly shows that the sword belt was not fastened to the garment belt. The two ends of the sword belt are bound together by a small, round clasp, sometimes plain (D, U(a), U(b), Z, CC, and Figures 48, 52, 53, 54, 55), but often in the form of a rosette (A, E, K, N, and Figures 46, 49). The button usually does not join the two ends at their extremities, but is situated so that one or both ends of the belt hang down from the clasp (Figures 47, 49, 52, 53, 54). Presum- ably, therefore, the clasp or button served as a sort of buckle and the length of the belt could be adjusted by means of perforations at intervals in each end of the strap (such holes are never shown), or by clasping the two parts of the belt together, as with a strong clip, at any point along its length. In addition to joining the ends of the sword belt, the button may well have served another purpose. It may be observed that in all cases where the button is depicted and the sword is represented at the left side of the bearer, inclined forward as in China, with the hilt within easy reach of the right hand, the sword is worn to the left proper of the button (A, D, E, K, N, U(b), CC, FF [in this case knotted belt ends], GG). At other times, in posi- tions of ease, the sword hangs vertically in front, directly in line with the center of the body (U(a), Z). The button then is to the left proper of the sword. This manner of representing the sword in two positions relative to the button is found as well in other areas where the scabbard slide and sword belt have been depicted. Probably the button served to restrict the slippage of the sword; when in combat, its desired position was at the left side. That is, it prevented the sword from sliding forward to interfere with the movement of the legs. Though some fastening of this type may be presumed wherever the scabbard slide was employed in antiquity, THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 79 it is not always included in representations and, to my knowledge, only one fixture of this sort has been found with the sword and slide in the burial (see. V.l). It seems likely that certain Chinese objects classified as belt hooks may in fact have been clasps for sword belts. I refer par- ticularly to the numerous small hooks which consist of little more than a button raised from the back of a stout hook by a post, such as the one attached to the leather belt described by Karlbeck (p. 42). Though generally similar in form to the more elongated belt hooks, they seem to constitute a class apart and to be far more FIGURE 57.—Painting of sun god, niche of 38-meter Buddha, Bamiyan, Afghanistan. [After Godard (1928), page 21, figure 6.] restricted in size and shape than the elongated types. Two such hooks were found in close proximity to iron swords in the tomb at Lo-lang, Korea, where slides CV.8 and CV.9 were discovered.313 One of these has the shape of a miniature belt hook of normal form; the other consists of a semicircular bronze piece with post and but- ton attached at right angles near one end. The latter could not easily have served as a garment hook, but might easily have served as a sword belt clasp, the scabbard edge resting in the crescent-shaped bronze part. The association of both with iron swords suggests that both served as sword-belt clasps; and the suggestion is therefore pre- sented that other such "miniature" belt hooks may in fact belong not to garment belts, but to sword belts. Swords within the Kushan territories were not all worn on sword belts slung around the waist. If one may credit the representations with accuracy in this regard, swords were also worn on baldrics passed over the right shoulder and falling diagonally across the back and chest to the sword at the left side (F, M, Q, BB, LL).314 Buttons are not seen on these baldrics though presumably the ends of the strap were held together by some form of clasp. The button would naturally have a less important function on a shoulder baldric where there was less possibility of the sword sliding from its position at the side. On the whole, the shoulder baldric, which must be considered here as an innovation from the Roman East and not the belt originally, or typically associated with the scabbard slide, was probably a more efficient arrangement for the foot soldier, the waist belt being more appropriate for the equestrian. The various representations from the Kushan territories corroborate also what we hypothesized in our discussion of the slide in China with respect to the manner in which the sword was drawn. Hung loosely on the belt, the sword could not be drawn with the right hand alone; the sword would not come out of the scabbard, but draw the sheath along with it owing to the regulated tension between blade and scabbard necessary to prevent the sword from accidentally falling out of its sheath. In drawing the sword, the left hand grasped the scabbard at approxi- mately midpoint, holding it firmly as the weapon was drawn (Figure 63).315 If the sword was long and the length of the extended right arm provided insufficient drawing room, the scabbard could be thrust on its loose belt in the opposite direction. Such representations do, in effect, confirm the supposed meaning of the Shih Chi passage on the attempted assassination of Shih huang-ti cited in the preceding chapter. The swords recovered at Taxila, some fitted with Chi- nese bronze sword guards, are not generally as long as the Chinese iron swords.310 They are a hybrid type seemingly related to Roman double-edged spatha, in the case of the longer swords, and gladius swords. They do not inform us of the Kushan sword, if such a type existed independently. The majority of the figures dressed in Kushan garb in the Gandharan reliefs, and carrying swords on belts and slides, carry a broader, shorter sword than those found in China (e.g., Figure 53).317 The sword represented on the renowned statue of Kanishka (Figure 46) fits in well with those shown on the reliefs.318 If we may generalize on the basis of GP.l and GP.2, scabbards were also heavier than the normal Chinese types, and made of wood sufficiently 80 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 FIGURE 58.—Fragmentary marble relief, Khair Khaneh, Afghanistan. thick to take the rivets by which the slide was attached. It is not possible to determine with great accuracy the precise form of the scabbard slide depicted in the sculp- tural representations throughout the Kushan territories. As we observed in the analysis of the slide in China, dis- tinctive and significant variations in form are notable chiefly in details one cannot reasonably expect to be shown in the sculptural and painted representations. A few observations of a general nature may, however, be made. A few of the scabbard slides are long, narrow rectangles (A, G, J, L, U(b), Figures 46, 50, 53) with clearly defined edges. The sword belts pass through the center so that some form of aperture set below the upper end may be presumed. Possibly these represent slides imitating the Chinese Form I variety, or actual Chinese imports. The slide shown on the scabbard belonging to the Kanishka statue (A, Figure 46) and another on a relief in the British Museum (G) appear to be bound to the scab- bard with broad bands in a way that suggests an adapta- tion of the Form I slide different from that of GP.l and GP.2. Neither sword is worn on a belt and the "binding" may therefore be the loose sword belt wrapped about the scabbard.319 Other slides are represented by parallel vertical lines on the scabbard wall, implying recession of the upper and lower ends into the scabbard (F, K, Figure 49, CC), or they are defined only at the sides and upper end, suggest- ing a bulging loop that recedes at the lower end into the scabbard (E, N, R, Z, Figure 54). Still others are depicted as simple convex bands with flared ends (B, Figure 47, I, M), or as thin eye-loops on the scabbard wall (U(a), Figure 52). The scabbard slide worn by the seated Kushan figure (B, Figure 47) appears to be attached by rivets through a short tongue below and to be secured above by a narrow engraved band probably placed over another flat tongue. These slides are obviously not related to Form I types from China. Whether they are similar to the Form II slides is equally doubtful. They appear to lack the essen- tial feature of Form II slides: the self-contained aperture. Probably they are simply eye-loops attached to the scab- bard wall which itself serves as the lower, or inner aper- THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 81 FIGURE 59.—Fragmentary stucco plaque, Afrasiyab, Uzbek SSR. [After Strzygowski (1917), figure 207.] ture plate of the slide. The single published example in which the slide is shown in profile (I) strongly suggests this form. Such a device would be less satisfactory than a completely enclosed aperture owing to the possibility of the belt lodging in the angle between slide and scabbard wall, unless the upper end of the slide was in some way folded under. Their close relationship, however, to Form II slides from China and its bordering territories is clear. Probably the majority of these scabbard slides were sim- FICURE 60.—Fragmentary stucco plaque, Afrasiyab, Uzbek SSR. [After Strzygowski (1917), figure 208.] pie bronze or iron loops since sophisticated lapidary tradi- tions were foreign to them. Consequently, most of them may have disappeared, or they lie broken, misshapen, unrecognized, and unclassified in museum collections. 82 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 FIGURE 61.—Relief ornamentation on silver bowl, British Museum. [After Dalton (1964), plate XXX, lower.] FIGURE 62.—Relief ornamentation on silver bowl, British Museum. [After Dalton (1964), plate XXXI, lower.] While the obscure chronology of the Kushan period precludes assigning precise dates to any of the objects on which the scabbard slide is depicted, the chronological span of these monuments may be broadly outlined. The two fragmentary scabbard slides from the Kushan level at Sirkap indicate that the slide appeared in northern India with the Kushana and probably had not previously existed there. As no objects which could have served a similar function were found in the Parthian, Saka, Greek, or pre-Greek levels at Sirkap, it may be concluded that before the Kushan period swords were suspended in some other way. Among the thousands of stone sculptures, stuccos, and terracottas from the Taxila sites, apart from NN I know of only two representations of swords which, from their position, may have been carried on scabbard slides. These pieces, however, are badly damaged and neither slide nor belt may be seen.320 Similarly, among the hun- dreds of stone sculptures unearthed from Buddhist sites in the Swat valley by the Italian mission under the lead- ership of Giuseppe Tucci—still not fully published—only one representation of a scabbard slide occurs (Y), and it appears to be rather poorly understood, or crudely repro- duced. This does not prove that the Gandharan "school" of sculpture had already begun before Kushan times, for there is not a single representation of a sword in all of Gandharan sculpture which, by its position, suggests it was not carried on a slide. It may be, however, that the sword entered the repertoire of sculptural motives in this region only after official patronage of Buddhism by the Kushan overlords, after which figures of Kushan donors appeared in the reliefs, and warriors and even goddesses were provided with a Kushan-type sword. We may assume that by the time of Kanishka, whenever that may have been, the scabbard slide had become a standard item in the representation of swords. Two monuments from Surkh Kotal (AA, GG), a temple founded by, or under the patronage of, Kanishka reveal evidence of the existence of the scabbard slide. Finally, the Kushan statues in the Calcutta and Mathura museums (A, B, C, D) show the sword belt and slide worn by early Kushan rulers. (The sword has been broken off D, but presumably it resem- bled that of the others.) We may assume, then, that the scabbard slide was in use throughout Kushan territories for the duration of their suzerainty and that it appeared with them in Trans- Oxiana and Bactria before their conquest of India. The terracotta figures from Soviet Central Asia (II, JJ, KK, THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 83 Figures 59 and 60) probably belong to a later phase of Kushan dominance in this region.321 There is evidence that shortly afterward a new type of sword suspension was introduced. The sword held by one of these figures (JJ) has a flared chape similar to the Chinese form and may represent an import (Figure 60). Such a chape would strongly suggest a date not later than the third century for this piece. FIGURE 63.—Gandharan stone relief. [Peshawar Museum, Peshawar.] The silver bowl (MM, Figures 61 and 62) also belongs to the late Kushan period, and must be dated to the period of Sasanian supremacy in this region. Sasanian influence is pronounced in the representation of the figures and the swords themselves are of the type with broad guards seen on the third-century reliefs in Iran. Both swords are fitted with flaring chapes reminiscent of the Chinese form. In both representations, the sword belt falls in an arc to either side of the scabbard and possibly does not actually pass through the slide. This misunderstood rendering of the apparatus is similar to that seen in the painting of the sun god at Bamiyan (Figure 57) and points to a fifth- century date. Use of the sword belt and scabbard slide seems not to have survived the Kushana except as a vaguely and inac- curately perceived artistic convention in later representa- tions. It may even have been more or less restricted in its use to the Kushana during the period of their domination and therefore subject to occasional misunderstanding on the part of non-Kushan artisans who represented it dur- ing that period. I can think of no other reason why the slide should have been represented once at Shotorak, Afghanistan, as fastened to a garment belt of plaques (DD, Figure 56), and another time properly to a low-slung sword belt (Figure 55), considering that the monastery probably belongs to the second century after Christ.322 The form of the slide, its position on the scabbard, and the form of the sword itself, unlike other examples of likely later date, betray no revealing lack of familiarity with this equipment. Doubtless, Kushan influence in Afghanistan was some- what lessened following the invasion of the Sasanian monarch Shapur I in the middle of the third century, and still more so after the defeat of the Kushana by Shapur II in A.D. 340. Kushan power was not finally extinguished, however, until the invasion of the Hephthalites in A.D. 460. It is almost certain that the Hephthalites brought with them a different type of sword suspension and equally certain that at least one representation of the scabbard slide in Afghanistan is to be dated subsequent to the Hephthalite invasion. At the late Buddhist monastery of Fondukistan, prob- ably of sixth- or even early seventh-century date, a wall painting depicting the sun and moon gods was discov- ered. The moon god's sword (HH, Figure 64), is sus- pended from a loop of belt, the ends of which are attached to the garment belt a short distance to either side of its closing. This sword belt passes by the sword at a point below the hilt where the scabbard slide should be, but no slide is represented. Standing to the moon god's left, the sun god wears a sword suspended by two cords attached to the garment belt above and fastened into eyes on the scabbard edge. As we shall see, this fastening—here cor- rectly represented while the moon god's sword suspension has been wholly misunderstood—must be considered as the one which had by this time become nearly universal in Asia. Whether it arrived in the old Kushan territories only with the Hephthalites, or had preceded them as an influence from outside, cannot easily be answered on the basis of the monuments on hand. The sword of the sun god painted at the top of the niche of the 38-meter Buddha (EE, Figure 57) has been equipped with a sus- pension device similar to that of the moon god at Fon- 84 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 AS ' FIGURE 64.—Wall painting from niche K, Fondukistan, Afghanistan. [After Hackin (1959) figure 195.] THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 85 dukistan. The date of this painting is not known. The modified pistol-grip hilt of the sword has analogies with Sasanian Iran which clearly indicate that the painting cannot be earlier than the later part of the third century; almost certainly it is still later than this, probably not before the later part of the fifth century.323 Finally, a small figure of a donor in barbarian dress (FF, Figure 58) on a relief carved from white marble, and recovered from Sanctuary A in the temple at Khair Khaneh, wears a properly delineated sword belt which passes over the scabbard and through a correctly rendered slide. To the right proper of the sword is a small dagger, attached to the tunic belt by means of cords from two eyes on the scabbard edge similar to those on the sword of the sun god at Fondukistan. The temple at Khair Khaneh is ded- icated to an Iranian, rather than Buddhist deity. It has been ascribed to the fourth or fifth century after Christ. Probably this sculpture is not to be dated much earlier than the arrival of the Hephthalites. The typical Kushan scabbard slide was probably a sim- ple eye-loop of metal or carved wood, nailed or bound to the wall of a wooden scabbard. Chinese imports may have existed; imitations of the Chinese Form I slide certainly did exist. The appearance of the scabbard slide in the territories of the Kushana does not prove that the Chinese obtained the slide from them centuries earlier when they inhabited the northwestern border regions of China. The presumed prevalence of a type of slide different from the commonly encountered Chinese variety indicates, how- ever, that the Kushana probably did not receive this device from the Chinese.324 What is strongly suggested is that the predominantly equestrian Kushana brought the slide with them from their earlier eastern territories and that it was, at least until the fourth century after Christ, the only form of suspension employed by them. The dis- tinctive Chinese Form I slide was evidently novel among them, their more common variety resembling the simpler Chinese Form II variety which typologically is the earlier in China. IRANIAN ASIA IN THE PARTHIAN AND SASANIAN PERIODS325 We should expect to find the scabbard slide in use among the Parthians who had long been in close contact with the Kushana in Bactria and Afghanistan. That there is no evidence of the scabbard slide in the Parthian strata at Taxila is not disturbing; the only evidence of the Kushan slide there is two stone pieces crudely imitating a Chinese type while numerous representations suggest that the majority were of a simpler form. Unfortunately, no actual examples of scabbard slides are known to have been recovered from Parthian sites, nor have any been depicted on monuments thus far dis- covered in their northeastern territories.326 The few rep- resentations of the Parthian slide are all found in the western portion of their empire and presumably date from the later part of the period.327 The scabbard slide is not seen clearly in the published photographs of any of these sculptures, but in one case (C) the description of the fastening clearly indicates the presence of a slide;328 and in another case (D), a sword belt similar to those worn by the Kushan figures, with circular clasp or button joining the ends, makes it quite certain that the Parthians were familiar with the scabbard slide.329 From the descrip- tion of (C), we may gather that the Parthian scabbard slide, at least as represented in the late art of the Par- thians' western provinces, bore little resemblance to that of the Chinese. Except for the fact that it was produced in the form of confronted animals, it is similar to the presumed common Kushan type; that is, a simple eye- loop on the scabbard wall. It is quite possible that not all the Kushan slides were as plain as they appear on the small-scale sculptures. The relationship between the clothing and accoutre- ments of the Parthians and the Palmyrenes has been thoroughly examined on several occasions, always with the same conclusion: the Palmyrene costume of boots, trousers, and knee-length tunic, together with the sword and its belt, is essentially an Iranian riding costume.330 Whether the origin of this costume which appears in the early post-Christian centuries from the Mediterranean to northern India should be sought in the Bactrian civiliza- tion as recently posited by Daniel Schlumberger,331 or whether we are obliged to carry it further back in time, as Widengren has done,332 to the leather costume of the Scythians, with implications of a north Eurasian origin, is not of immediate concern to us here. Whether owing to a dominant Greco-Iranian cultural milieu, or to Romano-Hellenistic impulses constantly emanating from the West, what matters is that there was a degree of homogeneity throughout vast areas of western and central Asia among racially and linguistically distinct peoples in the centuries following the conquests of Alexander. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to find the sword belt and scabbard slide represented on funerary reliefs of the sec- ond and third centuries at Palmyra where its appearance is doubtless attributable to the Parthians,333 or that these swords should have guards and hilts similar to those depicted on the Gandharan reliefs. The late Parthian period is also the time during which at least some Roman SI, SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 legionnaires, periodically fighting the Parthians on their eastern frontier, adopted the scabbard slide to sling their swords from baldrics.334 As with the Parthian representations, the scabbard slides on the Palmyrene reliefs are for the most part invisible, damaged, or not clearly seen. But a single example where it is seen clearly (Figure 65) suffices to tell us that in the other cases a similar device was intended. It is a small, flat rectangle set some distance below the hilt and presumably it represents the simple eye-loop variety which seems to have been the dominant form in western Asia. At Palmyra, the sword belt passes either over (Figure 65) the garment belt, or under it (Figure 66). In either case, it does not appear to have been attached to the garment belt or to the clothing at any point. Fastening the garment belt over the sword belt would help to hold the loosely slung sword belt in its proper place. The posture of these Palmyrene figures, and the manner in which the left hand rests upon the hilt of the sword, is strongly reminiscent of the figures from many of the Gandharan reliefs which doubtless are contemporary. Neither at Palmyra, nor among the later Parthians (those best known to us), was the scabbard slide the only device in use for hitching up a sword. Another method of fastening, shown on two monuments, involved a series of four small rings banded to the scabbard, two on either side set slightly apart, but occupying a position on the scabbard equivalent to that at which the slide was set.335 Contrary to the normal appearance of the sword belt, in both cases the narrow leather straps attached to the rings on the scabbard pass, at the right side, underneath a heavily tooled leather belt and may, therefore, be attached to it. While differing slightly from the attachment form which supplanted the scabbard slide in most parts of Asia, it is clearly related to it and may represent a similar though separately conceived innovation. In either case, the function of these attachments was to hold the sword at an angle equivalent to that achieved through use of the scabbard slide. The former, however, held the sword rigidly in place, while the latter allowed for adjustment laterally along the sword belt. The long sword and scabbard slide carried by the Par- thians and Palmyrenes points to connections with the Kushan realm to the east at earlier times. Whether the Parthians acquired these elements from the Kushana as >^^^*^i^.«w»fe^S5^g^^ :..J'-r*£d«£:W?.?r« FIGURE 65.—Triclinium of Maqqai, from Palmyra, Syria. [After Seyrig (1937), plate IV.] THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 87 early as the second century B.C. in Trans-Oxiana, or brought them independently from their earlier homeland in the Eurasian steppe, cannot yet be determined. The scabbard slide composed of confronted lions (or simply felines?) may suggest closer affinities to the steppe than to China. But the external form of the Kushan slide is unknown. Similarities exist between the costume of the Parthians and Palmyrenes and the South Russian Scyth- ians,336 and if Widengren is right in his supposition that the Iranian riding costume points to prototypes in leather worn by the subarctic progenitors of the Scythians,337 we are ultimately led into the Eurasian steppe at early times and into hypotheses which cannot be supported on the basis of the presently available evidence. Maenchen-Helfen's statement, "It is strange that the Sasanian slide occurs only on monuments of the third century," 338 is misleading. It loses much of its significance when we recall that virtually all of the Sasanian rock reliefs belong to the third century, and that in at least one relief (at Bishapur) which does not belong to this century the slide is represented. His statement loses the remainder of its validity when we note that among the silver plates presently and plausibly ascribed to the fourth century, only one depicts the scabbard in such a position that the suspension device would be shown and a scabbard slide is clearly represented. Other plates of the fourth century show the sword belt alone, the sword being concealed or only partially visible at the left side of the figure seen from the right, but in each case the type of belt is that associated with those monuments on which the slide is clearly shown. As was the case in the Parthian and Palmyrene prov- inces, no actual example of a Sasanian slide has been found or yet recognized among museum collections; but whereas the use of the slide among the Parthians and Palmyrenes can be demonstrated by reference to a small number of stone sculptures only, it appears on stone reliefs, metalwork, intaglios, and coins belonging to the Sasanians. Since the majority of Sasanian monumental sculptural reliefs belong to the earlier portion of the FICURE 66.—Fragmentary stone figure, Palmyra, Syria. [Courtesy Mr. Fred Andercgg.] SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 i {„■'< I W /:'/'l ■. / / il ' / ' ^y^ ' 7 FIGURE 67.—Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran. [Courtesy of the Herzfeld Archives, Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C] THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 89 FICURE 68.—Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran. [Courtesy of the Herzfeld Archives, Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C] 90 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 dynasty, that is to the third and early fourth centuries, it is only natural that the majority of scabbard-slide representations should belong to this time. From Ardashir I (A.D. 223-241), founder of the kingdom, through Narse (A.D. 293-302), every king depicted the scabbard slide on his commemorative reliefs, with the exception of Bahram III who ruled less than a year in A.D. 293 and had insufficient time to memorialize himself, and Hormizd I who ruled a year only (A.D. 272-273) but who, in spite of his brief reign, found time under the reign of his sovereign Shapur I (A.D. 241-272) to strike coinage in his own name on which the scabbard slide, if not actually seen, may be assumed.339 Ardashir I,340 Shapur I (Figures 67-71),341 Bahram I (A.D. 273-276),342 Bahram II (A.D. FIGURE 69 Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran. [After Ghirshman (1962), page 156, figure 197.] 276-293; Figures 72 and 73),343 and Narse had carved at their behest one or more reliefs in which the scabbard slide is represented dozens of times.344 It is only natural that the majority of these reliefs (and hence the most scabbard slides) were carved for Shapur I and Bahram II whose combined reigns account for forty-eight of the seventy-nine years included in the period spanned by the first seven Sasanian monarchs. Coins and intaglios belonging to these kings also show the slide, or suggest its presence (Figures 74 and 75).345 Without exception the Sasanian sword is very long. Using the same norms applied to the Kushan repre- sentations on the Gandhara reliefs, it may be calculated that the typical Sasanian sword in its scabbard ranges between 35 and 45 inches in length. Even if we concede that the average Sasanian was over five feet four inches tall and that the swords as represented may be somewhat exaggerated in length, the conclusion that the Sasanians carried swords of approximately a meter in length is inescapable.346 The sword guards may be relatively small (Figures 67 and 70), resembling Han dynasty, Chinese bronze rapier guards, but normally they are extremely broad (Figure 69); commonly, they are fashioned in the form of two animal heads facing outward to either side of the hilt (Figure 73). The pommels generally are rendered in two forms: rounded ring or spherical (Figure 67), or as an animal head facing toward the right proper (Figure 73), the muzzle projecting beyond the grip and transforming it into a modified pistol-grip similar to that of the hilt of the sun god at Bamiyan considered "un-Sasanian" by Maenchen-Helfen (n. 323). Whereas in the Kushan territories swords were depicted in a wide variety of positions, in the third-century Sasan- ian representations two positions predominate: at the left side, hilt inclining forward (Figures 67 and 68); or, in the center of the body, the chape resting on or near the ground and the hilt serving as an arm rest, or reaching to just below the folded arms (Figures 69 and 72). Normally, when the sword is worn at the left—that is in the position of readiness—it rests snugly against the clasp which joins the two ends of the belt (Figure 67). As I have already noted, this clasp served two functions: to secure the belt and to prevent the sword from sliding forward, away from the left side. In the Kushan terri- tories, when the sword was worn "at ease" vertically before the body, the belt clasp was usually represented to the left proper of the sword, thus emphasizing the noncombatant nature of the personage. I know of only one similar instance among the Sasanian representa- tions;347 in all other cases the clasp has been moved along to the right proper side of the sword. The normal position of the sword when worn by the equestrian is well illustrated by Figures 70 and 75. Though certainly less often depicted in this position by the Chinese, this must be considered both the normal and intended one. The hilt is within easy grasp of the right hand while the scabbard lies along the flank of the horse behind the rider's leg. The scabbard slide itself is seen quite clearly on a number of reliefs. While its elevation from the scabbard wall is rarely discernible in photographs (but see Figures 70 and 71), first-hand observation reveals that in a number THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 91 FIGURE 70.—Sasanian rock relief at Naqsh-i Rustam, Iran. [After Ghirshman (1962), page 135, figure 171.] of cases the form of the slide can easily be ascertained. On the reliefs, the slides are often placed close to the guard; on the coins and the intaglio of Shapur I (Figures 74 and 75), they are situated lower on the scabbard. Presumably the position shown on the intaglio and coins is nearer to actuality as the principal benefits to be derived from use of the slide (balance and the inclined position of the sword) are chiefly dependant upon the slide being placed close to the balance point. The scabbard slides rise sharply from the sheath at their upper ends (Figure 71), then slope inward, the aperture becoming shallower gradually and evenly toward the lower end. The sides are either straight (Figure 68), flared (Figures 70 and 71), or more commonly concave (Figures 67, 69, and 72). The belt normally passes through near the upper end where the aperture is deepest. There is little doubt but that these slides are arched metal bands with short flat tongues at either end riveted or bound to the scabbard wall. They are eye-loops similar to the majority of the Kushan slides, and while they are related to the Form II Chinese slide they do not have the self-contained aperture which constitutes a fundamentally superior device. The slide worn by the kneeling Valerian in the relief at Bishapur (Figure 69) is narrower and suggests a somewhat different form, possibly similar to S.l and S.2 (Plates 18c-d and I9a-b) from Roman Syria. It is tempting, however, to speculate that it might even be an imported jade Form I Chinese slide, for, as shall be seen, these were known in the Near East in the third century. While some of the sword belts appear to be entirely plain (Figures 67 and 68), others show distinctly the tooled edge lines which identify them as leather (Figure 71).348 Straps of the same type, though naturally heavier and broader, appear in the harnessing of horses in the reliefs (Figure 70, on crupper).349 Some belts exhibit more elaborate tooled or set patterns (Figure 71, garment belts).350 The leather sword belt is, therefore, a consistent feature wherever the scabbard slide has appeared. When we come to consider the appearance of the scabbard slide in later Sasanian times we encounter problems in chronology and changes in representational practice or fashion which complicate the identity of this object. Whether, as Herzfeld maintains,351 monumental wall paintings replaced the art of grandiose royal rock reliefs after the third century, the fact remains that the 92 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 practice of recording victories and investitures on stone virtually ceased at the close of the third century, with the possible exception of a relief ascribed quite plausibly by Ghirshman to Shapur II (A.D. 309-379),352 but which earlier authors had thought belonged to Shapur I or Bahram II. If this relief does, indeed, belong to Shapur II, then it provides evidence that the scabbard slide was still in use among the Sasanians during the fourth century.353 Since the Sasanians had a penchant for representing equestrians riding toward the right, and were more faithful to reality than the Chinese in depicting the sword at the left side, it follows that the swords carried by horsemen on the silver plates are rarely seen. A plate ascribed to Shapur II is a notable exception. Here the king rides toward the left. His sword is in full view and is suspended from a sword belt by a small, straight-sided, carefully rendered, scabbard slide (Figure 76).354 The reign of Shapur II marks the last credible appear- ance of the scabbard slide in Sasanian Iran. Just as in the Kushan territories the scabbard slide lingered on as an artistic convention some time after it had disappeared from actual usage, so also is the slide represented on several later Sasanian monuments in such a form that it is clear it no longer constituted a meaningful object to the artisans. Hence, on a silver plate found at Ufa in the Priural region in 1941, belonging either to the fifth or the sixth century,355 the king's sword has an eyelet on either edge of the scabbard and the ends of the sword belt are attached to these. The rectangular guard marked with four small circles and the hilt with ring or globe pommel closely resemble some from Kumtura in East Turkistan.356 A similar device is depicted on the seated king's sword on a plate in the Hermitage Museum ascribed to the reign of Khusrau I (A.D. 531-578). Bracket- ed by larger eyelets on the scabbard edge, and situated FIGURE 71.—Sasanian rock relief at Naqsh-i Rajab, Iran. in the center of the sheath, is a small, one might say vestigial, scabbard slide (Figure 77).357 The belt is repre- sented as passing through each eyelet, crossing the outer surface of the scabbard and passing through the slide. We may, therefore, have here a late mutation of the scabbard slide combined with supplementary devices serving as "tension rings" on the belt. More likely, it is a meaningless convention. The sword worn by the king in the small hunting scene below on the same plate is suspended in the same manner, though the small-scale scabbard slide has been omitted. Finally, on another silver bowl in the Walters Art Gallery, ascribed by Erdmann to the fifth century, but by Ghirshman to the sixth or seventh, the sword belt lies loosely over the scabbard of the seated king's weapon and does not appear to be attached to it at any point.358 At Taq-i Bustan, near Kermanshah, there are two reliefs depicting suspension devices which have some THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 93 rr*tarj FICURE 72.—Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran. [Courtesy of the Herzfeld Archives, Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C] bearing on the later conventional representations of the scabbard slide. At the rear of the smaller grotto stand the figures of two kings which have been identified as Shapur II and Shapur III.359 Their swords arc worn in a vertical position before them. On the scabbards, in place of slides, are rosettes similar in form to the clasps on the sword belts of the Gandhara reliefs. Only at Taq-i Bustan, the rosettes are evidently meant to represent scabbard slides. The ends of the sword belt cross over each other where they meet the sword and extend to either side. If the grotto was indeed carved during the reign of Shapur III (A.D. 383-388), we are obliged to conclude that the scabbard slide as a functional object must have disappeared sometime late in the reign of Shapur II or his successor, Ardashir II (A.D. 379-383), for the slide is accounted for on a rock relief and a silver plate of Shapur II. At the rear of the larger grotto at Taq-i Bustan is an investiture scene. Whether the king is Peroz (A.D. 457/59- 483) as Erclmann believes,300 or Khusrau (A.D. 590-628) 94 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 as Herzfeld contends,361 the scabbard slide on his sword is in either case a rosette similar to those on the swords of Shapur II and Shapur III.362 The sword belt, however, is more convincingly rendered. Passing through the rosette, the two ends are joined to the right proper of the sword by a round clasp and a belt end hangs below the clasp (Figure 78).363 FIGURE 73—Sasanian rock relief at Bishapur, Iran. Possibly the two hunting scenes depicted in low relief on opposite walls of the larger grotto provide a clue to its date. In the boar-hunt scene covering the west wall, a royal personage is represented twice. He stands in a boat and holds a bow. He carries no sword, but wears a belt of a type we have not encountered before.364 To either side of the center clasp are closely set short straps, or lappets, hanging from the belt. These are ornamented with small metal roundels and the ends are enclosed by metal rims. Opposite this relief is another unfinished one method of wearing the sword and the belts worn by the royal personages, courtiers, and attendants in the two reliefs belong together. Since they represent, as far as I know, the belt and sword suspension which replaced the scabbard slide and its belt throughout Asia, some notice of them should be taken. Masuda, who has devoted a special study to this method of suspending the sword, ascribes an Iranian origin to it.366 If Enoki is correct in his identification of the Hephthalites as an Iranian people,307 then it is possible that the Sasanians first encountered this suspen- sion device in use among them. Certainly the scabbard slide appears to pass from use in the Kushan territories about the time of the Hephthalite invasion in the mid- fifth century, but swords exhibiting the double-locket attachments are not represented during the period of their supremacy. Therefore, it is not known for certain whether the Hephthalites employed this device, but if they did it seems likely that they had acquired it from Turkish steppe peoples to the north and east with whom they were in contact and who, in the middle of the sixth century, finally overpowered them. depicting a royal stag hunt. The king, surveying the hunt from horseback and sheltered by an umbrella (Figure 79), wears a sword at his left side.365 It is suspended not by means of a scabbard slide, nor by some improbable device reflective of a conventional recollection of the slide, but by two straps attached at their upper ends to the garment belt and at their lower ends to the edge of the scabbard, some distance apart from each other. The belt also has a series of lappets attached to it. This FIGURE 74.—Sasanian silver coin. [After Pope (1938-1958), volume 4, plate CCLIII.E.] Ghirshman's belief that the double-locket, or two-point, suspension device does not appear in Iran until after the fifth century is based upon his acceptance of the conventionalized representations of the scabbard slide at Taq-i Bustan and on several silver plates as depicting a meaningful object.368 In fact, a functional scabbard THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 95 slide cannot be shown to exist in Iran after the fourth century, and though in Iran as in the Kushan territories there is a marked hiatus between the last representations of a functional slide and the first appearance of the double-locket device, during which improbable and con- ventional representations of suspension devices based on the old scabbard slide are depicted, it is inadmissible either that these conventionalized forms represent an actual device in use, or that there was no way of suspend- ing a sword during this interval. A similar hiatus between the disappearance of the slide and representations of a new suspension device may be noted in China as well. We must conclude, therefore, that the fantasy creations which separate meaningful representations of the slide from those of the device which replaced it are due solely to a pan-Asian conservatism in art and that the date at which meaningful representations of the scabbard slide ceased to be produced is close to that at which the two-point suspension system replaced it. On this hypothesis, we may assume that the double-locket device entered the old Kushan territories at about the time of the Hephthalite invasion even though its actual existence there cannot be demonstrated until sometime later. Recently several swords with double lockets on the scabbards have been found in northern Iran (see n. 368), two of which are illustrated here (Figures 80 and 81).309 The hilts and scabbards are sheathed with thin plates of gold and silver which probably once overlaid wood. The blades are iron, but whether of rapier or saber type has not been revealed. Possibly they are too decom- FIGURE 75.—Sasanian intaglio. [After Ghirshman (1962), page 152, figure 195.] posed to make identification certain. All are over a meter in length.370 None is provided with a guard. The strict correspondence between these swords and several repre- sented in the wall paintings at Varakhshah in Uzbekistan and Panjikent in Tadjikistan, including the indentation in the hilt for the index finger, lack of guards, and the "pistol-grip" terminating in what must be vestigial ani- mal heads, suggests that these swords belong, as Ghirsh- man believes, to the sixth or seventh century.371 If, as I believe, the two-point suspension system replaced the scabbard slide directly by the end of the fourth century, swords of this general type may be dated still earlier. Some of the swords at Panjikent, as well as the short daggers there and at the site of Balalyk Tepe near Termez, and at Varakhshah, are clearly suspended from two lockets set on the scabbard edge.372 But in some instances, at Panjikent especially, these lockets are repre- sented in the form of rosettes on the flat side of the scabbard, though the basic type suspension remains clearly the same.373 Probably these rosettes constitute an actual variation of the scabbard-edge lockets. If so, this would help to clarify the confused representations at 96 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 FIGURE 76 Sasanian silver plate. [After Pope (1938-1958), volume 4, plate CCX.] Taq-i Bustan where such rosettes appear and where they may constitute a stylistic combination of an obsolete device (scabbard slide) and its belt (improperly slung) with an element that belonged to the new two-point suspension form. The idea of adapting the rosette form to the double-locket device would have come from the Kushan territories where the sword belt clasp was frequently rendered in this form (Figures 48 and 49). The swords in the Panjikent wall paintings are sus- pended from the garment belt when the bearer is represented seated at ease. When he is mounted, or engaged in combat on foot, a second belt is worn below the garment belt and the bow case is attached to this belt (Figure 82).374 The garment belt is not provided with lappets such as we see in the hunting reliefs at Taq-i Bustan, but these plain belts and lower bow case THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 97 FIGURE 77.—Sasanian silver plate. [After Orbeli and Trever (1935), plate XIII.] or quiver belt correspond to those worn by the giant equestrian statue at the back of the larger grotto at Taq-i Bustan.375 The system is clearly related to that of the two-point sword suspension and not to the scabbard slide. Such a system of belts with their related appendages of sword, dagger, bow case, quiver occurs over a wide reach of Asia from the fourth to the eighth century—in China,376 European and Asiatic portions of the Soviet Union,377 East Turkistan,378 and Soviet Central Asia.379 At some point lappets are attached to the garment belt as we see it in the two Taq-i Bustan hunt scenes. These also occur widely throughout Asia.380 Werner and Laszlo have pointed out that this belt with lappets (Figure 83) is ubiquitous in Avar tombs of East Europe beginning in the late sixth century, while it is totally absent from the preceding Hunnish burials.381 Whether the belt with pendant straps is the invention of the Avars, or whether they acquired it from an eastern Turkish people, and whether it originated at the same moment and place as the two-point suspension, are problems which carry us 98 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 beyond our immediate concern. What matters is that the suspension of the sword from lockets on the scabbard, together with its belt system, is soon associated across Asia with the garment belt with lappets, and that these are later universally associated with Turkish peoples.382 Richard Frye believes that the large equestrian figure at the back of the main Taq-i Bustan grotto belongs to the time of Shapur III as the peculiar tamgha which appears on the horse's flank is found also on coins of Shapur III (as well as some of his predecessor's), but is not encountered afterward.383 This is possible when we consider the fantasy sword suspension worn by the relief figure of Shapur III in the smaller grotto as indicative that the two-point suspension device had already come into use. But the belts with pendants worn by the royal personages in the hunt reliefs on the side walls could hardly be earlier than the end of the sixth, or even early seventh century. Hence, while the latest carvings at Taq-i Bustan could hardly be earlier than the reign of Khusrau II, it is possible that all of the carvings do not belong to the same period.384 The two-point suspension apparatus which replaced the scabbard slide, possibly as early as the end of the second century in China, and by the end of the fourth FIGURE 78.—Sasanian rock relief at Taq-i Bustan, Iran. [After Pope (1938-1958), volume 4, plate CLX.B.] century in Iran and probably also in the Kushan terri- tories, did not replace the fundamental function of the slide. It improved upon it. As we have observed, the chief function of the slide passed onto a loose leather belt was to facilitate drawing and carriage of the long sword, to cant the sword forward (or back as desired) so that the hilt was within easy reach of the right hand while the lower end of the scabbard extended behind and thus did not interfere with the legs. Practical as the device was for the equestrian, its lack of rigidly fixed position on the belt and reliance on balance for its pitch had drawbacks for the foot soldier. While in no way altering the desired aspects of accessibility or angle, the two-point suspension apparatus eliminated the drawbacks inherent in the scabbard slide. It held the sword in an analogous position, but the two points of contact with the scabbard, as opposed to the single point provided by the slide, assured reliability of the desired angle. The THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 99 in Europe and the Americas where it is the preferred suspension (Figures 84-86).385 To conclude on the history of the scabbard slide among the Sasanians, we find that it appears with the founder of the kingdom, Ardashir I, and there is evidence of its uninterrupted use among these people up to the reign of Shapur II, terminating in the last quarter of the fourth century. The slide used by the Sasanians was similar to 3 i . FIGURE 79.—Sasanian rock relief at Taq-i Bustan, Iran. pitch of the sword could be adjusted and maintained by shortening or lengthening the straps. No movement of the foot soldier or the equestrian could upset the vertical balance of the sword, cause it to swing so that the scab- bard knocked against the legs or the hilt moved away momentarily from its position of easy access, though lateral movement might still plague the foot soldier for whom neither device was ever primarily intended. The pendant thongs between the belt and the lockets on the scabbard edge still allowed the scabbard to be thrust back to gain sufficient drawing room to extract the sword. For the last two thousand years in the Near East, Central Asia, and the Western World, and somewhat longer even in China, there have been only two principal ways of slinging a sword: by the scabbard slide and by the two-point suspension. The former was employed in China for approximately five or six hundred years; in Central Asia and the West, arriving later, it was employed for a similar span of time. The two-point system which replaced it is still employed today, not only in Asia but ( i ml FIGURES 80-81.—East Iranian or Sogdian iron swords. 100 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 that employed by the Kushana and the Parthians, that is, a simple rectangular loop, probably metal, on the side of the scabbard, an intrinsically less satisfactory device than the Chinese slide with enclosed aperture. Though the slide seems to have been introduced into western Asia by the Kushana, as far as we know, there is no need to attribute its appearance among the Sasanians solely to these people. The Parthians, predecessors of the Sasanians in Greater Iran, also used the slide; and there is a possibility that they obtained it not from the Kushana, but from an as yet unknown people contiguous to their yet unlocalized northern steppe homeland before the Kushana arrived in the early second century B.C FIGURE 82.—Wooden shield from Gora Mug (Panjikent), Tadzhik SSR. [After Yakubovskii (1954), plate V.] FIGURE 83.—Leather belt for two-point sword suspension. [After Sovetskaya Arkheologiya, 17 (1953), page 55, figure 7, a.] FIGURE 84—Saber with scabbard lockets for two-point suspension. [After Wilkinson (1969), page 126.] THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 101 The Sasanians were evidently familiar not only with the Chinese scabbard slide, but also with their jade- ornamented swords. In a sap which the troops of Shapur I constructed near the main gate of Dura Europos at the time of its conquest in A.D. 256, the skeleton of a Sasanian soldier was found. Evidently he was slain in the battle that ensued upon the discovery of the mining trench by the Roman defenders of the city. Amidst the skeletons of ■^irA^r., FIGURE 85.—Military officer with double locket sword scabbard. [After Wilkinson (1969), page 28.] FIGURE 86.—Cavalry officer with double locket sword scabbard. [After Wiley and Milhollen, They Who Fought Here (1959) , page 78, after an original by T. H. O'Sullivan in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C] 102 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 several Roman soldiers surrounded by their weapons, the body of the Sasanian soldier lay face up where he had been killed. He wore a heavy coat of chain mail which he appears to have attempted to raise after falling mortally wounded. His conical helmet with mail face piece had been knocked off. Near the helmet lay his long sword of iron, only a few fragments of which were preserved. The pommel of the sword was ornamented with a piece of jade.386 Among the bodies of the Roman soldiers a quantity of coins were found, evidentaly representing their last pay. The latest date among the coins was A.D. 256, and these thus lend striking confirmation to the belief that the town fell to Shapur I on his way to the capture of Antioch in the same year.387 In addition to the above evidence of a sword fashion which ultimately leads us back to China, where such swords were already obsolete but, as we shall see, current in South Russia, a crudely cut jade sword guard roughly imitating Chinese Han dynasty bronze types with raised, rounded shoulders to either side of the tang perforation, has been found in Iran.388 From a tomb at Nawa, Syria, comes at least one example of a bronze guard again imitating the Chinese form.389 It was fitted to a long iron rapier. SOUTH RUSSIA AND WESTERN EUROPE The situation in South Russia differs from that of the Kushan territories or Iranian Asia during the Parthian and Sasanian periods. Whereas in the latter areas and periods knowledge of the scabbard slide is derived almost exclusively from representations in various media, from South Russia I know of only one clear representation of the slide and two or three grave stelae which may show it.390 The silver amphora (Figure 87) belongs to the fourth century, the grave stelae to the first. Instead of representations, we have a considerable number of slides (SR.1-SR.10, Plates 19-21), and many swords, upon which to reconstruct the history of these objects in this region. The slide carried by the Greek warrior on the amphora agrees with the presumed form in the Near East and Cen- tral Asia. It is a simple loop on the scabbard wall. Pos- sibly the rivet by which the lower end was secured to the scabbard is visible. At the upper end, the metal seems to have been folded under and down so that the baldric would not bind in a seam between the slide and sheath. If scabbard slides of this form have been found in South Russia, they have not been reported. Once the scabbard has completely decomposed such metal frag- ments would be difficult to relate to their former func- tion. The scabbard slides known from South Russia all resemble, or may be related to, Chinese Form I slides. They are made of chalcedony, nephrite, and gold incrust- ed with semiprecious stones.391 Two of the slides are, in fact, Chinese. A third South Russian slide (SR.10, Plate 21c) has been published as being Chinese, but it is not. Very little is known concerning SR.5, a Chinese slide of the Hydra Class belonging most likely to early Eastern Han. It was probably carved in China during the first century after Christ, but not interred in South Russia until the third century, or possibly still later. Since scab- bard slides were no longer commonly used in China much beyond the beginning of the second century, it is FIGURE 87—Warrior figure on silver amphora from South Russia. [After Maenchen-Helfen (1957), figure 7.] THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 103 reasonable to assume that the slide left this country shortly after it was carved. How quickly, and by whom it was transported to South Russia is not known. How long after leaving China it served as a scabbard slide is also not known. At some time the aperture was broken and the piece, too valuable to be discarded, was partly sheathed with thin gold plate and worn as a pendant. SR.l (Plate 19c), belonging to the Geometric Class, was carved earlier than SR.5, almost certainly during the late second or first half of the first century B.C. Since Form I jade slides were associated principally, if not exclusively, with ceremonial swords in China, they rarely exhibit substantial evidence of wear. SR.l, on the con- trary, is severely worn, the most worn of all the scabbard slides I have seen. Among slides I have examined, only four others exhibit roughly comparable wear (CV.13, CV.82, CV103, Plate 2d-e and XCG.ll). It is assumed, therefore, that SR.l left China relatively soon after its manufacture and that it was in more or less constant use until it was interred in South Russia in the third or fourth century. Whether it passed most of its four or five centuries of service in South Russia is not known. But such would seem unlikely. Probably it passed through several hands as it crossed Asia, gradually moving toward the west. That it did not leave the borders of China with the Yiieh-chih following their defeat and flight is certain; it was not carved until at least half a century after this event. In addition to the two Chinese scabbard slides, eight others are known. Five of these are carved from stone, probably nephrite or chalcedony (Plates 20a-b, d; 21 a and c); the other three are fashioned in gold, in two cases inlaid with garnets (Plates 20c, 21 b).392 All are related to the Form I Chinese slide and clearly imitate this shape. The stone slides have several characteristics in common with other imitations of the Chinese slide (e.g., CP.l, CP.2, CP.3, GP.l, GP.2). The upper surfaces are not decorated. The majority are broadest at the upper end, with straight sides tapering toward the narrower lower end. The proportions are more massive than those of the Chinese slide, the plates and walls thicker, and the curves are reduced to straight lines and planes and angles wherever possible. Only the forward edge is slightly rounded in imitation of the subtle curve of the Chinese type, but the forward hook usually is not undercut. As noted in our discussion of the slides from Gandhara (GP.l and GP.2), the inward projections at the ends of the upper plate extend inward to a depth equal to that of the exterior of the aperture. It is curious that the func- tional significance of the projecting lower aperture plate of the Chinese slide, enabling it to be inserted into a rectangular socket and thus securing the slide to the scabbard, was never noted or copied by the peoples who imitated the Chinese slide. Some other method of locking the slide to the scabbard wall must have been devised in order to assure the stability of the suspension angle. Unlike the Gandhara slides, the South Russian ones have no perforations through which metal rivets were passed. Curiously enough, the scabbard found in association with SR.3, a gold slide, had a small rectangular socket in the scabbard wall, presumably to accommodate the lower aperture plate. Unfortunately, this plate is now broken off, but must have extended inward to a depth greater than that of the upper plate terminals. The relationship of the gold slides to Form I Chinese types is also clear. The appearance of animal masks at the upper ends of SR.8 and SR.9 makes it possible even to relate these to Chinese Geometric Class slides, though the geometric patterns below the animal mask on SR.8, or those on SR.3 (Plates 20c, 2\b), have nothing to do with those on the Chinese slides. The dates of these South Russian slides are not known in every case, but in those cases where approximate dates have been proposed (S.R.I, S.R.2, SR.3, SR.7, S.R.8, SR.9) on the basis of associated artifacts, all fall within the third and fourth centuries. The probability is, therefore, that the other slides less certainly datable, or found out of context, belong to the same centuries. It might be hypothesized, then, that the two Chinese slides did not reach South Russia before the end of the second, or beginning of the third century. The fact that all known scabbard slides from South Russia imitate Form I Chinese slides, and may be placed in the third or fourth centuries, does not necessarily lead us to the conclusion that the peoples of South Russia did not use the scabbard slide until Chinese examples reached them. The single clear representation of a slide from this area, though itself from the fourth century, is not ana- logous to the actual finds, but is clearly related to the slides represented in central and western Asia, that is, a form consisting simply of a loop on the scabbard wall and suggesting affinities to Form II scabbard slides. Therefore, it must be presumed that here as elsewhere the simpler form was known and probably was the more common one. The scabbard slides on hand, wherever provenance can be fixed, belong to burials reflective of considerable wealth. The situation seems, therefore, to be roughly analogous to that observed in China, that these stone and gold slides, in spite of the crudeness of some of the imitative work, were accoutrements belong- ing to a gentry class and that the ordinary scabbard slide of South Russia was a simple loop fashioned in metal or wood.393 If we concede that the basic function of the scabbard slide is to provide a means of carrying a long sword in the most convenient manner, it might be supposed that the long sword and slide here as elsewhere appeared together. The recent researches of N. I. Sokol'skii, N. Ya. 104 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 Merpert, O. A. Kritsova-Grakova, K. F. Smirnov, and others have provided a clearer picture of the develop- ment of the long iron sword in South Russia than we possess for any area of Asia.391 According to older theories advanced by Kusheva- Grozevskaya, Ebert, and Ran, the long sword associated with the Sarmatian peoples in the Bosporus region emerged about the third century after Christ and could be related to late Roman forms produced in Pantica- paeum.395 A shorter sword with ring pommel, seen on Bosporan grave stele, these authors believed to have developed during the first three post-Christian centuries. The fact that Roman geographers and historians remarked chiefly on the long lance carried by the Sar- matians, and seldom mentioned a sword, strengthened the notion that the sword could not have been conspic- uous among Sarmatian military equipment.396 Attrib- uting the origin of the scabbard slide to the Near East, and recognizing the existence of long iron swords in Iran, Waldemar Ginters favored an Iranian origin for the long Sarmatian sword.397 The majority of the short Sarmatian swords with ring pommel, represented frequently on grave reliefs,398 prob- ably do belong to the first and second centuries in the Bosphorus region, but Sokol'skil has pointed out that finds of such swords, between 15.75 and 25.59 inches in length and worn at the right thigh with a cord from the chape passed round the leg to secure it, are more numer- ous to the east, in the region of the lower Volga, and that their numbers diminish as they extend westward through the North Caucasus to Black Sea colonies.399 This sword apparently lasts until the third century in the Bosporus area. In the Kuban region of the Caucasus these short swords, which seem to have been provided with wooden scabbards and short, straight guards, and probably are related to the preceding Scythian akinakes,400 appear surely by the first century B.C. and possibly as early as the second.401 By the end of the first or beginning of the sec- ond century after Christ, they have disappeared from this region. Those from the Volga generally precede the Kuban types. Thus, it would appear that the short sword was brought to the Bosporus from the lower Volga steppe zone to the east. The long iron sword is far more significant in the late Bosporus kingdom than the short. It ranks alongside the bow and the lance, which especially impressed the Romans, as a major element of military equipment. These swords range in length from 28.05 to 45.28 inches, the majority being a meter or slightly less in length. Most of the blades are straight and double-edged. A few later swords were furnished with short bronze or iron guards, but most when they are found have no guards. From the fact that the iron tangs were encased in wooden grips and the blades generally sheathed in wooden scabbards, Sokol'skil suggests that guards also may ordinarily have been made of wood.402 While it is difficult to imagine swords without any kind of guard, it is equally difficult to concede that the function of a guard could be served by a fragile wooden crosspiece. We have already observed two later swords from northern Iran which were found without guards (Figures 80 and 81) and their strict anal- ogy to types represented in wall paintings of Panjikent. Whether or not these Iranian swords were originally provided with guards of some material, and whether the wall paintings accurately depict such swords in this respect, is a question which cannot yet be answered on the basis of the available material. Yet the data presently at hand does seem to suggest that swords were not always provided with guards and such may, therefore, be the case with the long swords from South Russia. Against such an hypothesis are the representations of these long swords on South Russian grave reliefs where short, straight guards are invariably depicted.403 Any doubt that this long sword was primarily, if not exclusively, an equestrian weapon is removed by these grave reliefs where it appears only at the left side of armed men on horseback.404 Of particular interest to us here is a special character- istic of these long swords. The pommels were ordinarily ornamented with disks or hemispheric inlays of semi- precious stone or glass. In some cases, the pommels were cast in precious metal and then inlaid with small stones.405 Sometimes the pommels were carved from wood and afterward gold plated and inlaid with colored stones. These swords all belong to the first to third or fourth centuries and were the typical sword in cities of the Black Sea coast. These also were the swords carried on the scabbard slide. Contrary to the theories which ascribe to this sword a Roman or Iranian origin, it appears to have entered into South Russia by the same route as the shorter ring- pommeled sword. Long iron swords are very rare among the late Scythian peoples of the Dnepr region.406 Though swords of a moderately long type are known from the North Caucasus by at least the third century B.C, these have flat pommels and relatively broad blades unlike those of the Bosporus region.407 The thin rapier-type sword seems to have entered the Kuban area of the North Caucasus not before the second century B.C. and to have appeared in the Bosporus a century or so later.408 The stages in its development can be traced to still earlier swords of the lower Volga steppe and Sokol'skiT is prob- ably correct in stating that these swords, together with the lance and heavy scale armor, formed part of the equipment of the equestrian Sarmatians who moved from the steppe toward the Caucasus and Bosporus in increas- ing numbers during the last pre-Christian and early post- Christian centuries.409 THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 105 These earlier swords from the Volga, however, had not yet acquired their richly ornamented pommels and scab- bards.410 Hence it seems possible, likely even, that the tradition of ornamenting the sword and its scabbard was acquired from the Near East.411 Whether we must include among these innovations the scabbard slide and the dis- tinctive way of carrying a sword its use implies, is a question I shall attempt to resolve in the following chap- ter. Maenchen-Helfen has pointed out that during the second and first centuries B.C. the Aorsi, a people essen- tially identical to the Yueh-chih-Kushana, moved west- ward from the Caspian region across the southern steppe, past the northern edge of the Caucasus to the Don river and beyond.41- If the Yueh-chih-Kushana were the pur- veyors of the scabbard slide, we should expect them to have brought it with them into South Russia. Our only evidence to date for the slide in this region points to later times and to types which are related to Chinese Form I slides. These, and the pommel ornaments, may as well have been acquired by the peoples of South Russia from the Near East—we have already cited the existence among the Sasanians at Dura of similarly ornamented swords. But if we agree with Sokol'skil that these stone and gold slides represent isolated luxury specimens of a type of object commonly carved in wood (and the evi- dence from elsewhere in Asia indicates a similar circum- stance),413 then it is possible to hypothesize that the slide was in use at an earlier date than the examples at hand permit us to say. The intimate association of long swords with scabbard slides elsewhere in Asia must be considered as additional support for the hypothesis that the slide was probably already in use among the Sarmatians before they reached the Bosporus. The isolated scabbard slide in Turkey (T.l), apparently similar to the non-Chinese stone slides from South Russia, must be considered as an import into this area from South Russia during the third or fourth century. Before discussing the problems concerned with the origin of the long sword and scabbard slide, it is appro- priate here to summarize briefly the later history of the scabbard slide inasmuch as its late occurrence in Europe appears in part to be related to its existence in South Russia. The forces or circumstances which set the Sarma- tians in motion from the Volga to the Prikuban and Bosporus carried them still farther toward the west, through the Dnepr steppe and into the Balkans.414 We may assume that among these people were elements descended directly from the Yiieh-chih-Kushana. Promi- nent among these were the Alans who passed into Europe in the late fourth and fifth centuries. Long swords from burials of the fourth to seventh centuries in eastern Europe frequently exhibit characteristics which link them to those of the third and fourth centuries' Bosporus burials.415 The highly complex movements which carried the long sword and scabbard slide into western Europe is a subject which deserves attention by specialists in this area. I should like here to simply call attention to the presence of the slide in this area and to remark upon its relation- ship to those of South Russia and Asia. To my knowl- edge, scabbard slides have been found in Bulgaria (Plate Mb), Denmark (Plates \4b-c, \ba-b), Germany (Plates \bc-d), France (Plate 15c), Switzerland, England, Sweden (Plates \6b, \la), Norway, and Finland.416 They are made of wood, bone, bronze, iron, and precious metals, some- times encrusted with semiprecious stones. In some cases (E.l, Plate \4b), these slides reflect clumsy efforts to imitate Chinese Form I slides, and we may, therefore, assume the existence in western Europe of actual Chinese specimens, or copies of this type similar to the ones from South Russia.417 Generally, however, the slides of western Europe are more closely related to the type we have indicated was probably the most prevalent in all areas outside China— a simple object raised from the scabbard wall and forming an aperture, employing the side of the sheath to close the loop (Plates 14-16). Such pieces were either riveted to the scabbard, or narrow pointed tongues extending vertically from either end were inserted under cord or leather bindings (Plate 15a and c). A particular development of the scabbard slide in west- ern Europe was the use of two small, identical or comple- mentary pieces mounted side by side on the scabbard (E.10, E.ll, E.12, E.14; Plate \bc-d). The aperture area in these is very small, and it seems unlikely that they were carried on leather belts. Possibly a chain was passed through, or attached to each of the paired slides. If the latter should prove to be true, then slides of this type might represent a curious fusion of the earlier scabbard- slide suspension system with the later two-point system which certainly had reached Europe by the date of these slides. Some of these small slides are inlaid with stones separated by zigzag socket walls. Their derivation from earlier South Russian slides exhibiting the same inlay technique seems certain. Sokol'skil has pointed out that this inlay technique, frequently termed "Gothic style," is probably not original with these people but may be derived from inlay techniques in South Russia.418 The South Russian slides of this type are perhaps later than the stone specimens as they represent the greater depar- ture from the traditional form. In this connection, it is interesting to note that the simpler bone, wood, and bronze slides from Bulgaria, Denmark, and England are separated by at least two centuries from the inlaid slides from Germany and France. These simple earlier slides were undoubtedly brought into Europe by a different route, or by a different people, than the later compound inlaid slides. The rela- 106 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 FIGURE 88.—Relief from Trajan's Column, Rome. [After Ginters (1928), plate XXXIII.b.] tionship of the Bulgaria, Denmark, and England slides to outposts of the Roman empire suggests that the impulse may have come through the Romans who had acquired the slide in the Near East, whereas the inlaid slides may represent a later and altered form ultimately derived from related types in South Russia.419 In the first and second centuries, Roman armies encountered peoples in the Near East, chiefly Palmyrenes and Parthians, using the scabbard slide, and they adopted it. But the Romans did not wear their swords in the Asian manner on a belt loosely slung round the waist; they carried their swords on baldrics passed over either the right or left shoulder.420 This distinction was correct- ly depicted by the Sasanians in their third-century representations of Romans (Figures 69 and 75). The rare occurrence of the baldric among the later art of Gandhara and Central Asia may be attributable to this Roman fashion.421 From the Roman provinces of the Near East, the slide thus passed to Italy where it is shown attached to a sword in a relief at the base of Trajan's column in Rome (Figure 88) and may be represented in use by Roman troops on the same column.422 From Italy the scabbard slide passed north to England, to Denmark where examples carved in wood and bone have been found in ritual lake deposits of the second and third centuries, and eastward to the frontier on the Danube where at least one example (E.35) has been found in a Roman fortified settlement. Among the scabbard slides from Europe, two are of special interest: E.2 from Denmark and E.35 from Bulgaria (Plates 14c and 17b). They belong to the earlier European series of Roman origin. They are not the same as the Chinese Form I scabbard slide, but still bear a clear relationship to it. With only a slight alteration in form, they have been turned upside down with the end hook opening outward instead of curving inward toward the scabbard wall. Above the below the aperture are laterally bored holes through which thongs were passed for binding the slide to the scabbard wall. At each end of both E.2 and E.35 are remains of the short bone tongues which extended above and below the slides on the side flush with the scabbard wall. These were inserted under the wrapping of the wooden scabbard, probably bound round with a metal band, and prevented vertical slippage. The tongues served the function, and took the place, of the inset lower aperture plate of the Chinese Form I slide. In their original state, then, both the Denmark and the Bulgaria slides were slightly longer. The Denmark slide (E.2) belongs certainly to the first half of the third century and the Bulgaria specimen (E.35) probably belongs to approximately the same time. Where did this curious inversion of the Chinese-type scabbard slide take place? Since the Romans did not sling their swords in the Asian manner, it is possible that they are responsible for altering the form of the scabbard slide. It is unlikely, however, that the hook at one end now served any greater purpose than it had, turned inward, for the Asians. In some cases, it is well-defined and functional in appearance; in others, it is no more than a knob. In the National Museum in Damascus are two scabbard slides carved from ivory (S.l and S.2, Plates \8c-d and \9a-b), one carved in one piece with an ivory scabbard containing the oxidized remains of a Roman iron spatha. These two slides were found at the Roman-period site of Khisfine, south of Damascus in Syria, and belong to the second century. One of these (S.2, Plate 18c), detached from its scabbard, has two projecting tongues which probably approximate in size those broken on the Den- mark and Bulgaria slides. S.l, carved in one piece with its scabbard, reveals the exact manner in which these THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 107 slides were used. The narrower end with the hook is the lower end; the broader blunt end, the upper. The Chinese Form I slide has been, therefore, in a manner of speaking, not only altered in appearance, but turned upside down and backwards. The Syria slides are, in every essential way, identical to the Denmark and Bul- garia specimens and to the jade slide from China (CZ.l4, Plate 1 la) which has only to be turned over to emphasize this conformity. Manufactured from a more brittle material, CZ.l4 naturally lacks the thin tongues, but it has instead transverse end perforations through which pegs were passed to fasten it to the scabbard, thus preventing vertical slippage.423 In his description of CZ.l4, Salmony noted that around the holes on the sides and on the bottom (Plate lie;) there is lightly incised ornamentation, crude but unmis- takably Chinese in character. It makes no sense to decorate the underside of a scabbard slide which is concealed against the scabbard wall and no authentic scabbard slide anywhere is so decorated. But once we realize that CZ.14, in conformity with its nearest anal- ogies from Denmark, Bulgaria and Syria, is to be turned round so that the decorated side is in fact the outer surface, the problem is eliminated. The uniqueness of CZ.14 entitles us to question its Chinese origin which is based primarily on its material, presumably jade, and on the clearly Chinese surface decor. The object is clearly not an ornament and it is so far removed from the Chinese form of scabbard slide—-which had disap- peared at least a century before this object could possiblv have been carved—that it is doubtful if any could have known what it was except the man (merchant, traveler, soldier) who brought it to China, or who acquired it there, and had it sinicized by the addition of a little crudely incised decor. It seems likely, therefore, that scabbard slides of this form constitute an essentially Roman innovation based on the Chinese Form I slide, and that the Denmark and Bulgaria examples and their chronologically related wood, metal, and bone types have nothing to do with the South Russian slides to which the inlaid examples from Germany, France, and Switzerland are related. Likewise, it is plausible that CZ.14 is not Chinese at all, but Roman, carved in stone in a Roman Near Eastern province where there was a centuries-old tradition of manufacturing scabbard slides of stone, a tradition found- ed on an earlier impulse emanating from China. The hiatus between the earlier Roman slides and the slides of several centuries later from Germany, France, and Switzerland can thus be explained on the basis of their distinct origins. Apart from actual finds of scabbard slides in western Europe, there are several representations of the object in use which inform us of its wider diffusion on this FIGURE 89.—Ivory diptych from cathedral treasury, Monza, Italy. [After Volbach and Hirmer (1961), plate 63.] continent. A standing figure on a finely carved ivory diptych in the cathedral treasury at Monza, Italy, wears his sword with elaborate and doubtless jeweled pommel on a sword belt slung about the waist (Figure 89). This is the type of belt familiar from Asia, distinct from the man's patterned garment belt and clearly overlapping it, II SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 MM without evident attachment, at the right side. The authors believe that the figure represents Stilicho as Consul and magister militum, and that the "high quality of the diptych suggests a court artist in Milan."424 The carving is dated by them to about A.D. 400. The scabbard slide is somewhat different from any we have seen. At the lower end, it is divided into two bands which curve outward toward the edges of the scabbard. This slide is clearly similar to the type illustrated here by E.24 and E.26 (Plate \6b-c), belonging to the fourth century, and may ultimately be derived from such Sasanian slides as that shown in Figure 71. These simple eyelet scabbard slides are an improvement upon the normal later Euro- pean inlaid-metal varieties in that they are carved in one with the wooden scabbards and hence consist of an enclosed aperture without seams. One other representation, from Sweden (Figure 90),425 depicts a short sword worn on a baldric slung over the right shoulder. The baldric passes through a narrow eyelet with parallel sides set below the scabbard mouth. What is especially interesting about the small-scale representation is the care taken to indicate that the baldric is leather. Along the center, a thin line is drawn and stands for the tooled line which properly would be pressed along each edge of the belt. This artist of northern Europe adopted a convention in the representa- tion of the sword belt employed eight or nine centuries earlier by the Chinese craftsman who carved the blocks stamped on the tomb tiles of Honan province (Figures 21 and 22). How long use of the scabbard slide survived in Europe, we cannot say. The bronze mold from Sweden, probably seventh century, is the last appearance of this object known to me. Possibly the slide had already disappeared by the time this object was cast. Among the stone slides from South Russia is one which indicates the form may have continued in use after the two-point suspension system had largely replaced the slide, and that the two systems became combined in an interesting manner. Out- wardly the form of SR.7 (Plate 21a) is similar to the other stone imitations of Chinese Form I slides; however, the uper bay is unusually long and the inward-projecting wedge at the lower end especially thick and long. Where FIGURE 90.—Bronze mold for helmet boss, Tors- lunda, Sweden. [After Holmqvist (1955), plate XXXIII.82.] the enclosed aperture should be is a solid area with two round holes drilled through laterally. These suggest that a thin chain, braided cord, or leather thong was passed round through the holes, its ends tied to the belt. Thus, an object shaped like a scabbard slide may have been adapted to a new suspension system. Kusheva- Grozevskaya, however, suggests that the holes were used for thongs which bound the slide to the scabbard wall, the sword belt passing through one of the shallow bays. In either case, it is obvious that this unusual piece represents the survival of a form which was losing, or had already lost, its functional meaning. The date of this slide—fourth century or slightly later—coincides, I believe, with the arrival of the two-point suspension system in Central Asia and Iran. SUMMARY The occurrence of the scabbard slide over broad expanses of Asia and Europe indicates that its related method of sword suspension was the principal, if not sole, manner of carrying a sword for several hundred years in North India, Central Asia, "Iranian Asia," and South Russia. It may have been only of secondary signifi- cance in western Europe. Its chronological and geograph- ical distribution coincide with the movements of the Yiieh-chih-Kushana and related peoples. It is possible that the Parthians obtained the scabbard slide independently from peoples in their hypothetical Eurasian steppe home- land before the arrival of the Kushana, but there is no THE LONG SWORD AND SCABBARD SLIDE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN ASIA AND EUROPE 109 firm evidence at present to support this. The earliest scabbard slides in regions to the west of China are not earlier than the first century after Christ, centuries later than their appearance in China. In central and western Asia, there is no evidence of their use after the fourth century. In South Russia, they may have continued slightly longer; and in Europe, as a derivative form, they are known from the fifth and sixth centuries. The last known representation of a scabbard slide occurs about the seventh century on a bronze mold from Sweden (but see £7\2). Except for several late derivative inlaid types from western Europe and South Russia, all known scabbard slides from central and western Asia and Europe clearly imitate Chinese Form I slides, but all have certain char- acteristics in common which distinguish them from the Chinese slide. The lower aperture plate does not project inward beyond the depth of the upper plate terminal ridges; they are massive and angular, avoiding the subtle curves of the Chinese prototype; all are unornamented; most are broadest at the upper end, tapering regularly toward the lower end. The existence of long upper plates, well-defined bays and articulated upper plate terminals indicates that the Chinese prototype could not have been earlier than the Western Han period. The evidence provided by numerous representations in the western region suggests that these slides imitative of Chinese Form I types were not the sort in common use, but as in China, were luxury, or in the case of the West, possibly novelty pieces. The common slide was a simple eyelet attached to the scabbard wall, possibly analogous at times to Chinese Form II slides with self-contained aperture, but often simple bands utilizing the scabbard wall to form the aperture. Because the ordinary slide differed in form from the imitations of the Chinese type, peoples to the west of China probably considered the scabbard slide to be an invention of the Chinese. The leather sword belt is ubiquitous; in the Roman provinces, or in areas where Roman influence was felt, the baldric appears. The sword belt is clearly distinct from the garment belt and is not attached to this or to the clothing at any point, but depends upon the tension produced by the weight of the sword at the left side to hold the belt above the hip at the right. The belt ends were fastened with a clasp which seems to have served the dual purpose of regulating the position of the sword on the belt. Probably the common scabbard slide was made of wood or metal. As in China, the scabbard slide in the West is associated with long swords, though these may not in all cases be as long as those generally found in China. The existence of stone guards and pommels orna- mented with semiprecious stones suggests familiarity with the jade-decorated Chinese sword. Around the end of the fourth century the scabbard slide is replaced by a suspension system consisting of thongs attached at one end to two lockets or rings on the scabbard edge and at the other to the garment belt. This apparatus may have first appeared in the West with the Hephthalites, but probably owes its origin to steppe Turkish peoples. It may have appeared in China still earlier than in the West. The two-point suspension system improved upon the obvious deficiencies of the scabbard slide; it held the sword in a fixed position at the side and the level and angle of the sword could be adjusted and maintained by shortening or lengthening the straps by which it was secured to the belt. This system did not constitute a wholly new principle of suspension, but merely improved upon an older one. The two-point system, like its predecessor, was designed primarily for the equestrian and is the system provided present-day cavalry swords. Chapter 5 The Volga-Ural Steppe and Speculations on the Origin of the Scabbard Slide THE VOLGA-URAL STEPPE ZONE IN LATE SARMATIAN TIMES In addition to the geographical regions where we have already noted the presence of the scabbard slide, there are only two other areas on the Eurasian land mass where its presence may be demonstrated by actual finds: along the lower Volga River, chiefly in the vicinity of Saratov, and to the northwest in the Priural, chiefly in the Kama River region of the former Perm guberniya. Though these two areas, with respect to the find localities of scabbard slides, are separated by several hundred miles, they constitute a single zone, at least insofar as we are here concerned. I know of two scabbard slides only from the Volga and three from Perm. Possibly there are others in the museums at Saratov, Engels (formerly Pokrovsk) , and Vyatka.420 Photographs of two scabbard slides excavated on the lower Volga (V.l and V.2) have been published, but those from Perm (P.l, P.2 and P.3) are known only from older drawings of questionable accuracy. The similarity of these scabbard slides to the stone specimens from South Russia is immediately apparent (Plates \le, \8a-b, 22a-b).427 The same massive propor- tions and angularity cited in the description of the South Russian slides holds true for the Volga-Perm group. The photographs and drawings of the Volga slides (Plate 22a-b and Figure 91) show that they are broadest at the upper end, tapering regularly toward the lower end. The rather crudely executed drawings of the Perm slides (Plates 17c?, \8a-b) do not reveal such tapered forms, but more than likely they are analogous to the Volga slides. The rounded forward edge once again provides the most telling evidence of the derivation of these objects from Form I Chinese slides. The involuted upper end of the upper plate is undercut on at least two of the slides (V.l and P.l), quite deeply in the case of the Perm slide if the drawing reproduces this feature accurately. In every case, the aperture protrudes into the area of the upper plate and on one slide (P.2) the aperture is cut almost entirely from this plate, the upper and lower bays being extremely shallow. As before, the terminal inward projections of the upper plate are equivalent in depth to the exterior of the lower aperture plate, thus rendering it impossible for these slides to have been set in sockets on the scabbard wall as their Form I Chinese models were. Kusheva- Grozevskaya believed that these slides were bound to the scabbard wall by a leather strap passed through the aperture. In some cases, a metal band may have been used.428 Probably she is correct; I see no other way by which these slides could have been secured. But if slippage was to be prevented, these leather or metal bands would have to have been riveted to the scabbard to either side of the slide.429 The Volga scabbard slides have a special importance in the history of our knowledge of the function of these objects. P. Rau, who discovered V.l only a few years after CJ\8 was found by Japanese archeologists at Lo-lang, and who reported his find a little over a year following publication of the Japanese discovery, almost certainly arrived independently at the same conclusion drawn by the Japanese: that the object was not a sword guard as it had been described by Rostovtsev three years before,430 but an attachment to the side of the sword scabbard by means of which the sword was carried on a leather belt.431 Whereas Rostovtsev's error had been due to an incorrect restoration by the excavators of SR.2 (see Plate 20a-b; as of 1961 the incorrect restoration was still preserved), Rau's correct assumption was permitted by the discovery of a scabbard slide in situ (see description under V.l). The scabbard had entirely decomposed, but there could be no doubt as to the relative position of the slide as it was rusted fast to a section of the double-edged, iron sword blade. The drawing, Figure 92, is a reconstructed view; the sword was found lying on its edge. The position of the slide with respect to distance from pommel and blade tip is approximately the same as the find from Lo-lang (cf. Figure 17). Resting against the right proper side of the slide, at the upper edge of the aperture, was a polished, perforated, oval, green stone disk overlaid by an elliptical bronze clasp or buckle (Figure 91, lower right). Rau believed that this stone disk and bronze clasp were related to the attachment of the slide to the scabbard; Kusheva- 110 THE VOLGA —URAL STEPPE AND SPECULATIONS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SCABBARD SLIDE 111 FIGURE 91.—Scabbard Slide V.l and associated finds. [After Rau (1927), page 38, figure 31.] Grozevskaya concluded that they were ornaments from die leather strap that bound the slide to the scabbard.432 This disk and buckle are clearly related to the sword belt fastening we have noted in the Kushan territories and among the Sasanians. The function of this attachment, compound in the case of the Volga slide, was clearly to secure the two ends of the sword belt and to provide an obstruction on the belt to prevent the sword from slipping forward along the belt to the front center of the bearer's body. With the sword worn at the left side, we suppose that normally the sword belt was slung round so that this clasp held the sword in the desired position; and that the clasp, as it was found with V.l, rested against the right proper side of the scabbard slide. The double-edged iron rapier associated with V.l was badly decomposed, but from the disposition of the frag- ments its length was calculated at 45.28 inches. The wooden grip into which the tang was inserted was orna- mented at its upper end with a chalcedony disk pommel secured to the grip by a copper nail, the head of which was adorned with a small piece of violet-colored glass paste (Figure 91, left). The tomb belonged to the late Sarmatian period, that is, third to fourth century. V.2 (Plate 22b) was not scientifically excavated, but the tomb from which it came clearly belongs to the same period. The iron rapier from this tomb was 35.24 inches long, but the wooden grip was not preserved and no pommel was recovered by Rau who investigated the site and assembled the finds several days after their accidental discovery. None of the Perm slides was found in context, or at least no records remain to show whether swords were found with them. Their strict agreement with the Volga slides suggests, however, that they also belong to the late Sarmatian period. During the third and fourth centuries Sarmatian peoples moved in increasing numbers north- ward from the lower Volga, and we assume that the Perm slides are actually imports into this region during this period.433 Sarmatian graves in the Priural, especially in the central Kama region where the Perm slides were found, have inventories very similar to contemporary burials on the lower Volga. Forms of bronze and gold belt plaques with remains of glass inlay in sockets are clearly related to similar finds by Rau and Sinitsyn on the lower Volga.434 As different styles are evident in the Priural in the fifth century, the Perm scabbard slides are clearly not later than the fourth century.433 Long iron swords similar to those from the Bosporus, without guards and with pommel ornaments of glass paste or semiprecious stone, are common in burials of the late Sarmatian period in the lower Volga and Perm regions.436 If we assume that here, as in South Russia, swords of this type were carried on scabbard slides, then it must be assumed once again that the majority of the slides were made of wood, or were thin metal eyelets on the sides of the wooden scabbards characteristic of both South Russia and the lower Volga. Though we cannot supplement our knowledge of the scabbard slide on the lower Volga or in the Priural with representations of it in use, we are probably justified in assuming that the wood and/or metal types were of the simple eyelet variety suggested by representations elsewhere in Asia and Europe. FIGURE 92 Sword associated with scabbard slide V.l. [After Rau (1927), page 37, figure 30.] n: SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 The Japanese archeologist Egami Namio believes that the scabbard slide and stone pommel disks are among the objects brought directly from the borders of China by the Huns who began to arrive in the West Kazakhstan steppe and along the lower Volga by the late-second century after Christ.4" Egami equates the Huns with the Hsiung-nu who centuries earlier were responsible for the migration of the Yiieh-chih toward the west, and traces their passage from the north of China across southern Siberia to the frontiers of Europe by means of numerous finds of Chinese objects—chiefly inscribed mirrors of Han date—which more or less coincide with the arrival of the Huns. While I do not propose to enter here into the argu- ments concerning the identity of the Huns—a question which has been pursued with vigor since it was first introduced by M. DeGuignes more than two hundred years ago 43S—I find that the archeological record cannot sup- port Egami's hypothesis that the scabbard slide and decorated pommels were brought to the Volga by the Huns directly from China. Whatever the explanation for the distribution of Han-dynasty mirrors across northern Eurasia may be,439 there is sufficient evidence to rule out the possibility that the tradition of ornamenting sword pommels with disks of semiprecious stone and carrying swords by means of scabbard slides arrived in the Volga- Ural steppe only with the Huns. The fact that Chinese mirrors appear in burials of the lower Volga,440 and stone pommel disks in Perm,441 before the appearance in these regions of the Huns is perhaps not grounds enough to suggest they arrived there by some other means. Objects may be traded across wide territories with greater speed than their purveyors move. Nor by the same token does the prevalence among late Sarmatian burials on the Volga of skull deformation necessarily point to the arrival of the Huns.442 Smirnov believes it to be a Central Asian trait restricted not solely to the Huns, but found among the Messagctae and even the Kushana.443 Even if the Huns had begun to infiltrate the Volga-Ural steppe zone as early as the late second century, their numbers among the late Sarmatians, who seem to have included the Aorsi and Alan confederacy described by Ammianus Marcellinus,444 would surely not have been sufficient to influence major changes in weaponry. Hun- nish burials do not appear in great numbers until the fourth century.445 We may, therefore, assume that before this date their influence was negligible, and that the confederacy of Sarmatian peoples—among whom we find the Aorsi and Alans (Alanorsi),446 a people descended from or identical to the Yueh-chih-Kushana—were until this time, as they had been for several hundred years, the predominant, if not sole peoples inhabiting this region.447 The considerable migration of late Sarmatians north- ward from the lower Volga toward the Priural during the third and fourth centuries, presumably under pressure from the Huns, implies an incompatibility of the two people not felt during the second century. This is exactly the period to which the stone scabbard slides from Perm belong. Among the weapons brought by the Huns, only the long bow with bone facing seems preeminent.448 If they had also brought with them the scabbard slide and long swords with stone pommel disks, we should expect to find plentiful evidence of these articles in the lower Volga during the Hunno-Sarmatian period of the later fourth and fifth centuries. On the contrary, the scabbard slide and pommel disk disappear completely sometime during the fourth century. If the Huns brought these articles with them across southern Siberia, at least one example should have been found among all the "Hun- nish" burials containing the Chinese mirrors Egami believes they carried. But not one has been found. There is no evidence that the Huns, unlike the Hsiung-nu, either carved or admired Chinese jade objects. We have already noted the strict analogy between the Volga and Perm slides and the non-Chinese stone exam- ples from South Russia, and have remarked upon contacts between these areas from at least the first century B.C We have noted also that the long iron sword of the Prikuban and Bosporus appeared with Sarmatian peoples coming from the east during the first century B.C This movement corresponds to that of the Sarmatian Aorsi, a people identified with the Yueh-chih-Kushana. The scabbard slides from South Russia are hardly earlier than those from the Volga. Their similarity suggests they belong to the same people. Probably all of the scabbard slides were carved in South Russia where there were Chinese models. Some were carried back to the Volga. This does not mean, however, that the Sarmatians of the lower Volga did not carry their swords on scabbard slides before they obtained the stone slides modeled on Chinese examples from South Russia. If we concur with Sokol'skil that the majority of scabbard slides in South Russia were made of wood and that the long Sarmatian sword was already carried by such a device when it first appeared there, then we must concede that the Sarmatians on the lower Volga of the second and first centuries B.C also carried their swords on slides. These slides were probably not similar to the stone specimens, but simple loops on the scabbard wall, the sort we have found to be the prevalent type everywhere outside China. It has been pointed out by Shmit that the "jade" material of the Perm slides implies a central Asiatic origin for these articles.449 Maenchen-Helfen believes they were bartered from tribe to tribe until they reached the lower Volga, pointing to regions to the south and east for their origin.450 Since A. A. Spitsyn opened the first Sarmatian graves in the Volga-Ural steppe in 1895, hundreds have been excavated.451 If the Sarmatians on THE VOLGA —URAL STEPPE AND SPECULATIONS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SCABBARD SLIDE 113 the lower Volga carved jade, we should expect to find stone scabbard slides in their graves of the second century B.C to the second century after Christ. If they received these articles in trade from central Asia, we should expect to be able to point to links along the route. The evidence is negative in either case. The major trade routes that brought Chinese goods to the Roman provinces of the eastern Mediterranean left comparatively little of this material in central Asia—a few coins in Sogdia,452 some lacquer at Bagram.453 Judging from texts and from finds, the majority of these luxuries passed through central Asia to the more lucrative markets of the West.454 Doubtless, it is this trade which brought Chinese silks to South Russia.455 The scabbard slides surely did not travel so directly or swiftly, but they probably were passed along the same route. Crude imitations of these jade slides were made, probably as luxury substitutes for the authentic Chinese articles which were both rare and treasured, and a few of these imitations were transported back to the Volga. SPECULATIONS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SCABBARD SLIDE It has been hypothesized, I think plausibly, that the scabbard slide existed in the lower Volga steppe at least as early as the second century B.C Its presence there, as in all other places in Asia, can be linked with the Yiieh- chih under one or another of their names in the West. The evidence suggests that these people were largely, if not solely responsible for the diffusion of this mode of suspending a sword wherever it appeared. Among the Parthians alone the origin of its use is obscure, possibly because we know so little about their origins.450 At present, there is no evidence of Parthian occupation to the north or east of Khwarezm.457 The evidence on hand seems clearly to point to the Yiieh-chih having used the scabbard slide when they resided on the borders of China, and this may conceivably carry us back to the fourth century B.C when their presence is first discerned in this area. This does not prove they were the givers of the scabbard slide to the Chinese. It is simply strongly sug- gested by the evidence that the scabbard slide and long iron sword in China seem to point to an origin with northern nomadic peoples, of whom the Yiieh-chih are the most likely group. The Form II Chinese slide, which was the earliest type known to the Chinese, and the simple eyelet variety, its equivalent and most common type in Ytieh-chih-Kushana territories to the west of China, also points to the Yiieh-chih as the people from whom the Chinese obtained the scabbard slide. Thus far, we have been chiefly concerned with the late Sarmatians on the lower Volga; that is, the period extending over the third and fourth centuries after Christ. It has also been pointed out that the long iron rapier which reached the Prikuban and the Bosporus by the first century B.C, where it was carried on a scabbard slide, can be traced back to the Volga. There, during the period designated as Middle Sarmatian by Soviet arche- ologists—first century B.C to second century after Christ —it was widely used by these equestrian peoples, prob- ably in conjunction with a long lance and bow. Wherever the long, essentially equestrian sword has appeared, we have found it carried by the scabbard slide. In some areas neither swords nor slides have been found, but the testimony of numerous representations to their conjunc- tion in use has been considered as valid evidence of their existence. Short swords have from time to time been carried by scabbard slides, but the association of the long iron sword and slide seems to be the immutable one. If the long swords from South Russia were carried on slides as early as the first century B.C., it is logical to assume that their contemporaries and antecedents on the lower Volga in the second and first centuries B.C also were carried on slides. If the Sarmatians had a long sword before this time, it seems logical also to assume that they carried it in the same fashion. The Sarmatians resided in the Volga-Ural steppe zone for a long time before their gradual advance south- ward and westward toward the Pontic steppe. The pre- vailing opinion among Soviet archeologists is that the Sauromatae are proto-Sarmatians.458 Up to 1952, over six hundred burials belonging to these people had been excavated in the southern Priural and Orenburg steppe zone. These range in date from the eighth, or seventh, to the fourth century B.C According to Smirnov, Glazkova and Chtetsov, the Sauromatae may be linked with a western expansion of Andronovo peoples into western Kazakhstan in the second millennium B.C This already heterogeneous peo- ple commingled with peoples of the Srubna Culture in the Volga-Kama regions.459 Metalworking characterized the culture of the southern Priural in the second millen- nium B.C., as did also the use of the horse in ritual sacrifice.400 Between the twelfth and eight century B.C, the Srubna peoples, already assimilated with the Andro- novo migrants from West Kazakhstan, moved westward to the upper Don and Dnepr, and southward into the north Pontic region where they came in contact with metalworking traditions emanating from Anatolia.401 114 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 Gimbutas believes the Srubna to be the proto-Scythians and Piggott has suggested that it may be at this time that they encountered the sword which had been in use earlier in central and eastern Anatolia.402 It is extremely doubtful that these earlier Anatolian swords were carried by scabbard slides;403 but one, at least, from Urartu, belonging to the eighth or seventh century B.C., was carried by some form of porte-epee on a leather belt.404 Whether or not the peoples of this Srubna-Andronovo complex who remained in the Priural region, Smirnov's proto-Sarmatians or Sauromatae, received their earliest impulse to manufacture swords by way of the Srubna proto-Scythians, we cannot say. Probably they did not. The Scythians seem to have used only a short sword. "But in contrast to the Scythians, the Sauromatae were armed with long equestrian swords."465 Before the end of the sixth century B.C., the Sauroma- tae in the Priural were using long, double-edged iron swords, with short tangs and tectiform (or "butterfly- shaped") guards.400 These swords, often a meter in length, appear alongside shorter swords little more than half their length. While some evidence of influence exists between these long swords and the Scythian akinakes to the west and Siberian short swords and daggers to the east, the development of the Sauromatae sword appears to be a relatively independent one.467 Smirnov remarks that this sword, along with a possibly related long sword employed by the Meots in the Prikuban, was a superior fighting weapon to the short sword of the Scythians.468 Though greatly outnumbered by shorter swords, long swords are known along the lower Volga not later than the second half of the sixth century B.C TWO of these have heart-shaped guards, and though the swords them- selves may be derived from the Sauromatae types farther to the north, the guard form is related to that of the Scythian akinakes.ie9 The existence of several types of long sword in the southern Priural during the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. suggests a formative stage, possibly among still uncon- solidated, or only partly consolidated tribal groups. By the end of the fifth century these diverse types have merged into a single type distinguished by a tectiform or straight bar guard and a crescent-shaped pommel.470 These swords, from the southern Priural and Orenburg steppe, prevail throughout the fourth to second centuries B.C and belong to a distinctive culture designated Prokhorovka by Soviet archeologists, from the fact that swords of the type were first excavated by S. I. Rundenko in 1916 near the village of Prokhorovka in the Sharlyk region, Chkalovsk district, RSFSR.471 The Prokhorovka Culture is, in fact, early Sarmatian. Rostovtsev believed that its long sword represented an intrusion from the east at this time,472 but Smirnov subsequently demonstrated that it developed out of the preceding Sauromatae weapon.473 The genetic connection between the Sauromatae and early Sarmatians cannot be distinctly established, but from the fact that their burials are practically indistinguishable it is probable that they are essentially the same people.474 The period of the Prokhorovka, or Early Sarmatian Culture marks the con- solidation of the Sarmatians and the beginning of their military expansion toward the Pontic steppe occupied by the Scythians, a movement culminating in the first and second centuries after Christ in the wars waged between the heavily armored Sarmatian cataphracts and the Romans on the borders of their empire.475 Contacts between the early Sarmatians and the Saka-Messagetae peoples of Kazakhstan north and east of the Aral Sea are attested to by finds of characteristic Prokhorovka swords of the fourth to second centuries B.C470 Smirnov believes the early Sarmatians acquired many features of the nomadic cultures of central Asia during this period, and he points to recent finds of Prokhorovka—type swords in Khorezm.477 The characteristic Prokhorovka or early Sarmatian sword was provided with a crescent-shaped pommel of iron. Sokol'skil believes that the disk pommel ornamented with a piece of semiprecious stone was a contribution of South Russia in the first post-Christian century to the development of the Sarmatian sword.478 This decorative tradition probably reached South Russia from the Near East and was carried back to the Volga during the second or third century after Christ. Smirnov, however, notes that between the second half of the fourth and end of the third century B.C several "atypical" long swords with flat oval pommels are known from the Orenburg steppe. Though a group of short Scythian swords from the North Pontic steppe has a similar pommel, swords analogous to the long Sarmatian ones have recently been found in fourth-century-B.c kurgans at Chirik-rabat in Khorezm.479 Elsewhere, Smirnov has published several small concave disk-sockets belonging to the sixth to fifth centuries B.C, and coming from the Orenburg steppe.480 The earliest, belonging to the sixth century, is bronze; two, belonging to the sixth or fifth century, are gold. These objects (Figure 93), and others similar to them,481 were found near sword hilts in burials.482 While it cannot be demon- strated conclusively that these small hollow sockets with 7 FIGURE 93.—Bronze and gold pommel sockets (?), Orenburg Steppe. [After Smirnov and Petrenko (1963), plate XV,2, 14, 35.] THE VOLGA —URAL STEPPE AND SPECULATIONS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SCABBARD SLIDE 115 flared ends are pommel sockets, in context it is difficult to imagine what other function they might have served.483 With more vertical sides, and deeper than the typical Chinese disk pommel, their basic form is still so close to the latter that their function, in some cases, at least, must surely have been the same. Pommel sockets of this type may belong to the early long tanged swords with heart- shaped guards (n. 469). The disk pommel of the later Sarmatian sword, in South Russia and on the lower Volga, may have received only its stone inlay from the Near East; the form of pommel to which this embellishment was adapted may have its origin with the earlier Sauromatae and early Sarmatian sword of the southern Priural and Orenburg steppe. One of the earliest long swords from South Russia, belonging to the first century B.C, had a wooden disk set in its pommel mount.484 While it may simply have been carved in imitation of more costly stone disks conceivably already beginning to appear at this time, it may indicate that pommel disks, like scabbard slides, existed before similar stone adornments arrived.485 Since a scabbard slide of wood is to be hypothetically associated with the disk-pommeled Sarmatian sword sev- eral centuries before the date of the stone specimens from South Russia, the lower Volga, and Perm—which are derived from Chinese types not earlier than Western Han—it is possible that the wooden scabbard slide may already have been in use as early as the sixth century B.C in conjunction with the long Sauromatae and early Sarmatian swords with disk pommel sockets. A particular kind of small iron or bronze hook is commonly found in burials of the sixth to second cen- turies B.C, from the Don steppe to central and western Tuva in southern Siberia. These hooks somewhat resem- ble the characteristic Chinese belt hook except for the fact that the hooked end curves in the opposite direction. Near the straight end, on the side toward which the opposite end curves, is a small, flat, circular button raised from the shaft of the hook on a short post. In the Sauromatae and early Sarmatian territories of the south- ern Ural and Volga steppe these hooks belong to burials of the seventh to fourth centuries B.C480 The raised button suggests that the hook was attached to a leather belt. Following the opinion of Kiselev with respect to these hooks in southern Siberia,487 Shilov considered them to have been used for suspending swords.488 The same opinion was expressed by Anfimov with regard to such hooks from the Kuban region.489 Zavitukhina has pointed out that these hooks are frequently found in burials where there are arrowheads, but no evidence of either a sword or a dagger. Consequently, she is inclined to believe that they were used to suspend quivers which were made of light material which completely decomposed in the burials.490 This identification was subsequently accepted by Shilov and Smirnov.491 I believe, therefore, that two rather oddly shaped hooks found in association with scabbard slides CG.l and CH.l—both quite early Chinese examples—may be neither belt hooks nor sword suspend- ers as supposed by the authors reporting on these finds, but quiver hooks related to those from southern Siberia.492 Smirnov describes several small, concave bronze rings with relatively large central perforations as objects associated with late Sauromatae and early Sarmatian porte-epees.493 These rather resemble in size and form later flat disk pommel mounts (Figure 94) . They come from burials of the fifth and fourth centuries on the Orenburg steppe. Except for the fact that they are made of bronze, some of them are nearly identical to the small perforated stone disk found by P. Rau with the late Sarmatian sword V.l. The latter was not part of the porte-epee, but part of the clasp which joined the ends of the leather sword belt. If the bronze disks served the same function as the later stone disk (which may only have been carved in stone in response to the fashion which brought the stone scabbard slide and pommel disk to the lower Volga from South Russia), we may assume the existence of a leather sword belt in use by the fifth century B.C, and probably the scabbard slide as well. The iron quiver hooks suggest use of a leather belt still earlier, in the late seventh and sixth centuries. From the sixth century, we have also the circular concave bronze sockets which probably are pommels. Separately, each of these elements does not afford very strong evidence for the existence of the scabbard slide, but taken together, and considered in relation to similar articles associated with long swords from later periods invariably carried on slides, they add considerable strength, I believe, to such an hypothesis. The evidence they afford could, in the isolated instance, amount to an unrelated phenomenon, but the probable coincidence of leather belt, belt clasp, and pommel mount seems sufficient grounds to disassoci- ate this from pure chance. ^Z7 FIGURE 94.—Bronze rings from Sauromatae and Early Sarmatian burials, Orenburg steppe. [After Smirnov and Petrenko (1963), plate XV, 40-44.] Shilov has noted that the majority of Prokhorovka, or early Sarmatian swords, sometimes recovered with remains of wooden scabbards, are found at the right side of the skeleton in burials.494 Apart from China where the 116 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 representations show a persistent disregard for verisimili- tude in depicting sword positions, the long sword in all other parts of Asia where it has been associated with the scabbard slide is habitually worn at the left. The sword position in the Prokhorovka burials need not, however, be taken as evidence that the early Sarmatians did not carry their swords on scabbard slides. Sokol'skil has observed the same sword position in nearly half of the burials in South Russia.495 It is practically certain that all of these swords were carried on scabbard slides. Though the slide was rarely represented in the art of South Russia, there exist scores of representations of swords. Not one hangs at the right side. The sword found with V.l lay at the left side, but it had been placed in the grave in an inverted position, with hilt down and blade extending toward the head. Obviously, the military equipment of the deceased was not worn in its usual position at the time of interment, but was deliberately laid in a position contrary to the normal one. Possibly the burial rites prescribed a ritual "disarming" of the deceased.496 It may be, then, that the Prokhorovka swords were laid at the opposite side from that at which they were worn in life. If such a ritual did exist among the early Sarmatians, it would not be surprising to find it slowly disappearing among later Sarmatians who observed it in somewhat under fifty percent of their burials.497 In proposing that the scabbard slide and its associated apparatus was invented by the Sauromatae peoples in the Priural and Orenburg steppe zone, I do not mean that the use of the slide by these people constitutes an inde- pendent discovery unrelated to other areas of Asia where the scabbard slide was employed. The slide fixture invented by the Sauromatae to carry their long iron swords might antedate the appearance of this object in China by as much as 150 years. Probably it was carved from wood, and in form it must have resembled the Chinese Form II slide which is typologically the earliest in China. Whether this scabbard slide was a simple eyelet on the face of the scabbard, or already constituted a self-contained aperture by the time it reached the Chi- nese, is a question for which we have no answer. The evidence from outside China suggests that other peoples saw less advantage in an enclosed aperture than did the Chinese. The equestrian Sauromatae, roving over a broad steppe zone, are the kind of people among whom we should expect an equestrian sword and distinctive carrying device to have been developed. That they employed a long iron sword for a considerable span of time before the appearance of such a sword in China is clear. Whether or not they carried their swords on scabbard slides cannot be proved or disproved since no examples have been found. The nature of this sword, together with its related fittings, as well as the nature of the Sauromatae them- selves and that of their steppe homeland, offers strong evidence for the origin of the scabbard slide, and that particular long equestrian sword carried by it, among the Sauromatae. The vast area between the eastermost burials of the Sauromatae in the Orenburg steppe and the north borders of China is, archeologically speaking, still poorly known for the period under consideration here. I know of no long swords from this region which could suggest a con- necting link between the Urals and China. Even short swords are very scarce, though daggers and knives abound. The typical Prokhorovka sword found in several sites in Soviet central Asia does not provide a link between the Sauromatae and China. These swords belong to the fifth to first centuries B.C and represent a southeast expansion of the early Sarmatian weapon.498 If these swords were carried on scabbard slides, as they would certainly have been if their prototypes were thus carried, then it is conceivable that the Parthians whose homeland probably lies somewhere about this region may have received the scabbard slide before the arrival of the Yiieh-chih-Kushana in this region in the earlier half of the second century B.C Thus far, our evidence for the long Parthian sword in this region does not extend beyond the first century B.C It was a double-edged blade with a tang, without guard, but presumably with a pommel socket. It resembles swords of the same date from the lower Volga.499 Since we know nothing of the Parthian slide until considerably later, we cannot say from whom they acquired it. But we are reminded of Widengren's opinion that the "Iranian" riding costume worn by the Parthians points to a leather prototype in the subartic region of Eurasia. Probably the movement which brought the long sword and scabbard slide to the borders of China was a rela- tively swift one. The typical Prokhorovka guard and crescent-shaped pommel are found on daggers from the eastern Pamir as early as the fifth to fourth centuries B.C500 How early iron may have been used for sword manufacture in southern Siberia, we cannot say. M. A. Devlet believes that it was relatively common by the fifth century B.C, and quite possibly earlier. He remarks that although iron swords belonging to the Tagar (700-100 B.C) period have not been found, the long swords represented on petroglyphs belonging to this period in form and size suggest an iron sword.501 Unfor- tunately, it is not possible to tell from these often lively but summary rock sketches how this sword was suspended. The late Sir Ellis Minns believed that the equestrian peoples from Pazyryk in the Altai Mountains carried long swords.502 Since the plunderers of these late fifth and fourth century burials took not only the objects in precious metals but also the weapons, we cannot be certain what sword they wore. On one of the felt hang- THE VOLGA —URAL STEPPE AND SPECULATIONS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SCABBARD SLIDE 117 ings from these tombs and on a tattoo on the arm of one of their occupants are representations of a horse and, in the case of the tattoo, a fantastic horse-like creature.503 The manes of both animals are cut into a series of notches or crenels. Maenchen-Helfen has shown that the diffusion of this mane in Asia quite corresponds to the movements of the Yiieh-chih-Kushana.504 It does, in fact, appear concurrently in every area of Asia where we have noted the scabbard slide. It appears also in South Russia. Its appearance at Pazyryk, probably in the fourth century, B.C,505 antedates its arrival in China by about one hun- dred years, as far as we know. The artifacts from Pazyryk tombs indicate that these people had far-ranging contacts, with the Achaemenian Persians to the west and with China to the east.506 These contacts amply attest to the high degree of mobility among the Eurasian nomads at early times. If the people of Pazyryk carried long swords, they probably suspended them on scabbard slides. As far as the appearance of this equipment is concerned, Pazyryk can tell us relatively little about the origin of the scabbard slide in China. The site is hardly earlier than the hypothesized appearance of the long sword and scabbard slide in China. By the same token, the famed Siberian gold plaque depicting an equestrian archer equipped with a sword worn on a sword belt passed through a scabbard slide (Figure 42) cannot really provide us with the information we seek.507 The plaque is probably not earlier than the fourth century B.C508 Indeed, the sword carried by this rider is provided with a guard which closely resembles the Chinese type with raised rounded shoulders. It is certainly not the Prokhorovka guard of the Orenburg-steppe swords. Rostovtsev noted that the facial features, hair style, and moustache of this man, and those of riders on a few other Siberian plaques, closely resemble those of Kushan figures on the sculptures of Gandhara.509 It has likewise been noted that the costume worn by these riders on the Siberian plaques, as well as the trappings of their horses, is practically identical to that appearing in the equestrian scene on the felt hanging from Pazyryk.510 It is the "Iranian" riding costume of Iranian Asia, and probably it was leather. The facial features, moustache and hair style of a Parthian sculpture from Hatra and of the Kushan portrait sculpture from Khalchayan are again practically identical to those of the Pazyryk equestrian.511 Physical resemblances between the figures on another Siberian gold plaque,512 the Pazyryk rider, and a kneeling man on a bronze altar from the district of Alma Ata, Kazakh SSR, have also been noted.513 Whether or not this means that in each case there is sufficient evidence to postulate the existence of an homogeneous parent group is doubtful. Haskins argues that the identity is clearly demonstrated;514 Maenchen- Helfen prefers to envision more loosely related, or even distinct, groups.515 We must concede, I believe, that the evidence indicates a fairly similar people, or closely related groups of people. If the Pazyryk people used the long sword, they had it at least as early as the hypothesized appearance of this weapon in China. Since it could not have been received by them from the Chinese, it must have come from elsewhere. The Chinese long sword points to a northern equestrian nomad origin. No geographical barriers sepa- rate Pazyryk from the Orenburg steppe and it seems likely, therefore, that the Sauromatae sword was the prototype of the nomad equestrian sword in Asia.516 Conclusions During the past 2,500 years there have been only two principal methods of suspending long fighting swords in Asia. The earlier of these methods was the scabbard slide. It may have originated in the seventh or sixth century B.C. in the region of the southern Ural mountains and adjacent steppe areas. Its use lingered, not in Asia but in Europe, until the fifth or sixth century after Christ. In Asia, the scabbard slide was replaced by the more efficient two-point suspension system; in East Asia, possibly as early as the middle of the second century after Christ. By the beginning of the fifth century, this new method of sword suspension was employed by all people in Asia who had formerly used the scabbard slide. Like the scabbard slide, the two-point suspension system arrived somewhat later in Europe. It is the one still in universal use today. Both of these suspension systems originated in Asia, and the beginnings of both are obscure. The present study has been concerned with the former, that is the scabbard slide, and the particular long sword types associated with it. In our study of the long sword and scabbard slide, we have traced a great circular diffusion route, from China through central Asia to the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, and back eastward across the north Eurasian steppe to the borders of China. The circle is not a closed one; much of its northern sector is hypothesized only. Two significant offshoots from this circle brought distinc- tive regional forms of the scabbard slide into Europe, one emanating from the east Mediterranean outposts of the Roman empire, the other from the Bosporus Kingdom of the early post-Christian centuries. The earliest scabbard slides on hand come from China and probably are not earlier than the later part of the fifth century B.C. The typological study of the Chinese scabbard slide leads us back ultimately to an extremely simple form consisting of a loop or eyelet only on the scabbard wall. The commonness of the scabbard slide in China, and the material of its manufacture, chiefly jade stone, has led most specialists on early China to believe that this object was invented by the Chinese. Observers of similar objects in South Russia and at sites along the lower Volga River tended rather to hypothesize an Iranian origin. While it is possible that the scabbard slide was first introduced into the Near East by the Parthians who may have acquired it in their Eurasian steppe homeland about which nothing is known, the tangible evidence for the scabbard slide in the Near East and in South Russia—that is the elongated stone and metal slides recovered from burials of the third and fourth centuries—relates clearly to earlier Chinese models. The Chinese-jade scabbard slide in its simplest and earliest stages of development leads us back to prototypes carved from wood or possibly bone, quite unrelated to Chinese lapidary traditions which only later influenced the devel- opment and decoration of this object. The scabbard slide and its associated leather belt were developed for the suspension of long swords which often exceed a meter in length. The scabbard slide was set sufficiently low on the scabbard wall to permit the sword to rest at an angle at the bearer's left side; the hilt within easy reach of the right hand, the foot of the scabbard extending behind the body. Loosely suspended on the sword belt, the scabbard could be thrust back with the left hand as the sword was drawn with the right, thus enabling the long blade to clear the scabbard mouth. Essential as the sword belt and slide were for the carrying and use of the long sword, the Chinese appear to have suspended shorter bronze swords in the same manner, though no particular advantage could possibly have accrued from so doing. The long sword for which this distinctive carrying device was developed was made of iron. It must have appeared in China as early as the scabbard slide, though no preserved specimen may be dated as early as the fifth century B.C—the date proposed for the earliest Chinese scabbard slide on hand. Though in China the long iron sword with scabbard slide rapidly became the standard weapon of massive armies of infantry, this sword and suspension system are better suited to equestrian use. It is assumed that these elements of military equipment were introduced into China through the Chou states, chiefly Ch'in, bordering the northern territories of the horse-riding nomads, though the iron sword in China exhibits a seemingly independent development related to preceding Chinese bronze sword and iron knife forms. Though cavalry never constituted a major tactical force in China, the gradual preeminence of the single-edged iron saber with long grip, and especially the inward- curving blade, indicate that equestrian requirements were the predominant influence in the development of this sword. The occurrence of the scabbard slide in central and western Asia and in South Russia may be related directly to the appearance in these territories of the Yiieh-chih- Kushana who were driven westward from the borders of China early in the second century B.C. Extant examples 118 CONCLUSIONS 119 of the scabbard slide from these regions clearly imitate the fully developed scabbard slide of Han dynasty age, but representations of the slide indicate that a simpler form, the eyelet or loop variety typologically earliest in China, was the predominant form in use. Both forms, the simple eyelet and the more highly developed, elongated lapidary form, were also current in China, the latter reserved strictly for ceremonial purposes. It is impossible to trace the use of a long sword in the Near East earlier than in China. It is assumed, therefore, that the long equestrian sword and its associated belt and scabbard slide were brought westward by the Yiieh- chih from the borders of China. This does not mean, however, that either sword or slide originated within China. A long iron sword appears in the southern Ural steppe during the seventh and sixth centuries B.C The length of this sword, in some cases exceeding a meter, indicates that it was intended for equestrian use. In order to serve this function it had to rest at an angle beside the rider so as to be handy to his reach, out of the way of his leg, and to permit the horse free movement. The carrying position of a long cavalry hand weapon, whether a sword as in antiquity or a rifle as today, is immutable. The angle at which it reposes has always been the same. The scabbard slide, so far as is known, was the earliest device by which a cavalry sword was suspended. Since the Ural steppe swords antedate the appearance of a similar sword type—with related elements of fittings—in China by one or two hundred years, and since the long iron sword in China clearly points to an origin among a northern equestrian people, we have concluded that the precursors of the Chinese long iron sword and scabbard slide are to be sought in the Ural steppe zone. The history of the association between the long eques- trian sword and scabbard slide in Asia begins and ends in the same region, the steppelands of the southern Ural mountains. The method of suspending this sword by means of the scabbard slide endured for a thousand years in the region of its origin. In the third and fourth centuries after Christ, the elongated stone scabbard slides manufactured in South Russia in imitation of Chinese jade forms which had reached this territory were still useful and meaningful objects to the equestrians of the Ural steppe who imported them from South Russia. These steppe peoples probably considered their own loop or eyelet scabbard slide as a simplified version of the longer and more elegant form appearing in South Russia; and if they were unaware of the Chinese prototypes for this scabbard slide form, they probably regarded it as an invention of, or development emanating from, the more sophisticated Bosporus Kingdom. What they almost certainly did not know was that this object had been invented in their own territory by their ancestors a thousand years before, and had simply returned to them from the West in a new form centuries after their ancestors had first carried it eastward toward the borders of China. Catalog INTRODUCTION The 440 scabbard slides described in the catalog consti- tute the main body of material from which the preceding study of this object was drawn. Not all of the scabbard slides here described were discussed in the text, but all were carefully considered in the formulation of the basic conclusions governing the history of the development and function of this object; these were expressed in relation, or by reference, to the most revealing specimens. The catalog is not intended as a corpus of known scabbard slides in collections throughout the world. I have, how- ever, endeavored to include all adequately published examples up through 1970. A few unpublished specimens which I have had an opportunity to examine first-hand have been included, but I have seen, both in museums and in private collections, numerous examples about which I was not able to obtain the necessary information to introduce them here. None of these, however, either in form or in ornamentation, suggested stylistic or typologi- cal characteristics not represented in the present catalog. Therefore, it is hoped that the present selection may be sufficiently broadly representative to permit relation of subsequently published pieces to one or another of the examples or categories appearing in the catalog. Every effort has been made to avoid duplication, but the possibility of double entry for a single piece remains. Frequent change in ownership, republication with varying description, or publication without identification of collection, have in a few cases made correct distinction or identification questionable. Wherever noted, such ambiguity has been recorded. First-hand examination of jade objects often reveals very telling details in the quality of cutting, incising, and modeling that photographs ordinarily do not reveal. From poorer photographs, it is not always possible to tell scrupulously exacting work from more hurried summary execution. Therefore, I have deemed it important to identify here those scabbard slides I have had an oppor- tunity to examine personally as distinct from those known to me only from publication. As might be expected, I have noted that as this study progressed the criteria for appraisal of an individual slide became more refined and exacting; in some cases where I have had an opportunity to reexamine a particular slide, I have been able to record significant characteristics not initially recognized. In some cases, reexamination has resulted in a substantially revised opinion. It has not, of course, been possible to restudy a large number of slides. Except in the cases where slides have been personally examined, descriptions of color and stone properties are based on the published descriptions of the pieces. Experi- ence has shown that these have highly varying degrees of accuracy. As the majority of the slides included in the catalog are known to me from photographs only, these limitations on the following descriptions should be noted. EXPLANATORY NOTES 1. The identifying numbers of excavated slides are italicized; those which have been studied first-hand are in boldface type. 2. Scabbard slides fashioned from stone are described as "jade" unless the mineral has been identified. 3. Provenance, unless given, is presumed unknown. Scabbard slides found in regions contiguous to China (Korea, Mongolia, Viet-Nam) and of indisputable Chi- nese manufacture are classified with the Chinese slides. Only slides of local or uncertain manufacture are cata- loged under these distinct geographical regions. 4. Collection, unless otherwise known and indicated, is that of publishing date. 5. All measurements are given in inches and decimal fractions thereof unless otherwise noted. Approximate measure is indicated by an asterisk (*) following the figure. Measurements derived from scaled drawings in Chinese publications are only approximate as in all cases where measurements have been published along with scaled drawings or rubbings, slight to considerable differ- ences have been noted. 6. Bibliographical references for each scabbard slide are listed in chronological, rather than alphabetical order, in conjunction with occasional annotations on the publishing history of particular examples. 7. Page and plate citations in the descriptions of scabbard slides, unless otherwise indicated, are to the references for the individual slides listed with each and not to the text of this study. 8. A list of characters for frequently recurring Chinese and Japanese names and terms is given on page 263. 9. Figure 95 illustrates the proper orientation of the scabbard slide, as it would normally be viewed when 1. 120 CATALOG 121 attached to its scabbard. Slides are seldom exhibited or photographed in this position; generally they are shown in horizontal position as they rest more easily there. The majority, therefore, of the slides among the plates here are shown as photographed or published, though some have been turned for clarity. FIGURE 95.—Chinese Form I scabbard slide: explanation of descriptive terminology. L length W width 1) depth ApL aperture length ApD aperture depth ApX aperture exterior a forward edge b upper, or forward hook c upper end;head d upper bay e upper aperture wall f exterior of lower aperture plate; base g lower aperture plate h interior of lower aperture plate j upper, or outer, plate k lower aperture wall m lower bay n lower hook 0 lower end; heel P under, or inner, side r left side s right side t upper plate; top; decor surface 122 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 LIST OF SCABBARD SLIDE CLASSES FORM I: Chinese Page CP China: Unornamented Class 122 CV China: Geometric Class 125 CR China: Ridge Class 163 CG China: Grain Class 163 CH China: Hydra Class 186 C China: Unclassifiable 211 CZ China: Atypical 212 Ca-Cm China: Imaginary Class 219 FORM I: Non-Chinese E Europe: (representative derivatives) . . 220 ET East Turkistan (Sinkiang) 229 GP Gandhara region, West Pakistan 230 K Korea (probable non-Chinese work) . . 232 M Mongolia 232 P Perm district of the USSR 234 RX USSR (unknown provenance) 236 S Syria 236 SR Pontic and North Caucasus (South Russia) of the USSR 237 T Turkey 243 V Lower Volga River region of the USSR. . 243 FORM II: Chinese XCP China: Unornamented Class 245 XCV China: Geometric Class 245 XCR China: Ridge Class 249 XCG China: Grain Class 251 XCH China: Hydra Class 255 XC China: Unclassifiable 259 XCZ China: Atypical 259 FORM II: Non-Chinese XK Korea 260 KM Mongolia 260 F O R M I CHINA Unornamented Class CP.l Figure 12, Plate \a MATERIAL: Stone, lustrous black. PROVENANCE: Shih-chai-shan H^uU ("Stone Fortress Hill"), near the shore of Lake Tien-ch'ih tUftfe , west of the town of Chin-ning U^ , about thirty miles south- southeast of K'un-ming Sl^ , east central Yunnan SM Province. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.98 ApL 1.19 W .87 ApD .28 D .63 ApX 1.61 Depth of upper plate over aperture .20. The slide tapers slightly toward the lower end where the width is .81; the aperture is shal- lower toward the lower end where the depth is .25. DATE: End of the second century B.C. At the time of excavation the slide lay near the center of a long double-edged iron sword blade. Traces of a lacquered leather scabbard remained and it was deter- mined that the slide had been attached to this scabbard. The sword associated with this slide (pi. CI,6), was badly corroded; neither grip nor blade was preserved at the extremity. The total preserved length of the sword is about 28.88. A flat disk pommel similar to that on an- other long double-edged iron sword from this site (pi. CI,1) was probably once attached to the tang. The report listed below deals with the excavation of twenty tombs at this site (see preliminary report in KKHP, 1956 (1) pp. 43-63; Haskins "Stone-fortress-hill" [1963]). Hsia Nai, however, reports that thirty-four tombs had been excavated by 1959 ("Tracing the Thread of the Past"). It has been assumed by the excavators that the tombs at this site constitute, at least in part, royal burials of the Tien M people whose chief centers were located in central and northern Yunnan during the second century B.C This region was subdued by Chinese armies under generals Kuo Chang f&H and Wei Kuang iff IS in about 109 B.C A gold seal found in tomb 6 bears the inscription Tien wang chih yin Mm.EV ("The Tien king's seal"); it is clearly of Chinese manufacture and probably rep- resents an overture on the part of the Chinese to reinvest the Tien king with regional authority after the conquest (p. 113; Loewe, Military Operations in the Han Period [1961], p. 4). Imports from China, notably bronze mirrors (pi. XLV), become increasingly common during the later part of the second century B.C, though imitations of Chinese weap- ons, vessels and ornaments probably began at an earlier date. The scabbard slide, as well as a part of the jade CATALOG 123 objects (pis. CXII-CXIII) belongs to the latter class of objects imitating Chinese forms. Of these, the scabbard slide is possibly the most strongly and beautifully con- ceived, with few suggestions of the heaviness, clumsiness reflected in imitations of this object elsewhere in Asia. The slightly more outspoken curve of the upper plate and lack of refinement in the execution of the end hooks enhance, rather than detract from its sturdy, undecorated form. But neither the Chinese imports and imitations, nor perceptible relations to cultures to the south, markedly intrude upon the strong local character of the artifacts from these tombs. Tools, ordinarily of iron in China, were here mostly made of bronze, iron being reserved chiefly for sword manufacture. Of the sixty-nine swords found, twenty-one were double-edged iron and forty- eight had double-edged iron blades with bronze hilts (cf. CH.2). The longer, tanged iron swords with disk pommels, such as the one associated with the scabbard slide, closely resemble types from Han China and may largely be imports. Those with bronze hilts, furnished with ornate gilt bronze scabbards (pi. C) reminiscent of Germanic metalwork of northern Europe several centu- ries later, have nothing to do with the ordinary Chinese sword (but cf. London, The Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1915, p. 49, no. 14 and pi. XXXVIII, an unusual, ornate, cast bronze hilt, probably of a dagger). It is clear from the cast bronze statuettes and plaques found at this site that the Tien peoples, perhaps in imitation of the Chinese, carried their swords by means of some fixture on the scabbard set at approximately the same position as the scabbard slide on Chinese swords (e.g., pi. LXVII.l). But the scabbards seem generally to be suspended from the girdle rather than from a low- slung weapons belt (pi. LI), and I am inclined to believe that a different form of fastening was used. The scabbard slide could not have been attached in the normal Chinese manner to the elaborate scabbards of the bronze-hilted swords. Curiously, the Tien soldiers seem to have wielded the sword with an overhand thrust, as though it were a dagger. It seems probable, therefore, that the shorter bronze-hilted sword was the customary weapon and that the longer Chinese, or Chinese style, iron swords with scabbard slides and jade (or stone) pommel ornaments (pi. CXI 11,3) were novelties or symbols of rank and prestige. REFERENCE: Yun-nan Chin-ning Shih-chai-shan (1959) pi. CX,3, profile and top photos, approximately natural size; text, p. 118. CP.2 Figure 16 MATERIAL: Bronze, surface of upper plate gilt. PROVENANCE: Tiao-ch'iao,a near T'ung-kuan,b at the bend of the Yellow River in east central Shensic Province. MEASUREMENTS: ApL .56* ApD .19* ApX .69* L 2.75 \V .78 D .31* Depth of upper plate over aperture .06* DATE: Eastern Han. A group of seven tombs (p. 56, fig. 1, plan), constructed of brick with vaulted ceilings, excavated in 1959. The scabbard slide was found in tomb 4 (p. 58, fig. 10), a four-chambered tomb. Iron objects were found in the tombs, but the two swords recovered were of bronze, with solid, ribbed hilts and guards cast in one piece with the blades (tombs 3 and 4). They represent a somewhat old-fashioned sword type at this date and are related to Late Chou and early Han types. The sword associated with CP.2 is about 17 long (p. 65 and p. 62, fig. 32). The complete sword was perhaps an inch longer as the pommel, probably disk, is missing. Among the hundreds of scabbard slides from China, only three other examples of bronze are known (CP.9, CV.39, CZ.l8). The upper plate and walls of the aperture are of uniform depth and are extremely thin. The upper plate is slightly arched and is bent downward slightly at each end, though no hooks are formed. Although gilt bronze objects are far from rare in China at this time and at earlier periods (see, e.g., Umehara, Ryukin no Kan Rikucho kyo [1952]), the near uniqueness of this bronze scabbard slide suggests, whether it was produced in China or not, that it may have been influ- enced by the tastes, or metal-working traditions, of peoples to the north among whom gilt bronze plaques of various forms were especially favored (see Trever, Excavations in Northern} Mongolia [1932] pp. 55ff; Maenchen-Helfen, "Crenelated Mane and Scabbard Slide" [1957] p. 97). (See also CV.3, from this site.) REFERENCE: Shen-hsi sheng..."T'ung-kuan Tiao-ch'iao" (1961), p. 63, fig. 36,7, small drawing of profile and top, not scaled; text, p. 64. CP.3 MATERIAL: Jade, translucent grayish green with heavy iron-oxide encrustation on under surfaces; lower left end broken. COLLECTION: Art Institute of Chicago, 50.877; Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.47 ApD .19 ApX 1.81 L 3.88 W .84 D .50 Depth of upper plate over aperture .19. DATE: Probably first or second century after Christ. The proportions and general carving technique indicate 124 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 Chinese manufacture, or careful imitation of a contem- porary Chinese model. The elongated form, together with the poorly articulated upper and lower inward projections of the upper plate suggest imitative work similar to M.l, and the slide may have been carved in a Chinese or sinicized frontier settlement. Unpublished. CP.4 MATERIAL: Nephrite (by X-ray diffraction), yellowish brown with considerable black coloring in clouds, flecks and veins; opaque except for a few flecks of translucent gray; small areas of surface decomposition on lower hook and left side; specific gravity 3.048. COLLECTION: Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C, 12.57. MEASUREMENTS: ApL .33 ApD .14 ApX .56 L 1.56 (at left; 1.59 at right) W .73 D .44 Depth of upper plate over aperture .17. DATE: Late antiquarian. The aperture is too short to have served the normal function of accommodating a sword belt. The lower hooked ridge extends inward to the level of the inner surface of the lower aperture plate, but the forward hook ridge terminates almost parallel with the base of the slide. It is thus evident that the lower aperture plate could not have been inserted in the usual manner into a socket on the scabbard wall. The slide is rather crudely fashioned and poorly proportioned. In all probability this object, which is in fact a minia- ture copy of a scabbard slide, is a belt "toggle," that is a small, and in this case probably ornamental rather than symbolic, object to be hung from the girdle by a cord. S. Cammann, Substance and Symbol in Chinese Toggles (1962), p. 231, no. 198, publishes a similar piece carved from primus burl, a variety of peachwood (p. 52). Unpublished. CP.5 MATERIAL: Glass, deep bluish green color; no evidence of wear; surface heavily incrusted with brownish white decomposition, the unaltered glass showing only in a few places; on the bottom exterior of the aperture specks of two distinct red materials, perhaps iron oxide and cinnabar. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1938.5-24.582; formerly Eumorfopoulos Collection. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.09 ApD .28 ApX 1.53 L 3.28 W .89 D .56 Depth of upper plate over aperture .25. DATE: Western Han. The slides are tapered inward toward the base so that the width across the lower plate of the aperture on the under side is .81, or .08 less than the width of the top plate. Umehara, who saw this slide at a London dealer's establishment in the 1920s, before it entered the Eumor- fopoulos Collection, reports (p. 410) the existence of a nearly identical piece, but of jade, from a Han tomb at Lo-langk, Korea (pi. XC,4, profile and bottom drawings). No unornamented scabbard slide from this site has been published; Umehara may refer simply to a similarity of form. REFERENCE: Umehara, Shina kokogaku ronko (19386), pi. XCII, 4, oblique profile photo. CP.6 MATERIAL: Jade, black. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.53* L 4.25* W 1.03* Crudely executed line drawing from which the piece may not be accurately described. REFERENCE: Wu Ta-ch'eng, Ku yii t'u k'ao (1889) 11,115:a, line drawing, oblique top/profile view. (B. Laufer, Jade [1912], p. 13, notes that the drawings in this book are generally seven-tenths the natural size of the objects. The measurements from the drawing of this piece suggest that it is reproduced natural size, or larger.) CP.7 MATERIAL: Jade, deeply veined stone of unidentified color. COLLECTION: Formerly Tuan-fang V&J5 Collection, China. The surface of the upper plate has been decorated with a linear design identified by Ferguson (p. 69) as that of an •auspicious plant," but it is not clearly discernible. It appears to have been rather carelessly scratched onto the surface of what may have been an older, plain slide. REFERENCE: Ferguson, Survey of Chinese Art (1939), pi. CXXIV, right, slightly oblique top photo. CP.8 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Southern suburb of Ch'ang-sha,d Hunan e Province; excavated in 1964. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.27 W .87 DATE: Western Han. The upper plate appears to be virtually flat and to CATALOG 125 taper regularly from a maximum width at the upper end to a minimum at the lower end. At both ends the upper plate appears to turn inward abruptly at right angles, terminating in blunt, inward-projecting ridges equal, or exceeding, in thickness the upper plate. (See CH.81 from the same tomb.) REFERENCE: Chang Hsin-ju, "Ch'ang-sha Sha-tzu-t'ang" (1956), pi. Ill, 17, slightly oblique top/profile photo; text, p. 117; p. 116, fig. 1, plan of tomb showing find position of slide. CP.9. Figure 16, Plate 1 b MATERIAL: Bronze; the surface thinly covered with green corrosion products mixed with thin earth deposits in places; a few areas clean. In several places on the upper plate textile pattern may be seen in the earth deposits and corrosion. COLLECTION: Dr. Paul Singer, Summit, New Jersey. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.41 ApL 1.16 W 1.03 ApD .22 D .69 ApX 1.34 Depth of upper plate over center of aperture .16; depth of lower aperture plate, upper and lower aperture walls .09. Slight vertical taper, the width of the lower aperture plate being .91. DATE: Late Western Han. This date is proposed on the basis of CP.2 which seems less strictly related to con- temporary jade forms. The plain upper plate is gracefully curved, terminating above with a slight inward projection and thickening of the plate, suggestive of influence from contemporary jade specimens with fully developed forward hooks. At the lower end, the upper surface of the upper plate tapers inward to meet the lower in a sharp ridge. The underside of the upper plate is slightly concave, so that its depth in the center is slightly less than that given here for the outer edge. The walls of the aperture and the lower aperture plate are of even thickness; normally on stone scabbard slides the aperture walls are thicker than the lower aperture plate. The aperture walls slope outward from the lower aperture plate so that the aperture is longest just below the upper plate. The aperture length given here is taken at the middle of the aperture and hence represents the mean length. The outer side of the aperture is somewhat more strongly arched than the corresponding curve in the upper plate; thus the upper plate is slightly shallower at the center of the aperture than elsewhere. Though the provenance of this slide is unknown, the material of its manufacture suggests it was a functional specimen. A locality at the northern frontier, similar to that of CP.2, seems likely. REFERENCE: Loehr, Relics of Ancient China (1965), no. 141, erroneously assumed to be unique; not illustrated. Geometric Class CV.l MATERIAL: Stone, probably jade stone. PROVENANCE: Ch'ang-sha,d Hunane Province. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.94 W .98 TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Late Eastern Chou (?). In the report on the excavation in 1955 of thirty tombs belonging to periods between Late Eastern Chou and the Sung dynasty, it is stated that all of the tombs had been robbed at an earlier time. Among the ten tombs of Late Eastern Chou age only one scabbard slide was found. The iron sword and its scabbard to which the slide had been fastened had decomposed entirely, but from the position in which the stone pommel disk (p. 39, fig. 6), guard (p. 38, fig. 2) and chape (p. 38, fig. 5) were found, the total length of the sword must have been approximately 35.50. The profile drawing of the scabbard slide suggests inaccuracy. The line of the upper plate is not arched and the hooks at either end are poorly proportioned and involuted to a degree not observed on any other piece and hardly credible on objects of this type. The lower plate of the aperture, generally quite thin on reliable pieces, is here represented to be as thick as the upper plate. The awkwardness of the drawing suggests repre- sentations of slides in older Chinese publications repro- duced from wood-blocks (e.g., T'ao-chai ku yii t'u [1936] p. 76:a). The decor of the upper plate, consisting of nine rows of three equal-sized, elongated C-shaped ornaments in relief, is also unique among attested slides. The rows alternately face to the right and to the left. The rubbing of this ornamentation does not permit appraisal of the carving technique. REFERENCE: Hu-nan sheng .. ."Pei tao chlieh-kuo-ti ku mu tsang" (1956), p. 38, fig. 4, profile drawing and rubbing of ornamentation on upper plate. CV.2 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Wu-kuei-tun Mf&*l& ("Black Tortoise Mound"), western suburbs of Ho-fei n-BE, central Anhui' Province. MEASUREMENTS: l. 2.11 W .71 TYPE DATE 1. Eastern Han. 1 26 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOCY NUMBER 17 Two brick-vaulted tombs were excavated at this site in 1954. Among the iron inventory were one ring-handled knife and two iron swords (p. 51), concerning which no particulars are given. There seem to have been no bronze swords found so that it may be assumed the scabbard slide belonged to one of the iron swords. The slide is described as being decorated with the hu-wen tjtWL tiger-pattern. The photograph is extremely poor and nothing of the decor can be ascertained except the existence of an animal mask at the upper end, facing up, and below a standard geometric ornamentation for slides of this type, consisting of a bilaterally symmetrical arrangement of small spirals and elongated Cs. A depressed line along the sides separates the decorated surface from plain narrow borders. REFERENCE: An-hui sheng..."Ho-fei hsi chiao Wu-kuei- tun" (1956), p. 50, fig. 14, photo of top; text, p. 51. CV.3 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: see CP.2. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.23 W .95 TYPE: (?) DATE: Eastern Han. See CP.2 for description of site. Slide recovered from tomb 6 (p. 57, fig. 5, structural plan). The tomb contained no sword. The scabbard slide is not illustrated, but described as being decorated on the upper surface with yiin-wen S$t cloud-pattern and shou P; animal mask. REFERENCE: Shen-hsi sheng . . . "T'ung-kuan Tiao- ch'iao" (1961), p. 65. CV.4 Plate 1c MATERIAL: Jade, grayish green with brown areas; cloth impressions and heavy incrustations of iron oxide on lower aperture plate. PROVENANCE: Chin-ts'un,g about thirteen miles north- east of Lo-yang,h Honan1 Province. COLLECTION: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; NB-4892. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.66 W .81 D .50 ApL .75 ApD .25 ApX 1.16 TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. At the upper end, an incised animal mask facing upward. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of small spirals, cross-hatching, elongated Cs with tangent spirals projected from the lower end of each C toward either the side borders or the undefined central vertical axis depending upon the orientation of the C. All elements of the decor are incised, but a slight plasticity is imparted to the larger elements by the depression of the surface along one side of the incisions. Along the central axis, near the lower end, is a single, small, incised circle. The upper pair of elongated Cs are joined by two finely incised lines arched slightly downward. Two pairs of small tight (lower pair) and loose (upper pair) spirals spring from the borders and curl downward and outward. The decorated area is separated from thin, plain borders along the longer sides of a shallow groove. The surface surrounding the closely set decor elements is flat. The upper plate is strongly arched, suggesting a close relationship to Form II scabbard slides, which it resem- bles. The upper plate projects only a short distance beyond the upper aperture wall, and only slightly further beyond the lower aperture wall, at either end prolonging the arc over the aperture and terminating bluntly. The aperture is rather crudely formed, lacking clearly squared interior corners. While there is no compelling reason to doubt the authenticity of this slide, it cannot be certainly verified that it actually came from the Chin-ts'un tombs. White (pp. 29, 138) presumes that it came from tomb 7, believed to be that of a military man, and possibly to have belonged to the single bronze sword (pi. LXVIII, 164a) found in this tomb. There is no supporting evidence for this belief. The sword has a double-edged blade, with concave pommel in which a disk of jade was set; the solid bronze hilt cast in one piece with the blade has two round ribs; the guard is of bronze inlaid with turquoise and malachite; the scabbard has entirely disintegrated, its length 27. Related swords have been found among the Late Eastern Chou tombs at Ch'ang-sha" (Ch'u wen-wu [1954] pi. XXXVII, 72, length 26.47); similar swords are ascribed by Loehr (Chinese Bronze Age Weapons [1956], nos. 98-99) to the last half of the fifth century B.C The doubt which must remain concerning the prove- nance of this scabbard slide was strengthened by White himself some years after his initial publication of the objects he managed to salvage from the plundering of these tombs. In this publication, the piece was identified as a "jade scabbard plaque" (p. 138). However, in their study on early glass published four years later, Seligman and Beck included the following note of interest ("Far Eastern Glass" [1938], p. 19, n. 31): "We may draw attention to the fact that no glass or jade cicadas or pieces of sword-furniture are figured in Tombs of Old Lo-yang, and that Bishop White informs us that so far as he could discover none were found." (See further discussion of the Chin-ts'un finds with CH.5.) REFERENCE: White, Tombs of Old Lo-yang (1934b), pi. CATALOG 127 CXXXIX, 339a, photo of top; text, p. 137f. CV.5 MATERIAL: Jade (similar to CV.8, pi. 3b). PROVENANCE: Tomb 260 of Sekigan-rij [Sogam-ni], Lo-lang k district, Korea. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.91* ApL 1.44* W1.06* ApD .25* D .41* ApX 1.78* The slide contracts in width slightly toward the upper and lower ends to 1.02.* TYPE: 1. DATE: End of Western Han. At the upper end an animal mask facing up, partly in low relief, partly incised. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of flattened spirals in low relief springing from the borders and four pairs of elongated Cs (with tangent spirals emanating from the lower end) alternately backing along the undefined central axis and facing from the outer borders. In addition to the flattened, downward-curling spirals along the lateral borders, there are two opposing pairs of short incised lines which begin perpendicular to the border and then turn upward at right angles parallel to the sides. Along the central axis five paired volutes with cross-hatched triangles where they converge on the axis. The carving technique is similar to that described under CV.8. The lower plate of the aperture is extremelv thin. The blunt hook at the forward end may result from a contemporary breakage and reshaping as the forward hook is more fullv formed on the other scabbard slides of this class from Lo-lang. The upper plate is slightly arched and the lateral grooves separating the slightly beveled decor surface from the raised plain borders rise and fade into the surface at both ends. The broad lower hook with only a thin wedge projecting forward is typical of the Lo-lang slides. The lower hook terminates slightly above the line formed by the inner surface of the lower aperture plate and there- fore was not supported by the scabbard wall. Tomb 260, which had been robbed, was excavated by A. Koizumi and S. Sawa in the fall of 1931. It is a single-chambered, wood-constructed tomb and one of the smallest at Lo-lang,k measuring only 2.8 meters square. Very few objects remained. No sword was found. REFERENCE: Hamada, Rakuro saikyo-zuka (1934), pi. CXXXI,8, top and profile photos, approximately natural size. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.18* W .73* The slide narrows more toward the lower end than is usual; width at lower end .65.* TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Western Han. At the upper end of the slide an animal mask incised, possibly with slight relief, facing upward. An incised drop-shaped element between the striated eyebrows of the animal mask. The design below appears to be incised also and consists of a bilaterally symmetrical decor of flattened spirals springing from the borders and curling downward and two pairs of elongated Cs with perpen- dicular tangent spirals, the upper pair backing along the undefined central axis and the lower pair facing from the outer borders. In addition to the single pair of flattened spirals along the lateral borders, there are two opposing pairs of short incised lines which begin perpendicular to the borders and then turn at right angles upward parallel to the sides. Along the central axis three paired volutes with cross-hatched triangles where they converge on the axial line. The unusually pronounced taper and somewhat rustic appearance of this common Chinese ornamentation suggest the possibility that this slide was manufactured locally, imitating such probably contemporary pieces as CV.5. Customarily on such pieces a spiral springs from the lower end of each elongated C; here they appear to spring from the center inner side of the C. The pair of thin incised arched lines that generally join the centers of the backed elongated Cs across the central axis are here separated, joining the ends of the Cs and arching in opposite directions. Tomb 3, of wooden construction, was excavated by R. Fujita in 1924. Among the inventory was a lacquered vessel inscribed with a date corresponding to A.D. 3. The scabbard slide was found in association with the badlv decomposed remains of an iron sword which apparently had a bronze guard. Yetts ("A Chinese Scabbard-Jade" [1926], p. 193) states erroneously that the scabbard slide from this tomb was not published. REFERENCES: Sekino, Rakuro-gun jidai no iseki (1925), pi. XCVII.586, photo of top only. Umehara, Toa kbkogaku gaikan (1947), pi. IX, upper CV.6 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Tomb 3 of Sekigan-riJ [Sogam-ni], Lo-lang k district, Korea. CV.7 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Tomb 194 of Sekigan-riJ [Sogam-ni], Lo-langk district, Korea. 128 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 MEASUREMENTS: L 2.95 W .91 TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Western Han. The published photograph of this scabbard slide is inadequate for detailed study. The decor and technique of carving appear to be similar to CV.10. The slide was found resting on or near the remains of a long, double-edged, tanged iron sword in a black- lacquered scabbard. The total length of the sword and scabbard as preserved is 39.88. It was presumably originally about two inches longer as the sword lacks its pommel, undoubtedly a bronze disk inlaid with a jade piece, and the chape, undoubtedly also of jade, is missing from the scabbard. The sword is provided with a jade guard similar to that described with CV.10. REFERENCE: Umehara and Fujita, Chosen kobunka sokan (1948), 2, pi. XXXVIII.68, photo of sword with slide in original position; text, 2, p. 51. CV.8. .. . Figure 9, Plate 3b MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Tomb 9 of Sekigan-rij [S6gam-ni], Lo-lang k district, Korea. COLLECTION: National Museum, Seoul, Korea. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.72 ApL 1.77* W1.05 ApD .30* D .56* ApX 2.19* Depth of upper plate over aperture .17.* The sides of the scabbard slide are slightly curved: at the head the width is 1.03;* at one-third of the distance down (over the center of the aperture) the slide reaches a maximum width of 1.05;* at two-thirds of the distance down from the head the width is 1.03;* at four-fifths 1.02;* at the lower end 1.* TYPE: 1. DATE: End of Western Han. At the upper end an animal mask facing upward, partly incised, partly in relief. An incised drop-shaped ornament between the striated eyebrows of the animal mask and two more widely separated similarly shaped and incised ornaments along the central axis. The decor below, partlv incised and partly in relief, consists of a bilaterally symmetrical ornamentation of flattened spirals springing from the side borders and curling downward, and five pairs of elongated Cs alternately backing upon the slightly defined central axis and facing it from the outer borders. In addition to the three pairs of opposing flat- tened border spirals, the upper pair incised, the lower two in relief, along the lateral borders there are two opposing pairs of small relief rectangles projected perpen- dicular to the borders and set between the flattened spirals, with a shallow incised line along the lower and inner sides which does not strictly follow along the perimeter of the rectangle. Along the central axis are six paired volutes, two in relief, four incised with cross- hatched triangles where they converge on the axis. At opposite sides of the lower end are two short incised lines projected for a short distance marking forty-five degrees in the right angles formed by the borders. Joined to the lower ends of the elongated Cs, spirals at right angles to the Cs curl toward the borders or toward the central axis in accordance with the position of the Cs. The central axis is defined by a low beveled ridge only at those points where the elongated Cs back against it. The relief is achieved by the lowering of the surface in general between the decor elements and then by the further depression of the surface around the outlines of the geometric forms. The surface between the elements of decor is relatively flat and this heightens the illusion of the thin relief geometric forms being more widely spaced than in fact they are. The decorated surface is separated by a shallow groove from thin, plain, raised side borders which are closed across the ends by an incised line. The decor of this slide exhibits a high standard of carving, perhaps surpassed only by such pieces as CV.22. The surface has been softened and pitted by age and there is some decoloration. The upper plate is slightly arched. The slight inward slope to the forward end of the upper hook is character- istic of the finest Chinese scabbard slides of Han age. The broad lower hook, with only a thin wedge projecting forward, is typical of the Lo-lang slides. Both the upper and lower hooks terminate above the line formed by the inner surface of the lower aperture plate and therefore were not supported by the scabbard wall. Fragments of decomposed iron and lacquered leather cling to the inner and outer surfaces of the lower aperture plate. Tomb 9, a wood-constructed tomb (A—1, pi. XVII, plan), was excavated in 1916 by T. Sekino and others. Two lacquered objects recovered from the tomb are inscribed with dates corresponding to A.D. 3 and A.D. 8 (Griessmaier, "Ausgrabungen von Lo-lang" [1933] p. 31; Umehara, "Deux grandes decouvertes en Coree [1926] p. 27, gives yuan shih jttta 4^A.D. 4, which is more accurate for the former). Yetts (C—p. 193) states that the tomb contained a lacquered object dated A.D. 11. When found, the scabbard slide lay in its original position on the remains of the black-lacquered scabbard of a double-edged iron sword which lay at the left side of the man's body in the coffin. The exact position of the scabbard slide was apparently not carefully recorded as subsequently published photographs and diagrams show slight variations in its position along the sword blade (cf. A—pi. XLIL303, with H—2, pi. XXXVIII,69, with K—pi. CIV, left). The upper end of the scabbard slide 129 aperture, which is taken to be the point at which the sword is balanced on its belt, seems to have been set about three-eights of the distance down from pommel to chape. The total length of the sword in its scabbard is 41.47. An additional two inches may be added for the missing chape, undoubtedly of jade, and pommel which is detached. The bronze disk pommel was inlaid with a concave jade disk (A—pi. XLI.301) with a small hole in the center through which a metal rivet was passed. On the hilt remains of the braided cord lashing over wood which surrounded the tang are preserved. The guard of jade, 2.17 wide, is decorated with C-hooks and a bovine animal mask. The grip, excluding pommel and guard, is 6.50 * long. REFERENCES: A. Sekino, Rakuro-gun jidai no iseki (1925), pis. XLI, 300, top and profile photos of slide; XLI, 298, photo of slide on scabbard as found; XLII.303, scaled drawings, top and profile, of sword and scabbard with slide; XLI, 301, broken concave jade disk from pommel. (See also preliminary report by Sekino in Koseki Chosa hokoku [s.v. Sekino 1925], p. 654, fig. 273, photo of slide, inverted.) B. Hamada, Yuchikusaizo kogyokufu (1925), 1, fig. 12, structural plan of tomb; 1, fig. 13, 3-4, sword with slide in position and slide. C. Yetts, "A Chinese Scabbard-Jade" (1926), fig. A, top and profile photos of slide (after Sekino); fig. E, drawings, top and profile, of sword with slide in position (after Sekino). D. Siren, Early Chinese Art (1930), 2, pi. XCVIII.H, photo of sword and scabbard with slide in position. E. Harada, Kan Rikucho no fukushoku (1937), p. 146, fig. 38, top, photo of slide on sword; fig. 38, third from top, profile and top photos of slide; fig. 38, bottom, frag- mentary concave pommel disk. F. Siren, Kinas Konst (1942), 1, p. 248, fig. 162, left, photo of sword and scabbard with slide in position. G. Egami, Yurashia koclai hoppo bunka (1948), pi. XXIX, 1, top and profile photos of slide. H. Umehara and Fujita, Chosen kobunka sbhan (1948), 2, pi. XXXVIII,69, photo of sword and scabbard with slide in position. J. Dresser, "Ancient Chinese Jades" (1955), p. 26, drawings, top and profile, of sword with slide in position. K. Umehara, Shina kogyoku zuroku (1955), pi. CIV, upper right, top and profile photos; pi. CIV, left, photo of sword with slide in position. L. Mizuno and Kobayashi, Kbkogaku jiten (1959), p. 240, drawings, top and profile, of sword with slide in position. M. Sekai kbkogaku taikei (1959), 7, p. 114, fig. 311, photo of sword with slide in position. N. Hansford, Chinese Carved Jade (1968), pi. LIII, c, photos of top and profile. P. Trousdale, "Possible Roman Jade" (1969), p. 59, fig. 2, top and profile photos of slide, after Umehara (1955). CV.9 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: See CV.8. COLLECTION: National Museum, Seoul, Korea. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.63* W .94* D .47* Depth of upper plate over aperture ApL 1.25* ApD .25* ApX 1.66* .17.* The slide tapers slightly toward each end: maximum width of .94* is reached at about one-third of the distance down from the head (at the center of the aperture) ; at the head and heel the width is .91.* TYPE: 1. DATE: End of Western Han. The decor and profile of this piece are generally similar to CV.8. All of the elements of decor appear to be incised, but possibly some are in low, thin relief line. Toward the center of the slide there is a round knob grain in low relief and just below it a square grain in low relief. The elongated Cs with perpendicular tangent spirals which back to the undefined central axis are here joined at their centers across the axis by pairs of thin, arched, incised lines; these arch downward, contrary to the normal direction. The decor surface appears to be flat, separated from thin, plain side borders by deep grooves closed at the lower end by an incised line, but possibly open at the upper end. The larger elements of the decor, which on CJ'.S are in relief, here appear to be deeply engraved; those incised elements on CV.8 are here thin and shallowly incised. Possibly this slide is a locally carved piece in careful imitation of such a piece as CV.8 which is certainly from an accomplished jade atelier in China. Fragments of the scabbard cling to the inner and outer surface of the lower aperture plate. The scabbard slide was found in association with a double-edged tanged iron sword with remains of a black- lacquered scabbard. The sword lay outside the coffin. The slide appears to have fallen off the scabbard, but its position beside the sword blade marks the level at which it was originally fastened to the scabbard. The chape, presumably of jade, and the pommel, presumably of bronze inlaid with a concave jade disk, are missing; the plain guard appears to be of bronze, of the type shown here on Figure 37. The sword blade does not appear to be preserved at the tip. Probably if the sword were whole the position of the slide would be three-eighths of the distance down from the pommel, as on the sword asso- ciated with CV.8. 130 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 REFERENCES: Sekino, Rakuro-gun jidai no iseki (1925), pi. XLIII.309, profile and top photos; pi. XLIII,305, photo of sword with slide beside blade at point where it was attached to scabbard; pi. XLIII,306, scaled diagram and section of sword with slide to side as above. Umehara, Shina kogyoku zuroku (1955), pi. CIV, lower right, top and profile photos. CV.10 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Tomb 212 of Sekigan-rij [Sogam-ni], Lo-lang k district, Korea. COLLECTION: National Museum, Seoul, Korea. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.13* W .91 TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Western Han. Ornamentation similar to CV.8 and possibly identical to CV.7. Larger elements, elongated Cs with perpendicu- lar tangent spirals, paired volutes, flattened border spirals curling downward, in low relief; other elements, presum- ably in thin, shallow incised lines, do not show clearly in the rather poor photograph. Found presumably in original position on remains of the black-lacquered scabbard of a double-edged, tanged iron sword. Pommel, presumably of bronze inlaid with concave jade disk, and chape, presumably of jade, are missing. The relative position of attachment of the slide on the scabbard wall is approximately the same as CV.8 and CVS. The jade guard, with rounded shoulders and a saddle between, is decorated on one side with C-hooks, spirals, and a bovine animal mask. (See also CH.6 from this tomb.) REFERENCES: Umehara, Shina kogyoku zuroku (1955) pi. CV, lower right, photo of top, showing slide in position on sword blade with scabbard remains; pi. CV, lower center, jade guard. Na Chih-liang, Yii ch'i t'ung-shih (1964) pi. LXXIV, 2 (guard) 3 (slide); (after Umehara). CV.ll MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Lo-lang k district, Korea. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.56* ApL 1.34* W .98* ApD .25* D .45* ApX 1.71* Depth of upper plate over aperture .13.* TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Western Han. Profile and ornamentation similar to CV.8. Lower hook extends downward to point level with inner side of lower aperture plate and therefore probably rested against the scabbard wall. Animal mask at upper end executed more freely and with greater vigor than on other Lo-lang slides. The interior of the aperture is clogged with debris. REFERENCE: Umehara, Shina kogyoku zuroku (1955), pi. XCIX, lower left, no. 3, top and profile photos. CV.12 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Lo-lang k district, Korea (?). MEASUREMENTS: L 1.31* W .75* TYPE: 1. DATE: Western Han. (?). Seemingly almost identical to CV.4 in ornamentation and, insofar as it can be ascertained, in carving technique. Possibly belongs to the XCV class. No details concerning the excavation have been given and the reliability of this piece must therefore remain in doubt. (Cf. CV.35 and CV.82.) REFERENCE: Umehara, Shina kogyoku zuroku (1955), pi. XCIX, lower left, no. 5, photo of top. CV.13 Plate lei MATERIAL: Jade, pale grayish green with lighter and darker markings; partly decolored; iron oxide stains on under side; evidence of prolonged use, the aperture wall worn through at the upper left corner and exhibiting considerable wear at the lower right corner. COLLECTION: Art Institute of Chicago, 50.745; Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.13 ApD .28 ApX 1.39 L 2.16 W .83 D .52 Depth of upper plate over aperture .20. TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. At the upper end an animal mask in low relief with striated eyebrows. The relief outline of the eyes is espe- cially prominent. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of elongated Cs with perpendicular tangent spirals, flat- tened border spirals curling downward, paired volutes, cross-hatching, relief rectangles in an arrangement similar to CV.8. The carving of the ornamentation is, however, here much more vigorous and lively. The elements are CATALOG 131 closely crowded one upon the other and the small surface areas between the elements are not flat, but dissolved in undulating plains so that an impression of motion and interaction between the various elements is achieved. The principal elements of the decor, the elongated Cs and paired volutes along the undefined central axis, are more plastic and less ridged than those on CV.8 and the relationship of forms here is less formal. The upper plate is rather strongly arched, terminating above the aperture with a short beak-like projection. The exterior of the upper plate below the aperture is longer, and curves inward abruptly, forming a blunt inward- projecting wedge. REFERENCE: Salmony, Sonnenschein Collection (1952) pi. XCIII.6, photo of top, inverted. carved in thin relief line. There are no relief hooks perpendicular to the axis of the slide as on CV.8, so that the entire orientation of the design serves to emphasize the length of the slide. This, in conjunction with the flat surface upon which these elements rest, imparts to the composition a dull formality bordering on conventionali- zation. The carving of the decor elements is not of highest quality and related forms are not uniform in size throughout. The upper plate is terminated above in a regular, rounded and undercut hook. At the lower end, the plate angles inward and is cut off parallel with the upper surface and undercut to form a forward-projecting wedge. REFERENCE: Salmony, Sonnenschein Collection (1952), pi. CVIII, 3, photo of top. CV.14 . . . Plate Ad CV.15 MATERIAL: Jade, mottled grayish green; surface decol- oration; no evidence of wear; slight vertical taper. COLLECTION: Art Institute of Chicago, 50.832; Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.09 ApL 1.41 W .94 ApD .27 D .58 ApX 1.89 Depth of upper plate over aperture .20. TYPE: 2. DATE: Late Western Han. At the upper end an incised animal mask with striated eyebrows extended upward from the head along the borders; a cross-hatched, lozenge-shaped element between the brows. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of flattened border spirals curling upward, elongated Cs and paired volutes along the central axis defined by a low, beveled ridge running the length of the decorated surface. The elongated Cs are in two interlocked groups of four, each consisting of an opposed pair backing on the central ridge and a second pair joined to one end of the former, backing against the borders. From the free spiraled end of each C an incised curved line extends to either the axis or the border depending upon the direc- tion the open side of the C faces. The Cs backed to the vertical axis are joined at their centers by two pairs of incised downward arched lines, each pair reaching to the crest of the axis, rather than a single pair joining across the axis as on CVS. The Cs backing against the side borders are joined to these by a pair of incised arched lines. From the ends of the animal mask eyebrows, two elongated C-hooks curl downward. The decorated surface which appears to be slightly arched is separated from the thin plain lateral borders by grooves which are closed at the lower end by an incised line. The principal geometric elements of the decor are MATERIAL: Jade, light green, partly decomposed; no evidence of wear; iron-oxide stains on exterior of lower aperture plate. COLLECTION: Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University; G. L. Winthrop Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.06 ApD .25 L 2.63; with extended relief 2.69 W .91 at lower end; .97 at top W 1.25 with extended decor Depth of upper plate over aperture .14. TYPE: 1, variant. DATE: Han, probably early western. At the upper end an animal mask in low relief with striated eyebrows. Between the eyebrows, an incised drop- shaped ornament. Below, on the main body of the slide, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of flattened border spirals curling downward, partially outlined rectangles in relief projected perpendicular to the border, elongated Cs with perpendicular tangent spirals. The principal geometric elements are somewhat sculptural in quality, volume being given to the forms by varying thickness of the relief lines. The central axis is defined in two places by opposed curved lines emanating from paired elongated Cs and proceeding upward parallel to the axis for a short distance before joining and terminating. A somewhat similar partial definition of the axis is found on CV.13. Extending along the right side is a hydra partly in relief on the surface of the slide and partly in open-work where it projects out from the side. The body of the hydra is thin and long, stringy even, but its complex and seemingly arbitrary convolutions and more organic contours do not wholly agree with the flatter, formal- ized, brittle geometric late Chou treatment of this animal form. The forms and the style of the geometric decor are very close to late Chou types, but they are more loose- ly organized. The greater emphasis on plastic contours 132 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 over formal linear design suggests the early Han develop- ment of a form derived from late Chou jade carving techniques. The slightly arched upper plate is broadest at the head and tapers more sharply than is usual toward the lower end. The upper end does not terminate in the usual hook, but curves downward to meet the extended level undersurface of the upper plate at an acute angle. Set in from the head on the under side, an angular ridge crosses the breadth of the upper plate. REFERENCE: Salmony, Carved Jade of Ancient China (1938), pi. LVIII, 2, photo of top. CV.16 MATERIAL: Jade, yellowish brown with ruddy brown clouded areas, especially at the upper end and on the under side; broken .78 below aperture. COLLECTION: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 12.1074. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.41 ApD .25 to .28 L 3.03 (estimated original L 3.90) W 1.02 D .50 Depth of upper plate over aperture .16. TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Western Han. Ornament and style of carving and profile similar to CV.8. At the break below the aperture, the stone has been ground smooth and polished. The unaltered stone here is an opaque yellowish white, less rich in coloration than the older surfaces. Unpublished. CV.17 MATERIAL: Jade, pale green with buff and cream colored general surface decomposition; traces of iron oxide on base of aperture. COLLECTION: Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 43.50.375; G. L. Winthrop Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.38 ApL 1.30 W1.01 ApD .25 to .28 D .53 Depth of upper plate over aperture .17. TYPE: (?). Animal mask at upper end; below, a bilaterally sym- metrical ornamentation of elongated Cs, spirals, volutes. Unpublished. CV.18 Figure 15, Plate 5c MATERIAL: Jade, green with spots of brown (iron?) oxidation; a portion of the upper plate at the lower left side broken off. MEASUREMENTS: L4.53 D .59 TYPE: 2. DATE: Early to mid Eastern Han. At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, part- ly incised, with striated eyebrows extended upward from the head along the borders. Between the brows a cross- hatched triangle. Two elongated C-spirals curl toward the central axis from the center of each brow. Below a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of an unusual type. Opposed pairs of elongated Cs executed in thin relief line alternately back upon the central vertical axis and upon the side borders. The lower end-spiral of alternate elongated Cs along the side borders is replaced by an elongated C-spiral curling upward and inward toward the central axis. The central axis is defined by a thin, beveled relief line interrupted at two points by paired volutes and an arched line from which comblike striations project downward (cf. CV.20, CV.65, CV.96). At three other points the axial line widens to enclose cross-hatched diamonds, which are joined on two sides by slender lines to the centers of elongated Cs backing along the side borders. At the lower end the axial line divides into a pair of downward opening volutes which bracket a cross-hatched triangle on the lower border. The Cs backing upon the axis are joined to it from either side by pairs of thin incised lines arching downward. From the inside center of each of these Cs a thin line is projected to the side border, terminating in a tight upward curling spiral. The surface area between the principal elements in relief is flat. The slide has an exceptionally elongated and elegant profile with a well-formed forward hook and slightly back-sloped forward edge. The slightly arched upper plate curves inward at the lower end where a forward- projecting wedge on the under side forms a hook. The end hooks extend inward to a depth almost equal to that of the inner surface of the lower aperture plate, so that they doubtless rested against the scabbard wall. REFERENCE: Pelliot, Jades archa'iques de Chine (1925), pi. XLIII, 1 and 3, top and profile photos; text, p. 119, ascribes to Sung dynasty and, following an early opinion of Rostovtsev ("Une trouvaille de l'epoque greco-sarmate de Kertch" [1923]), regards it as a sword guard. CV.19 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Purchased in Shou-hsien,1 Anhuif Province. TYPE: 2. DATE: Late Western Han to early Eastern Han. 133 At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, partly incised, with upswept striated eyebrows. From the end of each brow a small incised spiral curls downward and toward the central vertical axis. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor the principal elements of which are three pairs of elongated Cs in relief line alternately backing upon the central axis and upon the side borders. The Cs are set in two lines equidistant from the side borders and central axis on either side, a position similar to that described under CV.23. The published photograph does not permit detailed observation of the incised lines, but it seems likely that incised C-spirals curl upward and downward from the ends of each elongated C in the direction of the central axial ridge or side borders in accordance with the orientation of the elongated C. The central axis is defined by a low, beveled relief line dividing at two points to frame cross-hatched diamonds attached on two corners to the upper ends of elongated Cs. There is a pentagonal cross-hatched element between the brows of the animal mask, and at the lower end a small incised circle bracketed by two compound curved lines rising from the lower border and joining with the central axis. REFERENCE: Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), pi. LXI, 1, photo of top; text, p. 125. CV.20 MATERIAL: Jade, opaque whitish green with translu- cent caramel colored areas; portions of the upper surface decolored by a film of surface decomposition; heavy iron- oxide stains on base. PROVENANCE: Shou-hsien,1 Anhuif Province (?) COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1935.1-5.5. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.03 ApL .91 W .91 ApD .25 D .47 ApX 1.22 Depth of upper plate over aperature .13. The sides taper inward so that the width of the lower aperture plate is .81. TYPE: 1, variant. DATE: Late Western Han. At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, partly incised, with upswept striated eyebrows. An addi- tional striated curved peak rises from the center of each brow. Between the brows a prominent cross-hatched triangle. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor. Five pairs of elongated Cs alternately back upon the central vertical axis and against the side borders, with perpendicular tangent C-spirals from the upper end of each C extending toward the borders or the axis in accordance with the placement of the Cs and curling upward. The tangent spirals from the elongated Cs backing upon the borders connect to forms along the axis. Along the axis, near the center of the slide, a pair of opposed volutes opening upward. An arched incised line connects the volutes at the upward open end and short, comblike striations project downward from this line (cf. CV.18, CV.65, CV.96). Below this pair of volutes, and connected to it by a narrow, beveled relief line defining the vertical axis at this point, is a cross-hatched lozenge. Below this, at the lower end, another pair of volutes with comb striae similar to the first. The upper and lower pairs of elongated Cs backing upon the axis are joined at their centers by two incised lines arched downward and extending across the axis. The central pair, backing upon the axis at the point where it is defined by the relief line, are individually joined to this line by a pair of incised lines arched downward. The principal elements of the decor are executed in a beveled relief line; the surface area between the elements is relatively flat. The crisp profile lines and small size of this slide suggest comparison with late Eastern Chou work, but the quality of the carving is generally somewhat less accomplished and the arrangement of the geometric elements of the decor is more rigidly formal; the forms are less freely interrelated than on the late Chou and earlv Western Han pieces. There is a clear relation to such Type 2 slides as CV.18. The upper plate is slightly arched. The forward edge slopes inward, but is blunted. The lower end of the upper plate turns sharply inward and a rounded wedge projects upward to form a small hook. The aperture is relativelv deep in relation to the length of the slide. REFERENCES: Jenyns, Chinese Archaic Jades (1951), pi. XXXV,D, photo of top; text, p. xxxvii (for W. = width, read "length"). Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), pi. LXI, 3, photo of top; text, p. 126. Savage, Chinese Jade (1965), pi. II, C, bottom left, photo of top; reduced size photo from Jenyns (1951). CV.21 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Acquired in Shou-hsien,1 Anhuif Province. COLLECTION: O. Karlbeck, Stockholm. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.31 W .78 TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Han. Al the upper end an animal mask, seemingly entirely incised. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical decor, incised or in very slight relief, of elongated Cs curvilinear forms 134 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 and spirals of unusual form and arrangement. Near the lower end at each side is a T-shaped ornament reminiscent of similar types frequently encountered on late Eastern Chou jade work, but the workmanship, which does not appear to be of a high quality, and the general character of the ornamentation do not suggest that the piece belongs to this period. Two small spirals spring from the tip of each eyebrow of the animal mask and a C-spiral curls downward, along the undefined central axis, from the center of each brow, both characteristic elements of Type 2 slides of Han date. The indistinctness of the published photograph pro- hibits detailed observation of this slide. REFERENCE: Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), pi. LXI, 4, photo of top, text, p. 126. CV.22 Figure 9, Plate 2a MATERIAL: Jade, pale green, partly decolored with some areas of surface decomposition; heavy iron-oxide stains on bottom. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1945.10-17.43; O. Raphael Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.97 W 1.00 D .67 Depth of upper plate over aperture ApL 1.50 ApD .36 ApX 2.02 .20. The sides taper inward slightly so that the width of the lower aperture plate is .94. TYPE: 1. DATE: Early to middle Western Han. At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, partly incised, with striated eyebrows. The representation of the animal face is more detailed than usual, with pronounced teeth, fangs and whiskers on the forward edge. Between the eyebrows an incised drop-shaped orna- ment. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of elongated Cs, paired volutes and border spirals. At even intervals along each side border three flattened spirals curling downward. Between each two border spirals, and between the lowermost spiral and the lower end, are rectangles in low relief projected perpendicular to the border and outlined on the lower and inner sides by shallow incised lines which do not strictly follow the contour of the rectangles. The six pairs of elongated Cs alternately back upon the undefined central vertical axis, with perpendicular tangent C-spirals curling out from the lower end towards the side borders, and upon the side borders with similarly placed C-spirals extended toward the central axis. Along the central axis are six pairs of opposed volutes alternately opening upward and down- ward, with incised triangles where their ends converge on the axis. The elongated Cs backing upon the axis are joined at their centers by pairs of incised straight, or slightly downward-arched, lines reaching across the axis. The elongated Cs backing upon the borders are not so connected to the borders by incised lines of this type. Along the axis, placed below the upper two downward- opening pairs of volutes, are two small circular knob grains, incised around the top of shallow rises in the surface. At opposite sides of the lower end two short incised lines, projected inward for a short distance mark 45 degrees in the right angles formed by the borders. The decor is separated from narrow plain side borders by concave grooves which rise to the surface level of the upper plate at each end and are closed by an incised line across each end. The upper plate is very slightly arched. The slight inward slope of the forward edge is characteristic of the finest slides of Western Han age. The lower end slopes inward sharply to form the lower hook, defined by a narrow wedge projecting forward or upward. The hooks terminate slightly above the extended line of the inner surface of the lower aperture plate so that they probably were not supported by contact with the scabbard wall. The carving is uniquely meticulous and the treatment of the surface area, which is never flat but undulates subtly between the decor elements, enlivens and prevents the surface, more fully charged with ornament than on most pieces, from appearing crowded, and imparts a plastic quality to the decor elements. The resulting cut- gem crispness of sharp edges set in beveled surfaces enhances the clean lines and graceful proportions of this possibly finest of scabbard slides recorded here. The fol- lowing exaggerated sectional sketches of three elements from the surface decoration illustrate the nature of the surface carving (Figure 96). REFERENCES: London, Royal Academy. International Exhibition of Chinese Art (n.d.), p. 28, no. 375 and pi. XXXVIII, 375, oblique top/profile photo. London, Royal Academy. The Chinese Exhibition: A Commemorative Catalogue (1936), p. 16, no. 375, not illustrated. Jenyns, Chinese Archaic Jade (1951), pi. XXXV, A photo of top. Umehara, Shina kogyku zuroku (1955), pi. CVI, top left, photos of top and of profile. ~ ^rftrvr"\th"li^ —A e "W" pair of elongated C 's c - -J- - - c -TV knob grains relief rectangles with incised partial borders FIGURE 96.—Sections of decor elements on scabbard slide CV.22. CATALOG 135 CV.24 Savage, Chinese Jade (1965), pi. II, C, top, photo of top (reduced-size copy from Jenyns [1951]). CV.23 Figure 10, Plate 4e MATERIAL: Jade, light greenish brown translucent, with clouds of darker brown in the interior; small areas of white surface decomposition; possible traces of iron-oxide stain on base of aperture; small chip at the exterior base of the lower aperture wall, reground and polished. COLLECTION: University of Michigan, James Marshall Plumer Memorial Collection. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.56 ApD .20 ApX 2.00 L 3.97 W .91 D .44 Depth of upper plate over aperture .20. TYPE: 2. DATE: Late Western Han or early Eastern Han. At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, part- ly incised, with upswept striated eyebrows outlined by low, beveled relief lines. The brows are not rounded at the ends above the snout in the usual manner, but are squared by a vertical line separating them. The outer ends of the brows turn at right angles where they encoun- ter the side borders and extend downward along the borders for a short distance before terminating in curls. An incised C-spiral curls downward from the tip of each brow. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical decor the basic unit of which is paired, elongated Cs alternately facing and backing toward the central axis. The Cs, executed in a rather broad, beveled relief line, are in two lines equidistant from the side borders on either side of the central vertical axis rather than in the usual Type 1 positions alternately close to the borders and to the axis. From the upper end of each elongated C backing toward the central axis, an incised C-spiral curls upward; from the lower end, a similar incised spiral curls downward. The central axis is defined by a beveled relief line which divides at the upper and lower ends to enclose cross- hatched triangles. At three regular points along the axis the line divides to enclose cross-hatched diamonds which are joined at two corners to the upper ends of paired Cs facing the axis. The elongated Cs are joined at their center backs to either the borders or to the central axis by pairs of incised lines, straight or with a slight upward arch, which are projected greater distances than usual owing to the position of the Cs as noted above. At opposite sides of the lower end two incised lines projected inward for a short distance mark 45 degrees in the right angles formed by the borders. The relief elements are raised above a flat ground lowered between thin plain side borders. The upper plate is slightly arched. The forward edge curves inward with a slight back-slope and terminates in a well-formed hook. The lower end of the upper plate curves sharply inward and a hook is formed by a forward projecting wedge on the underside. (Cf. CV.43, CV.90) REFERENCES: University of Michigan, Early Chinese Jades (1953), no. 117, photo of top. Detroit Institute of Arts, James Marshall Plumer Col- lection (1962), p. 12, no. 119, not illustrated. University of Michigan, James Marshall Plumer Memorial Collection (1964), no. 106, illustrated, oblique top/profile photo. Figure 10, Plate 4a MATERIAL: Jade, white with cinnabar (?) impregnated in incised decor lines. COLLECTION: Late Mr. Ueno Seiichi,q Osaka. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.52 W .92 D .62 ApL 1.34* ApX 1.75' TYPE: 2. DATE: Mid to late Western Han. At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, partly incised, with upswept striated eyebrows that do not meet in the center. Above and between the brows an incised drop-shaped ornament. Below the mask, a simplified bilaterally symmetrical decor of elongated Cs and paired volutes. The upper pair of Cs backs upon the central axis, the lower two upon the side borders. From the lower ends of the upper pair incised curved lines are drawn out perpendicularly to the borders. Simi- lar lines emanate from the upper ends of the lower two pairs of Cs and extend to the central axis. The lower ends of these Cs are interlocked with a second elongated C facing the borders, but parallel to the vertical axis. From the lower ends of these subsidiary Cs incised lines are drawn to the borders. Along the central axis pairs of downward-opening volutes with cross-hatched triangles where they converge on the axis alternate with incised drop-shaped ornaments. The central axis is defined by a thin, beveled relief line connecting the volutes and drop- shaped ornaments, interrupted at two points. The elongated Cs backing upon the axis are individually joined to the axis line by pairs of incised lines arched downward. Those backing upon the side borders are 136 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 joined to these by similarly oriented pairs of incised lines. Along the side borders are three opposed pairs of flattened spirals curling upward. The principal elements of the decor are executed in a thin, beveled relief line incised along one side. The elements are widely spaced with much flat surface area surrounding. The decorated area is separated from thin plain borders by lateral grooves which are closed at the lower end by an incised border. The upper end appears to be open. The rather thick upper plate is slightly arched, with well-proportioned hooks at either end. The forward edge does not, however, slope backward as it does on the finest pieces of this period. Both hooks terminate at a line above that formed by the extention of the inner surface of the lower aperture plate so that they were not supported by the scabbard wall. (Virtually identical to SR.l) REFERENCES: Hamada, Yfichikusaizo kogyokufu (1925), 2, pi. XXI, 46, color photo of top; 1, pi. V, 46, reduced-size drawing of profile and rubbing of top. Shu Kan iho (1932), pi. XXXIII, 1. photo of top. CV.25 Plate 3d MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: Eguchi Jiro,m Osaka. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.19* ApD .25* ApX 1.59* L 3.25* W 1.03* D .55* Depth of upper plate over aperture .19.'' TYPE: Mixed 1 and 2. DATE: Early to mid Eastern Han. At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, partly incised, with striated eyebrows. Between the brows a rounded triangle cross-hatched. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor. Along the borders three opposing pairs of small rounded spirals: the upper pair, incised, curl inward and upward; the lower two pairs, in relief line, curl outward and downward. Five pairs of elongated Cs alternately back against the central vertical axis and the side borders, with perpendicular tangent C-spirals emanating from the lower end of each C and curling toward the axis or the borders in accordance with the placement of the Cs. Along the central axis, defined by a beveled ridge, are five pairs of volutes alternately opening upward and downward, with cross-hatched tri- angles where they converge on the axis. The elongated Cs backing against the axis are separately joined to the axial ridge by pairs of incised lines arched downward. The Cs backing upon the outer borders are joined to these by similar pairs of incised lines. From the tight curl at the end of each C-spiral reaching the outer borders, a thin, curved, incised line is drawn from the inner side to meet the border below the spiral. The elongated Cs, C-spirals, volutes and side spirals are executed in a beveled relief line similar to that of the central axis. The surface area between the elements is relatively flat. The upper plate is arched, the forward end rounded, but the hook on the underside incompletely formed. The lower end of the upper plate is bent inward, but no hook is formed. REFERENCE: Umehara, Shina kogyoku zuroku (1955), pi. CVII, 9, photos of top and profile. CV.26 MATERIAL: Jade, white, with pale yellowish areas. COLLECTION: K. C. Wong (now dispersed). MEASUREMENT: L 3.25 TYPE: 2. DATE: Possibly authentic, Eastern Han. The published photograph is indistinct. Decor of the upper plate probably similar to that of CV.19. At the upper end, an animal mask. Below, a bilaterally symmet- rical geometric decor. Paired, elongated Cs in relief alternately backing and facing the central axis, are joined, in accordance with their position, by pairs of incised lines arching downward, to the central vertical axis or to the side borders. From the upper ends of the Cs backing upon the borders, incised lines are drawn to the central axis. Along the side borders, opposed pairs of small flattened spirals curl upward or downward. The central axis is defined by a narrow relief line, interrupted at three (?) points by paired volutes opening downward, and dividing at two (?) points to enclose cross-hatched diamonds. Thin, plain lateral borders. REFERENCES: Wong, "Ancient Jades," 14 (1) pi. preceding p. 7, top right, photo of top. Wong Collection of Ancient Chinese Jades [1937], p. 13, no. 185, not illustrated. CV.27 MATERIAL: Jade, white with black markings; appar- ently a small section broken off the lower end. COLLECTION: K. C. Wong (now dispersed). CATALOG 137 MEASUREMENTS: L 3.50 TYPE: 1, variant. DATE: Probably late antiquarian. The published photograph is indistinct. At the upper end, an abbreviated, somewhat squared animal mask. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor. Four pairs of flat, elongated Cs in relief line alternately back upon an apparently undefined central vertical axis and upon the side borders, with perpendicular tangent C-spirals curling from the lower ends of the Cs toward the side borders or toward the central axis in accordance with the position of the elongated C. Along the side borders, four opposed pairs of small spirals alternately curling downward and toward the borders, downward and toward the axis. Along the axis are two pairs of volutes opening downward and two pairs of double C-hooks joined at the axis and curling outward and upward to either side. Joined to the under sides of the C-hooks where they converge on the axis are small incised wedges, apparently not filled with cross-hatching. Thin, plain lateral borders. REFERENCES: Wong, "Ancient Jades," 14 (1) pi. preceding p. 7, right, second from top, photo of top. Wong Collection of Ancient Chinese Jades [1937], p. 13, no. 186, not illustrated. The upper plate is slightly arched and the extensions of the plate above and below the aperture are very short. At the lower end the upper plate bends inward, ending in a blunted projection rather than a hook; the forward edge slopes inward and down and a rudimentary hook, slightly undercut, is formed. The carving, especially in the animal mask, appears to be somewhat coarse for Eastern Chou. The eyebrows are not clearly bordered where they meet in the center above the snout, but are left open. REFERENCE: Huang Chun, Ku yii t'u lu (1939), III, 21 :a, lower, rubbings of top and profile; scale uncertain. CV.29 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.97* ApL 1.06* \V .91* ApD .19* D .41* ApX 1.22* Depth of upper plate over aperture .16.* TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. Decor of the upper plate virtually identical to CV.28. The end hooks appear to be slightly more developed. Possibly a slight rise along the central vertical axis. REFERENCE: Huang Chun, Ku yii t'u lu (1939), III, 19:b, upper, rubbings of top and profile; scale uncertain. CV.28 Figure 6 CV.30 Plate 3e MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: MATERIAL: Jade. ApL 1.25* ApX 1.72* COLLECTION: National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. L 1.94* ApL 1.06* MEASUI W .88* ApD .19* D .41* L 3.72 Depth of upper plate over aperture .16.* \V 1.06 TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. At the upper end an animal mask with striated eye- brows. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical decor consisting of two pairs of elongated Cs backing against the central vertical axis with perpendicular tangent spirals from their lower ends extending to the side borders; three pairs of flattened border spirals curling downward, and along the undefined central axis, three pairs of opposed volutes with cross-hatched lozenges where they converge on the axis. There are two small, round knob grains on each side set between the border spirals. Thin, plain borders are separated from the ornamented surface by lateral grooves. The relief appears to be defined by side-cutting and not to exceed the surface level. TYPE: I. DATE: Early to mid Eastern Han. At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, partly incised, with striated eyebrows. Between the brows an incised drop-shaped ornament. Similar ornaments along the central vertical axis at the center and at the lower end. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of border spirals in relief curling downward, alternating with thin incised lines perpendicular to the holders customarily defining the lower and inner sides of small relief rectangles here are not evident; paired elongated Cs alternately backing upon the central axis and facing ii from the side borders, with perpendicular tangent C-spirals projected from their lower ends either toward the central axis or side borders in accordance with the 138 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 CV.32 placement of the elongated C; four pairs of opposed volutes along the axis, two opening upward, two down- ward, with cross-hatched diamonds where their ends converge on the axis. The central axis is defined by a low beveled ridge at those points where elongated Cs back against it (cf. CV.8). The paired elongated Cs backing upon the axis are joined to it by pairs of incised lines arched upward which meet from either side, but do not cross, the ridge of the axis. The Cs backing upon the side borders are joined to these by pairs of incised lines arched upward. The principal elements of the decor appear to be executed in a low, beveled relief line. REFERENCES: Ku-kung, no. 36, p. 10, top right, photo of top. Ku-kung chou-k'an, no. 18, p. 1090, slightly oblique top/profile photo. Na Chi-liang, Yii ch'i t'ung-shih (1964), pi. LXXII, 3, photo of top. CV.31 MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.27* ApL 1.56* W .91* Slight tapering toward the lower end where the width is .86.* TYPE: 2, variant. DATE: Han. The upper surface appears to be worn and considerably decomposed. This condition, in conjunction with indis- tinct published photographs, renders it difficult to discern the detail of the ornamentation. At the upper end, an animal mask. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor consisting of paired elongated Cs with perpendicu- lar tangent C-spirals similar to those of Type 1 in con- junction with vertically interlocked elongated Cs similar to those of Type 2 (e.g., CV.14). Along the side borders, small spirals curling upward as on Type 2 slides. Judging from slightly oblique photographs the profile appears to be similar to CV.24. Probably authentic. REFERENCES: Ku-kung, no. 36, p. 10, top left, slightly oblique top/profile photo. Ku-kung chou-k'an, no. 18, p. 1096, slightly oblique top/profile photo. (Slightly differing measurements are quoted in the above two works.) Na Chih-liang, Yii ch'i t'ung-shih (1964), pi. LXXIf, 1, photo of top; gives length 4.53. Plate 4b MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Alfred F. Pillsbury Bequest. TYPE: 2. DATE: Mid to late Western Han. Perhaps identical to C.l. The decor of the upper plate is virtually identical to that of CV.24 and SR.l with the exception of the lower end where the decor pattern is terminated sooner so that the lowermost pair of elongated Cs is not extended by a similar pair of Cs interlocked at their lower ends. REFERENCE: "Carved Jades of Shang and Chou" (1942), p. 119, bottom, photo of top. CV.33 Plate 3a MATERIAL: Jade, pale green with a large central area of softer white surface decomposition; the decorated sur- face appears to be considerably worn (the striae of the eyebrows being almost effaced) and the inner side of the upper aperture wall appears also to be worn, as though from a strap. COLLECTION: Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York; for- merly Mr. and Mrs. Desmond Gure, London. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.35 W 1.00 TYPE: 1. DATE: Mid Western Han, late second century B.C. At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, partly incised, with striated eyebrows. Along the side borders a single pair of opposed flattened spirals curling downward. Above and below these, on either side, low relief rectangles with incised lines defining the lower and inner sides, similar to CV.8 or CV.22. Four pairs of elongated Cs back upon the central vertical axis or face it from the borders, with perpendicular tangent C-spirals attached to the lower ends and extending to the outer borders or toward the central axis in accordance with the placement of the elongated Cs. Along the central vertical axis two pairs of opposed volutes open upward, two downward. The two downward-facing volute pairs have cross-hatched triangles where their ends converge on the axis; the upward-opening volutes bracket plastically defined rectangular interiors. The central axis is defined by a low beveled ridge at those points where elongated Cs back against it (cf. CV.8). The paired elongated Cs backing the axis are joined across it, each by a single pair of shallow incised lines arching downward. Near the center and at the lower end, on the axis, small incised circles divided in quarters by two crossing incised lines. The carving, now worn, was sharp and precise; the CATALOG 139 stone has a hard, brittle gloss characteristic of Western Han slides of this type. The upper plate is slightly arched. The upper hook is similar to that of CV.22; the lower end is more rounded and the hook less decisively formed. REFERENCES: Venice, Moslra d'arte Cinese (1954), p. 69, no. 206, photo of top, inverted. CV.34 Salmony, Chinese Jade through the Wei Dynasty (1963), pi. XVI, 6, oblique top/profile photo; ascribed to Late Eastern Chou. .Plate \e MATERIAL: Jade, translucent gray with dark gray and brown markings. PROVENANCE: Reputedly from Chin-ts'unB (see CV.4). COLLECTION: Worchester Art Museum, Worchester, Massachusetts, No. 1955.6. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.91 W 1.10 D .55 There is a slight narrowing at both upper and lower ends, the widest point being just above the center, over the center of the aperture. TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. At the upper end, partly in relief and partly incised, an animal mask with striated eyebrows. Between the brows where they meet in the center, an incised drop- shaped ornament. Two more similarly shaped ornaments are placed along the undefined central vertical axis between other elements. Below the mask, a complex bilaterally symmetrical geometric ornamentation. Along the side borders are several opposed pairs of small spirals curling downward. These are supplemented by a number of small tight spirals of varied orientation along the borders. Backing upon the undefined central vertical axis and joined across it by pairs of thin incised lines arching downward, are two pairs of elongated Cs with perpen- dicular tangent spirals emanating from approximately the centers of the inward sides of the Cs and extending to the outer borders where they curl downward. Along the central vertical axis are four pairs of opposed volutes: the uppermost pair curls upward to bracket the drop- shaped ornament between the brows of the animal mask; the second pair curls downward and from the inward- curling lower ends two lines back-trace upward along the outer sides of the volutes and terminate above the volutes in outward curls; the third pair curls upward and from the inward curls at its upper end, two C-hooks extend upward along the axis and then curl outward toward the borders; the lower volute pair is similar to the second with the addition of a cross-hatched lozenge where the upper ends of the volutes converge on the axis. In the central position at the bottom of the slide is a small cross-hatched triangle pointing upward, and to either side on the lower end border a small spiral curling outward. The arrangement of the decor on this comparatively small slide is compact without appearing crowded. The elements of the decor are primarily incised, but the small surface areas between elements are treated so that an illusion of volume is created by the welling up of the surface sharply along the exterior perimeters of the forms and by a gentle sloping away from the incisions on the interior portions of the elements. This technique of carv- ing greatly enlivens the surface of the slide and creates a feeling of interaction between the decorative elements. The workmanship is of extremely high quality and integrity. REFERENCES: Venice, Mostra d'arte Cinese (1954), p. 69, no. 207, not illustrated. Dresser, "Ancient Chinese Jades" (1955), p. 26, lower left, photo of top. CV.35 MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: Charles Gabriel Seligman, London. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.88 W 1.03* TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. At the upper end, an animal mask with striated eye- brows. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor similar to CV.12 of two opposed pairs of elongated Cs with perpendicular tangent spirals, flattened border spi- rals curling downward, and paired volutes joined at the central vertical axis. The upper pair of elongated Cs back against the undefined central axis, the lower face toward the axis from the borders. In central position along each side, a small rectangle in low relief projected perpendicular to the border with a thin incised curved line along the lower and inner sides. The principal ele- ments of the decor, including the border spirals, appear to be in low relief, achieved by the pitching downward of the surface around the outlines of the forms. At the lower end, rather indistinct in the published photograph of this piece, are two rather tight spirals curling toward the left. The profile is not clearly discernible, but it appears that the upper plate is slightly arched and that the ends curve inward, ending in short blunted projections rather than in well-defined hooks. (Cf. CV.82) 140 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 REFERENCE: Hansford, Seligman Collect ion (1957), 1 pi. LXI, B. 34, photo of top; text, p. 112. CV.36 .... Figure 9 MATERIAL: Jade, gray-green, with small spots of sur- face decomposition; iron-oxide stains on bottom. COLLECTION: Musee Cernuschi, Paris. TYPE: 1. DATE: Early to middle Western Han. Very similar to CV.22 in arrangement of decor and in technique of carving. The piece is somewhat shorter, however, with consequently fewer repetitions of the basic decorative units. The sides do not taper, so that the lower aperture plate is fully as wide as the upper plate. The lower aperture plate is somewhat thinner than that of CV.22, as also is the forward edge which is slightly back- sloped but does not form a well-defined hook. The lower end of the upper plate turns inward more sharply than on CV.22. Possibly it is slightly later in date than CV.22, but the differences between the two pieces are not sufficient to suggest the necessity of separating them in time. The gracefully flowing lines, sense of acute awareness of proportions, and the meticulously accomplished carv- ing combine to make this one of the finest of all scabbard slides. Unpublished (?). CV.37 Figure 6 MATERIAL: Jade, translucent grayish green core, the surface area almost entirely covered with soft whitish decomposed material; fragments of oxidized iron adher- ing to bottom and inside of aperture and iron-oxide stains in the same areas. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1947.7-12.480. MEASUREMENTS: ApL .88 ApD .25 ApX 1.13 L 1.70 W .77 D .47 Depth of upper plate over aperture .13. TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. At the upper end, an incised animal mask with striated eyebrows. Between the eyebrows, which overlap in an unusual way (cf. CG.55), a small incised drop-shaped ornament. The bilaterally symmetrical geometric orna- mentation below consists of two pairs of flattened spirals along the side borders, the upper pair curling downward, the lower pair curling upward and away from the borders (the usual direction of the curl being toward the borders); two pairs of elongated Cs, the upper pair backed upon the undefined central vertical axis, with perpendicular tangent C-spirals from their lower ends extending to the borders, the lower pair backed against the side borders with similar tangent C-spirals extending toward the axis. Along the central axis are two pairs of opposed volutes, the upper pair opening upward and the lower pair open- ing downward, with cross-hatched triangles at the points where the ends of the volutes converge on the axis. Near the center of each side is a short incised line extending inward lor a short distance, the end of which turns upward to parallel the axis. This line does not serve as a partial frame lor low relief rectangles as on some later slides of this type (e.g., CV.8, CV.22). The decorated surface is separated from thin plain borders by lateral grooves; the ends are open. All elements of the decor are incised. The sides of the incisions are slightly rounded and the surfaces on the inner sides of the elongated Cs rise slightly above the normal level so that a slight suggestion of volume is imparted to the forms. The upper plate is rather strongly arched, with very short extensions above and below the aperture. There are no hooks at the ends of the upper plate, there is only a sharp shallow ridge across the inward side of the upper plate at the upper end. The upper surface of the upper plate is arched horizontally as well, as is customary on most authentic slides of this class, that is, it wells up from each side toward the central axis. In consequence of this, the blunted ends of the upper plate form rounded rec- tangles, the underside having been ground in a more pronounced downsweeping arc than the upcurving arc of the upper surface of the upper plate. The sides have no vertical taper, but are squared with the upper and lower plates. Unpublished. CV.38 MATERIAL: Glass, somewhat porous; tan-colored. PROVENANCE: Acquired in region of Shou-hsien,1 Anhui f Province. COLLECTION: His Majesty King Gustaf VI Adolf, Stockholm. Mi ASUREMENTS: L 3.70 W .98 1) .67 TYPE: 2. DATE: Late Western Han. The published photographs of this slide arc unclear. At the upper end, "a somewhat degenerate and indistinct zoomorphic mask" (A); "with pointed horns [eyebrows?]" (B). Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor consisting of two columns of paired elongated Cs in low relief alternately lacing and backing toward the central vertical axis defined by an unbroken relief line. C-spirals curl upward and downward from the ends of the Cs CATALOG 141 backing toward the central axis, and from the lower ends only of the Cs facing the axis. The Cs backing toward the axis are joined to it by separate pairs of thin lines (incised?) arched upward; the Cs backing toward the borders are joined to these by similar pairs of lines. The upper plate is slightly arched, with rounded for- ward edge and well-formed undercut forward hook. The upper plate curves inward at the lower end and a hook is formed by a forward-projecting rounded wedge on the underside. The upper and lower aperture walls slope outward from the lower aperture plate. The contours are somewhat more rounded than on contemporary slides of jade. By analogy with other glass scabbard slides and by the appearance of the aperture wall, it is probable that the sides contract inward from the broader upper plate to a narrower lower aperture plate. REFERENCES: A. Palmgren, Selected Aritiquities from the Collection of Gustaf Adolf (1948), pi. LV, 2, photo of top; p. 101, fig. 228, drawing of profile. B. Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou- chou" (1955), pi. LXI,2, photo of top. CV.39 MATERIAL: Bronze, the upper plate with gold inlays. COLLECTION: Kiyono Kenji rH£fgfc#: , Kyoto (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS: L 1.81* W .75* D .59' ApL 1.00* ApD .47* TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Western Han, or earlier. The flat upper surface is ornamented with two rows of broad spirals (six in each row) of inlaid gold, curling in various directions. The design continues on the forward edge which forms the upper aperture wall. The spirals are formed into three groupings of four spirals each, a pair on either side. The spirals of each group are inter- locked by thin inlaid gold lines with several small spirals branching from them. The upper plate is slightly arched; there is no exten- sion of this plate forward of the aperture, but below the aperture the upper plate, gradually becoming thinner toward the lower end, extends a short distance and is only slightly bent inward at the end. The contours of the slide are rather rounded so that there is no clear separa- tion of the aperture from the upper plate. It is similar in shape to Form II scabbard slides, except for the lower extension of the uppper plate (but cf. CV.84, CG.l, CG.58). The slide appears to be slightly narrower at the lower end where the corners of the upper plate are some- what more rounded than at the forward edge. REFERENCES: Shu Kan iho (1932), pi. LX, 4, photo of top. Komai, Chugoku kohyo no kenkyu (1953), pi. XV, 2, photos of top and profile. CV.40 MATERIAL: Jade, greenish. PROVENANCE: Acquired in the vicinity of Shou-hsien,1 Anhuif Province. COLLECTION: Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.56 TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Han (?). The indistinct and slightly oblique published photo- graph indicates this slide may have an unusual profile. It appears to be a solid rectangle, thicker toward the forward end, the base forming a straight line without the bays to either side of the aperture, which is cut through close to the forward end. The decor of the flat upper surface is entirely incised and is not enclosed within borders but extends to the edges of the slide. At the upper end, an extremely simpli- fied, somewhat clumsily conceived and executed animal mask with no apparent eyebrows. In the center, above the snout, an incised drop-shaped ornament. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor consisting of flat, elongated Cs, C-hooks and small spirals in a rather arbi- trary, loosely organized pattern. The central vertical axis is undefined. Possibly there are more finely engraved ornaments which are not revealed in the photograph. The incising is irregular and seemingly carelessly exe- cuted. Possibly this is an unfinished scabbard slide which had not yet been cut out on the underside and a prelim- inary pattern only incised on the upper surface. The absence, however, of an allowance for lateral borders makes this suggestion unlikely. It may more likely be a crude serviceable imitation of the more elegant form, made by, or for, someone of limited means, and intended for utilitarian purposes. The sharp slope of the slide toward the shallow lower end is not unique; it may be noted on another unquestionably authentic slide (CG.l8). Karlbeck ascribes the piece to late Chou or Western Han. The Cshapes are too flat and elongated to agree with such forms on authentic late Chou slides; a date later in Han seems preferable. Close examination might sug- gest a still later date. REFERENCE: Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), pi. LIX, 2, photo of top; text, p. 124. CV.41 MATERIAI : Jade, rich, bright, opaque orange-red at 142 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 CV.43 upper and lower ends and lower half of lower aperture plate, translucent gray in center; some areas of surface decomposition on upper plate. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1945.10-17.90. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.91 ApL .84 W .50 ApD .28 D .47 ApX 1.09 Depth of upper plate over aperture .08. The slide narrows slightly toward each end where the width is .47, the maxi- mum width is reached slightly forward of the center, over the center of the aperture. TYPE: 2. DATE: Han, or later. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly incised and partly in relief, with upswept striated eyebrows. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor consisting of two parallel lines of flat, elongated, interlocked Cs in relief to either side of the undefined central vertical axis. Attached to the ends of the eyebrows of the animal mask, two long C-spirals in relief line project downward, curl- ing at their lower ends toward the side borders. The curling ends of these C-spirals are connected with the side borders by curved wedges in very slight relief. The surface of the slide between the geometric elements is flat. On the sides are thin, plain, slightly raised borders which are not closed at the ends. The upper plate is slightly arched. There is a slight back-slope to the rounded forward edge, with a small, pointed, curved wedge on the underside suggestive of a hook. The lower end of the upper plate curves sharply inward and a small hook is formed by a forward- projecting rounded wedge on the underside. The aper- ture is irregular in shape, uneven on all sides, and not fully cut out in the interior. This appears to be the results of careless workmanship rather than wear. In profile this piece is close to CV.72, but the workmanship is less fine, the proportions less surely conceived, the contours less precisely formed. Unpublished. CV.42 MATERIAL: Jade, white with black and rust colored patches and fine veins. COLLECTION: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 16.144.28. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.25 ApL 1.00 W 1.00 to 1.02 ApD .25 D .50 Depth of upper plate over aperture .16. TYPE: (?). At the upper end, an animal mask. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of elongated Cs and spirals. The decorated surface is worn, especially toward the center of the upper plate where the ornamentation is scarcely visible. The upper plate, slightly arched, terminates at the forward end in a chisel-shaped wedge and is rounded at the lower end. No hooks or inward-projecting ridges are formed. Unpublished. Plate 4/ MATERIAL: Jade, gray translucent with iron-oxide stains on sides, bottom (inside of aperture, on lower and upper hooks and in upper bay). COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1947.7-12.507; Henry Oppenheim Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.48 ApL 1.25 W .98 ApD .25 D .53 ApX 1.63 Depth of upper plate over aperture .19. The sides taper inward slightly so that the lower aperture plate is narrower than the upper. TYPE: 2. DATE: Late Western Han to early Eastern Han. Profile and ornamentation similar to CV.23, with the following exceptions. Curled whiskers and stylized teeth are lightly incised on the forward edge. The elongated Cs are primarily incised; the surface, otherwise flat, rises slightly to either side of the broad cuts forming the Cs. The central vertical axis is an unbroken slightly beveled relief line, without the interruption of cross-hatched diamonds and triangles. The pairs of incised lines join- ing the elongated Cs to the central axis are arched upward; those joing Cs to the side borders are arched downward. The eyebrows, where they meet above the snout, are rounded in the usual manner, and the lines of the face are more squared. The incised border at the lower end is scalloped and is unique in this regard. From this lower border, two prolonged C-hooks rise parallel to the axial ridge, terminating in outward curls, and each is joined to this ridge by a pair of incised lines arched upward. The sharp angularity of contour and the brittle gloss of the finished stone, as well as the generally high standard of workmanship it exhibits, speak favorably of its authenticity, as do the tapering of the sides and force- ful elegance of profile which is similar to that of CV.23. REFERENCES: Jenyns, Chinese Archaic Jades (1951), pi. XXXV,B, photo of top. Watson, China before the Han Dynasty (1961), pi. LXVII, photo of top. Watson, Handbook (1963), pi. XXXIV, C, photo of top; dated 4th-3d century B.C. Savage, Chinese Jade (1965), pi. II, C, left center, photo 143 of top (reduced-size photo from Jenyns [1951]). Palmer, Jade (1967), pi. VII, left, photo of top, slide inverted. CV.44 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.44* ApL 1.72* W .88* ApD .28* D .52* ApX 2.09* Depth of upper plate over aperture .19.* TYPE: 2. DATE: Eastern Han style, but possibly late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask virtually identical to CV.43. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor the principal element of which is paired, flat, elongated Cs alternately facing the axis and the side borders, in two columns equidistant from the side bor- ders and the central vertical axis. These Cs are joined at their backs near the upper ends to either the central axis or to the borders by pairs of thin incised lines arched downward. The central axis is defined by an uninter- rupted relief line which divides at three points to enclose cross-hatched diamonds joined at two corners by curved incised lines to the upper ends of elongated Cs facing toward the axis from either side. Along the axial line, five pairs of opposed volutes alternately open downward and upward. Along the side borders, opposed pairs of small spirals curl either downward and toward the bor- der or downward and toward the axis (cf. CV.27). Along the borders also, two opposed pairs of cross-hatched triangles based on the borders and pointing inward (Cf. CV.68, CV.70, CV.77), and two more pairs joined by curved incised lines to the upper ends of elongated Cs facing the borders. The profile appears to be nearly identical to CV.18, but for the contours which are less rigidly defined and the end hooks which are less precisely formed. REFERENCE: Huang Chiin, Ku yii t'u lu (1939), III, 18:a, right, rubbing of top; III, 18:b, right, rubbing of profile; scale uncertain. CV.45 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.06* W .88* D .38* ApL .81* ApD .22* ApX 1.19* TYPE: 1, variant. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. At the upper end, an animal mask with striated, blunt- ended eyebrows. Between the brows, a drop-shaped orna- ment. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor. Two pairs of rounded elongated Cs, the upper backing upon the undefined central vertical axis, the lower back- ing upon the side borders. Perpendicular tangent C-spirals emanate from the center of the concave side of each elongated C and are projected either toward the central axis or the side borders in accordance with the placement of the Cs. Their ends curl downward. The elongated Cs of the upper pair are joined across the axis by two incised lines near their upper ends, arched upward. Two pairs of long incised lines, parallel to the borders, are drawn between the tangent C-spirals of the upper pair of elongated Cs and the lower pair of elon- gated Cs. Along the central axis, just below the animal mask, a pair of double C-hooks joined at the axis and curling outward and upward to either side (cf. CV.27). Between the two pairs of elongated Cs, on the central axis, a pair of opposed volutes opening downward and a cross-hatched triangle at the lower open end of the volutes. Near the upper end, at each side border, a short spiral curling downward. The principal elements of the decor are evidently incised on a flat surface which accen- tuates their somewhat large, wiry qualities in relation to the surface area of the slide. The upper plate is slightly arched, terminating at each end in blunt, shallow inward-projecting knobs. The aperture is not of the usual rectangular shape, but a flat oval. The exterior corners of the aperture walls are rounded where they join with the lower aperture plate. These irregularities may derive from the process of taking the rubbing and may not reflect accurately the actual profile. REFERENCE: Huang Chiin, Ku yii t'u lu (1939), III, 21 :a, upper, rubbings of top and profile; scale uncertain. CV.46 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.06* ApL 1.00* W .97* ApD .33* D .45* ApX 1.28* Depth of upper plate over aperture .08.* TYPE: 1, variant. DATE: End of Chou or early Western Han (if authen- tic). The published rubbings of this slide do not permit a reliable chronological estimate to be made. At the upper end, an animal mask with upswept eye- brows. Between the brows, a drop-shaped ornament, possibly in relief, with incised borders. Below, a bilater- ally symmetrical geometric decor almost identical to the surface decor of CV.15 and CV.60. The paired volutes along the central vertical axis are similar to those on CV.33. 144 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 The upper plate is strongly arched; the forward edge is rounded, the lower edge, curving down to a point parallel with the inner surface of the slightly curved lower aperture plate, terminates in a sharpened wedge. No hooks are formed at either end. The interior corners of the aperture appear to be rounded so that an oval rectangle is formed, but this appearance may be due to the rubbing. The profile is nearly identical to CV.60; it is unattested among reliably authentic slides. REFERENCE: Huang Chiin, Ku yii t'u hi (1939) , III, 20:a, right, rubbing of top plate; III, 20:b, left, rubbing of profile. CV.47 Plate \2a MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.63* ApX 1.88* L 4.22* W 1.03* TYPE: 2. DATE: Probably late antiquarian. Authenticity of this piece cannot be determined on basis of published drawing. The decor appears to be related to that seen on such slides as CV.14, with animal mask at the top and with defined central vertical axis and flattened border spirals curling upward (the lower- most pair curling downward). The eyes of the animal mask are provided with pupils, a characteristic rare or unknown among reliably authentic examples. The arrangement of the decor elements, especially those placed along the central vertical axis, is unattested among reliably authentic examples. REFERENCES: Wu Ta-ch'eng, Ku yii t'u k'ao (1889), II, 115:a, draw- ing of top, With foreshortened profile at left; ascribed to Han dynasty. (See note with CP.6). Laufer, Jade (1912), p. 260, fig. 165, after Wu Ta-ch'eng. Ginters, Das Scluoert der Sky then und Sarmaten (1928) p. 71, pi. XXIX,d, after Wu Ta-ch'eng. CV.48 Plate \2b MATERIAL: Jade, white. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.17* ApX 1.50* L 3.78* W .91* TYPE: 2, variant. DATE: Probably late antiquarian. Authenticity cannot be established on the basis of the published drawing. The decor seems to reflect a type similar to that of CV.23, but the similarity does not extend beyond the existence on both of elongated Cs with tangent C-spirals curling upward and downward from each end. There are no spirals along the side borders. The central vertical axis, here defined by cross- hatched lozenges and knob grains, suggests a hybrid of antiquarian design. (Cf. CV.66 and CV.72) REFERENCES: Wu Ta-ch'eng, Ku yii t'u k'ao (1889), II, 114:b, draw- ing of top with foreshortened profile at left; ascribed to Han dynasty. (See note with CP.6.) Laufer, Jade (1912) p. 258, fig. 163, after Wu Ta-ch'eng. Ginters, Das Schwcrt der Skythen und Sarmaten (1928), p. 71, pi. XXIX, b, after Wu Ta-ch'eng. Na Chih-liang, Yu ch'i t'ung-shih (1964), Appendix, p. 19, fig. 24, after Wu Ta-ch'eng, but redrawn and abbreviated. CV.49 MATERIAL: Jade, milky green with brown and black patches. COLLECTION: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 13.40.177. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.22 ApD .19 L 3.81 W 1.08 D .47 Depth of upper plate over aperture .19. TYPE: (?). Animal mask at upper end; bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor below. Unpublished. CV.50 MATERIAL: Jade, dark green. COLLECTION: Osvold Siren, Stockholm. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.13 TYPE: (?) . Described as being decorated with stylized clouds. REFERENCE: Siren, Documents d'art chinois (1925), p. 68, no. 507, not illustrated, ascribed to Sung dynasty. CV.51 MATERIAL: Jade, light green. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.38 TYPE: (?). Animal mask at upper end; bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of spiral combinations below. Photo inadequate. REFERENCE: New York, Yamanaka, Far Eastern Art (1943), no. 291, photo of top, ascribed to Han dynasty. CATALOG 145 CV.52 MATERIAL: Jade, light green and brown. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.50 TYPE: (?). Animal mask at upper end; bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of spiral combinations below. Photo inadequate. REFERENCE: New York, Yamanaka, Far Eastern Art (1943), no. 309, photo of top; ascribed to Han dynasty. CV.53 MATERIAL: Jade, light green and tan. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.88 TYPE: (?). Animal mask at upper end; bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of spiral combinations below. Photo inadequate. Profile possibly similar to CV.37. Possibly identical to CV.82. REFERENCE: New York, Yamanaka, Far Eastern Art (1943), no. 318, slightly oblique top/profile photo; ascribed to Late Eastern Chou. CV.54 MATERIAL: Jade, grayish, with iron oxide stains. COLLECTION: Sunglin (Dr. Herbert Muller), Peking (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS: L 2.50 TYPE: (?). Described as being decorated with scroll design. Ascribed to the Han dynasty. REFERENCE: Sunglin Collection (1939), p. 44, no. H-915, not illustrated. CV.55 MATERIAL: Jade, white, decomposed, with iron-oxide stains. COLLECTION: Sunglin (Dr. Herbert Muller), Peking (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS: L 2.50 TYPE: (?). Described as being ornamented with geometric design. Ascribed to Ch'in or Han dynasty. REFERENCE: Sunglin Collection (1939), p. 44, no. H-917, not illustrated. CV.56 MATERIAL: Jade, brownish-black. COLLECTION: Sunglin (Dr. Herbert Muller), Peking (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS: L 2.75 TYPE: (?). Described as being decorated with an "unusual geo- metric design." Ascribed to the Han dynasty. REFERENCE: Sunglin Collection (1939), p. 44, no. H-918, not illustrated. CV.57 MATERIAL: Jade, translucent gray with dark gray and brown markings. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.88 W 1.06 TYPE: 1. DATE: Possibly late Western Han. At the upper end, an animal mask with upswept striated eyebrows; below, a bilaterally symmetrical geo- metric decor possibly similar to CV.6. Photograph inade- quate. Unlikely to be Eastern Chou as ascribed. REFERENCE: West Palm Beach, Norton Gallery, Exhi- bition of Chinese Archaic Jades (1950), pi. LIX, 4, photo of top. CV.58 MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: King-Kwei (Chin-kueir), i.e., the late J. D. Chen, Hong Kong. M EASUREM ENTS: L 3.35 \V 1.02 D .49 TYPE: 1. DATE: Possibly late Western Han. At the upper end, an animal mask; below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor similar to CV.7. Unlikely to be Late Eastern Chou as ascribed. REFERENCES: Ch'en Jen-t'ao, Chin-kuei lun ku ch'u chi (1952), p. 43, fig. 41, photo of top. CV.59 MATERIAL: Jade, translucent white. COLLECTION: K.C.Wong (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS: L 3.75 146 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask; below, to either side of the central vertical axis defined by a thin, uninter- rupted relief line, elongated Cs in low relief alternately facing and backing toward the axis. A smaller opposing C is bracketed by each of the larger Cs. The decor sur- face is flat. Thin, plain, raised side borders are defined by incised grooves. The C-forms are shallower and longer, more rigid than related forms on authentic pieces. The slide is extremely narrow in relation to its length and these proportions are emphasized by the elongated nature of the decor elements. REFERENCES: Wong, "Ancient Jades" 14 (1), plate preceding p. 7, third from top right, photo of top. Wong Collection of Ancient Chinese Jades [1937], p. 13, no. 187, not illustrated. CV.60 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.17* ApL 1.06* W .94* ApD .31* D .44* ApX 1.31* Depth of upper plate over aperture .13.* TYPE: 1, variant. DATE: End of Chou or early Western Han (if genuine). The published rubbings of this slide do not permit a reliable chronological estimate. At the upper end, an animal mask, possibly with pupiled eyes; between the eyebrows a drop-shaped motive. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of elongated Cs, downward-curling border spirals (not flattened), and relief rectangular shapes at borders. The published rubbing of the surface ornamentation suggests greater plastic volumes to the various elements than they probably have. The arrangement of the geometric ele- ments and suggested carving style are similar to CV.15 and CV.46. The paired volutes along the vertical axis are similar to those on CV.33. The upper plate is more sharply arched than usual, and does not terminate in hooks. The forward end is rounded, the lower terminates in an acute angle. In the rubbing of the profile the lower aperture plate appears slightly curved. The profile is identical to CV.46; it is unattested among reliably authentic slides. REFERENCES: Huang Chun, Ku yii t'u lu (1939), III, 20:a, left, rub- bing of top; III, 20:a, right, rubbing of profile. Chung-kuo ku tai kung i (1960), p. 302, upper left, rubbing of top. CV.61 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.72* ApD .31* ApX 1.81* L 3.91* W 1.06* D .56* Depth of upper plate over aperture .17.* TYPE: Mixed 1 and 2. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask; below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of elongated Cs, paired volutes, cross-hatched lozenges, spirals. The geometric decor combines characteristics of Type 1 (elongated Cs, with perpendicular tangent spirals curling upward, alter- nately facing and backing upon the central axis) and Type 2 (side spirals curling upward; defined central axis interrupated by pairs of volutes alternately opening upward and downward with cross-hatched triangles where they join to the vertical axis). The eyes of the animal mask are provided with pupils (cf. CV.47). Only the elongated Cs backing upon the central vertical axis have the tangent C-spirals, projected toward the side borders; only the Cs backing upon the borders are joined to these by pairs of thin incised lines arched slightly downward. The upward curl of the tangent C-spirals is, with the possible exception of CV.20, unattested on reliably authentic slides of this class. The rubbing of the profile suggests a degraded type familiar among the late antiquarian pieces, with droop- ing forward end and amorphous globular hook. The forward and rear aperture plates are thinner than on authentic slides. The profile of the lower hook lacks the precise angularity of the better pieces. REFERENCE: Huang Chiin, Ku yii t'u lu (1939), III, 18:a, left, rubbing of top; III, 18;b, left, rubbing of profile; scale uncertain. CV.62 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.00* ApL 1.25* W .92* ApD .32* D .52* ApX 1.56* Depth of upper plate over aperture .56.* The slide tapers regularly toward the lower end where the width is .84.* TYPE: 1, variant. DATE: Early to middle Eastern Han (?). At the upper end, an animal mask with striated eye- brows. Below a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of paired elongated Cs with perpendicular tangent C-spirals from their lower ends projected either toward the side borders or toward the undefined central vertical axis in accordance with the orientation of the elongated 147 Cs; two pairs of opposed flattened border spirals, the upper pair curling upward, the lower pair curling down- ward; two pairs of low relief rectangles projected perpen- dicular to the borders with thin incised lines defining the lower and inward sides; three pairs of opposed volutes with cross-hatched lozenges where their ends converge along the central axis. The decor surface is separated from the thin plain borders by lateral grooves. The principal elements of the ornamentation are in low relief, but the technique of carving cannot be discerned from the published rubbings. REFERENCE: Huang Chiin, Heng-chai ts'ang chien (1935), II, 32:a, rubbing of top; II, 32:b, rubbing of profile; scale uncertain. CV.63 MATERIAL: Jade, brown. COLLECTION: W. Perceval Yetts, London (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS: L 2.64 TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an abbreviated animal mask exe- cuted in predominantly straight lines and squared angles; its round eyes are provided with pupils. Below, a decor of four pairs of opposed elongated Cs parallel to the side borders and bracketing small round knob grains, defined by relief borders, set along the undefined central vertical axis. At the lower end, a similar pair of Cs set perpendicular to the axis, bracketing a knob grain. This type of decor has no parallel among authentic scabbard slides; grains of this type, enclosed by exagger- atedly long Cs, seem not to appear before the Sung dynasty and become increasingly common after this date. The workmanship of the piece is inferior to that of the authentic scabbard slides in this class. REFERENCE: Pope-Hennessy, Early Chinese Jades (1923), pi. XXIX, 1, photo of top; ascribed tentatively to Sung dynasty. CV.64 MATERIAL: Jade, brownish yellow. COLLECTION: W. Perceval Yetts, London (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS: L 4.72 TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Late antiquarian. The upper third of the decorated surface on this exceptionally long slide is occupied by an extremely simplified design basically derived from the more fully developed animal masks on authentic pieces. The eyes are formed by small tight curls at the ends of lines slop- ing upward from the borders and indicating the eye- brows. At the point which corresponds to the convergence of the brows on the mask on conventional slides there is a cross-hatched pear-shaped element. The central vertical axis is defined by an incised line interrupted by a small round knob grain and a cross-hatched lozenge. To either side of the central axis, a bilaterally symmetrical compo- sition of hooked "blades," small round knob grains and, at the lower end, paired elongated Cs perpendicular to the axis. Two long parallel lines extend upward from the open side of the lower C in each pair and join these to the open sides of the upper two Cs in each pair. All elements of the decor, except the grains, appear to be incised. REFERENCE: Pope-Hennessy, Early Chinese Jades (1923), pi. XXIX, 2, photo of top; ascribed tentatively to Sung dynasty. CV.65 MATERIAL: Jade, grayish green with red- and black- brown markings; some areas of surface decomposition; no evidence of wear. COLLECTION: Musee Guimet, Paris, MG 18423. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.22 W .84 D .44 ApL 1.06 ApD .22 ApX 1.38 TYPE: 2, variant. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of interlocked large and small elongated Cs, those backing along the undefined central vertical axis joined by pairs of thin downward- arched incised lines extending across the axis, or by double pairs of similar lines reaching the axis from either side. Some of the elongated Cs have smaller pendant Cs from their lower ends, or rising from their upper ends. Small perpendicular tangent C-spirals spring from the upper ends of one pair of Cs backing upon the central axis, and curl around and toward the axis. Along the central axis, a small round knob grain near the upper end, and near the middle a cross-hatched lozenge. Above, and joined to, the incised arched lines joining the upper- most pair of Cs at the axis are several comblike scratches similar to the striae on CV.18, CV.20, and CV.96, but here in an upward rather than downward direction. Carving is by incision and by the definition of varying surface planes to suggest volumes. The ornamented sur- face is separated from thin plain borders by incised lines. The upper plate is strongly arched and thick. The end hooks, carelessly formed, extend inward to a point 148 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 parallel to the base of the aperture. The aperture walls and lower aperture plate are of uniform thickness. The quality of workmanship is generally poor. Unpublished (?). CV.66 MATERIAL: Jade, white with orange markings. COLLECTION: K. C. Wong (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS: L 3.25 TYPE: 2, variant. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, a very abbreviated linear animal mask; eyebrows squared, unstriated spirals; eyes in low relief and square; other elements produced by straight lines and right angles. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of elongated Cs. Along the partially defined central vertical axis are round knob grains, cross-hatched lozenges and round C-spirals presumably derived from the opposed volute pairs of authentic pieces. There are no small spirals along the side borders. The Cs, more shallow and elongated than on authentic pieces, alternately face and back upon the side borders, and are isolated vertical units, neither having perpen- dicular tangent C-spirals, nor being joined together end to end. Midway along the surface, an opposed pair of Cs is set at about a thirty-degree angle to the central axis, an arbitrary placement never encountered on authentic pieces. The relief appears to be produced by low lines square in cross-section (more easily cut than beveled relief lines), in places carelessly hacked from the surface. The design is ultimately derived from such authentic types as CV.19, but here is only a crude, simplified, debased reflection of these. (Cf. CV.48 and CV.72). REFERENCES: Antiquus, "Sui and Ancient Chinese Swords'" (1928), fig. 2, fourth from top, photo of top. Wong, "Ancient Jades,'' 14 (1), pi. preceding p. 7, second from top left, photo of top. Wong Collection of Ancient Jades [1937], pi. IX, no. 179, oblique top/profile photo. CV.67 MATERIAL: Jade, dark gray-green. COLLECTION: Chicago Natural History Museum, no. 116560. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.31 W .87 D .59 TYPE: 2. DATE: Antiquarian (?). At the upper end, an animal mask in low relief with striated eyebrows extended downward along the sides. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of five pairs of elongated Cs in beveled relief line alternately facing and backing toward the central vertical axis defined by a thick, beveled relief line. From the upper inside end of each C a thin incised C-spiral curls upward toward either the axis or the border depending on the orientation of the elongated C Half-way along the C-spirals curling toward the central axis another incised line braches off and curls in the opposite direction. The Cs backing to the outer borders are joined to these by pairs of incised lines arched slightly upward; those backing upon the central axis are joined to it by similar pairs of lines reaching, but not passing over, the axis. Along each side border are two short, downward-curving incised lines, evidently derived from the flattened spirals in relief on reliably authentic slides. The elongated Cs are flatter, more rigid, drier than on authentic slides of this type. The decorated surface is separated from these plain side borders by grooves, closed at the ends by incised lines. The surface between the relief elements is unmodulated. The workmanship is, on the whole, very careful, and is similar in decor and style to CV.23 and CV.43, but a somewhat perfunctory execution, and the introduction of elements which suggest innovation (such as the contrapuntal line on the C-spirals), or debasement of traditional forms (the lateral incised lines), point to a date later than Han. REFERENCES: Laufer, Jade (1912), pi. XXXIII, 4, photo of top; ascribed to Han dynasty; L and W measurements on p. 260 differ slightly from those given above. Hobson, "Jade" (1913), fig. D, photo of top. Egami, Yftrashia kodai hoppo bunka (1948), pi. XXIX, 2, upper, photo of top; considered Han. CV. MATERIAL: Jade, light gray with reddish specks on surface. PROVENANCE: Reputedly excavated in a village in Hsi-an ffilc Prefecture, Shensic Province; acquired in China between 1908 and 1910. COLLECTION: Chicago Natural History Museum, no. 116564. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.19 W .79 D .39 TYPE: 2, variant. CATALOG 149 DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask facing downward rather than upward as on reliably authentic slides (cf. CG.44, CG.51). Two curved, pointed fangs protrude through distended lips. There are no eyebrows and the eyelids are unusually thick. The face is incised on a slightly raised surface. Below the animal mask are two rows of five elongated Cs in beveled relief line inter- locked so as to form a continuous chain to either side of the undefined central vertical axis. Along the axis, bracketed by the alternate pairs of Cs facing the axis, are three cross-hatched lozenges. Along each side border are two large cross-hatched triangles, based on the border and pointing inward toward the centers of the pairs of Cs backing to the central axis (cf. CV.44, CV.70, CV..77). The thin, plain, side borders are separated from the decorated surface by deep grooves, closed at the upper and lower ends by incised lines. The undecorated por- tions of the surface are flat. The decor at the lower end of the upper plate is not discernible. REFERENCES: Laufer, Jade (1912), pi. XXXIII, 5, photo of top; ascribed to Han dynasty; L and W measurements on p. 260 differ slightly from those given above. Hobson, "Jade" (1913), fig. E, photo of top. CV.69 MATERIAL: Jade, black. COLLECTION: Chicago Natural History Museum, no. 116561. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.76 W .71 D .59 TYPE: 2. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, a very crudely incised animal mask with plain curving eyebrows resembling water-buffalo horns. Below, four pairs of opposed, deeply incised, elongated Cs backing to the central vertical axis which is defined by a deeply incised line interrupted at three points by carelessly cross-hatched lozenges. From the curled ends of each C a thin, curved incised line extends to the border. The decorated surface is separated from thin, plain, side borders by deep grooves. The carving of the decor is of exceptionally poor quality. REFERENCES: Laufer, Jade (1912), pi. XXXIII, 6, photo of top; ascribed to Han dynasty; L and W measurements on p. 260 differ slightly from those given above. Egami, Yurashia kodai hoppo bunka (1948), pi. XXIX, 2, lower, photo of top; considered Han. CV.70 Figure 18 MATERIAL: Jade. TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Late antiquarian. An exceptionally long and narrow piece. At the upper end, an extremely degenerate animal mask consisting of several meaningless scratched lines with some suggestion of a snout. Below, crudely scratched onto an otherwise plain, flat surface, a decor of symmetrically arranged elongated Cs (with no appreciable curl at their ends), small round circles and, along the border and at the lower end, cross-hatched triangles based on the borders and pointing inward (cf. CV.44, CV.68, CV.77). The upper pair of elongated Cs face each other and are set perpen- dicular to the undefined central vertical axis and enclose an incised circle; the second pair back along the axis and bracket incised border triangles; the third pair are set back to back perpendicular to the axis, each bracketing an incised circle; the lowermost pair repeats the orienta- tion of the second pair. The workmanship is very coarse and clumsy. The upper plate is flat rather than slightly arched in the customary manner. The end hooks are inward-turned pointed wedges. Both in shape and decor the piece exhibits extreme crudeness. REFERENCES: Hommel, "Chinese Sword Furniture" (1928), fig. 1, top and profile drawings; fig. 2, left, oblique top/profile photo. Hommel, "Notes on Chinese Sword Furniture" (1951), p. 145, oblique top/profile photo; p. 144, second fig. from top, upper right, photo of top. CV.71 MATERIAL: Jade, white and green; identified by Tanner (see below) ar fei-ts'ui MW jade which, if correct, should indicate jadeite and provide conclusive evidence for a late date. COLLECTION: P. de Tanner, Berlin (now dispersed) . TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Late antiquarian. The surface of the upper plate is decorated with a bilaterally symmetrical composition of irregularly shaped curvilinear designs in low relief sometimes referred to as "sleeping silk worms." Along the undefined central verti- cal axis are five unevenly spaced round knob grains. There is no animal mask at the upper end. The work- manship appears to be of indifferent quality. REFERENCE: Tanner, Chinese Jade (1925), 1, pi. XV. no. 564, reduced scale photo of top. (See annotation in bibliography.) CV.72 MATERIAL: Jade, opaque gray. COLLECTION: P. de Tanner, Berlin (now dispersed). 150 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 TYPE: 2, variant. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask with curving sharply upswept eyebrows and elongated slanting eyes. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor similar to CV.66. The three cross-hatched lozenges along the undefined central vertical axis have either single or double line borders. The elongated Cs are interlocked in five opposed groups of two, parallel to the central axis and situated alternately nearer to the border and near the axis. At the center on either side two rising incised lines meet to form peaks pointing toward the central vertical axis. The ends of the elongated Cs are less spiraled than on reliably authentic pieces and some open outward, rather than curling inward, at one end. (Cf. CV.48 and CV.66) REFERENCE: Tanner, Chinese Jade (1925), 1, pi. XV. no. 982, small, poor photo of top; ascribed to Han dynasty. (See annotation in bibliography.) CV.73 MATERIAL: Jade, white. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1955.7-18.41. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.03 WI.00 D .63 TYPE: (?). DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of elongated Cs and spirals. The upper plate is lightly arched, the end hooks poorly formed. In the center of the lower bay, halfway between the lower aperture wall and the lower hook, is a round unornamented knob of oval cross-section raised from the inner surface of the upper plate on a short round post, similar in shape and placement to that on CH.45 (see pi. 14a here). Scabbard slides with knobs of this sort were evidently produced during periods when the function of the object was believed to be similar to that of belt hooks which are furnished with such a knob on the underside at one end. (Cf. CG.49, CH.45, C.6) Unpublished. CV.74 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.44* W .84* TYPE: Probably imaginary. It is doubtful whether this published drawing of the decoration on the upper plate of a scabbard slide was based on the observation of either authentic or antiquar- ian pieces in jade. The design of two columns of paired vertical Cs bracketed by transverse Cs and scalloped central vertical axis below an abbreviated animal mask has no near parallel among authentic or antiquarian scabbard slides in jade. No borders are indicated. The ends of the upper plate are represented as being convex. The original edition of the Ku yii t'u was supposedly published in A.D. 1341 (Goette, Jade Lore [1936], p. 301), but is lost and the work is known only through references and incorporated portions in later compilations. It seems likely that this probably imaginary design reflects unin- spired nonlapidary pattern concepts of the eighteenth century to which the edition of this work I have seen belongs. (Cf. CV. 75, CV.76, CH. 70, CH.71, CH.72, CH.73; also Ca-Cm) REFERENCE: KU yii t'u (1752), Chapt. 2, p. lira, right, drawing of top; scale uncertain. CV.75 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.75* W .98* TYPE: Probably imaginary. Similar in most respects to CV.74. Along the broad central vertical axis defined by three lines evidently indicating relief are four quartered lozenges and one rosette. Narrow, plain side borders are indicated by straight lines, the end borders by a scalloped line. The ends of the upper plate are represented as being convex. (Cf. CV.74, CV.76, CH.70, CH.71, CH.72, CH.73; also Ca-Cm) REFERENCE: KU yii t'u (1752), Chapt. 2, p. lira, left, drawing of top; scale uncertain (see CV.74, for text commentary). CV.76 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.25* W1.00* TYPE: Probably imaginary. At the upper end, an animal mask of extraordinary stylized form. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of curvilinear forms which has no near parallel among extant scabbard slides, but which may be loosely based on degraded Type 2 systems of Form I, Class CV. Along the central vertical axis defined by double, scalloped lines are two cross-hatched lozenges and one oval rosette. Along 151 the borders are several pairs of very small C-shaped designs. The ends of the upper plate are represented as being convex. (Cf. CV.74, CV.75, CH.70, CH.71, CH.72, CH.73; also Ca-Cm) REFERENCE: KU yii t'u (1752), Chapt. 2, p. 12:b, drawing of top; scale uncertain (see CV.74 for text commentary). CV.77 MATERIAL: Jade. TYPE: 2. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in relief and partly incised, with striated eyebrows. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of four pairs of elongated Cs alternately facing and backing toward the central vertical axis defined by an unbroken relief line. The paired Cs backing upon the axis have incised C-spirals emanating from their upper ends, curling upward, and are joined to the central axis by two thin, incised lines which are not arched in the usual manner. The lines reach from the center back of each C to the axis, but do not cross over it. The paired Cs facing the axis are joined to the side borders by single, straight, incised lines. Along each side border are two cross-hatched triangles, based on the borders and pointing inward (cf. CV.44, CV.68, CV.70). At two points along the axis small spirals rise to either side and curl downward. The elongated Cs and central vertical axis are in low relief with incised outlines. The work is dull and perfunctory. REFERENCE: Chang Mo-chun, Chung-kuo ku yii (n.d.), tenth pi. following p. 18, left, photo of top. CV.78 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Ch'ang-sha,d Hunane Province; exca- vated in 1938. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.78 ApL 1.30 W1.00 ApD .31 D 1.18 (The proportions indicated by the above measurements are extraordinary and suggest that the published figures are incorrect, or not in the metric system as indicated.) TYPE: (?). DATE: Late Eastern Chou (?). The ornamentation of the upper plate is described as consisting of an animal mask and yiin-wen Sft£ cloud pattern, or, a decor corresponding to one type described in this class. The scabbard slide was found in situ on the remains of the lacquered scabbard of a tanged, double- edged iron sword fitted with jade guard. The length of the sword is given as 27.00. REFERENCE: Shang Ch'eng-tso, Ch'ang-sha ku wu wen chien chi (1939), II, 3:a and b, not illustrated. CV.79 Plate ba MATERIAL: Jade, white, surface partly decomposed; on underside iron-oxide stains. PROVENANCE: Tomb 240, Ch'ang-sha,d Hunane Province. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.19 W .94 D .63 The upper plate appears to narrow slightly toward each end from a maximum width near the center. TYPE: 2. DATE: Late first century B.C. to early first century after Christ. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in relief and partly incised, facing upward, with striated eyebrows. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric ornamentation consisting of paired elongated Cs, cross-hatched areas, and incised lines. The uppermost pair of Cs is attached to the brows of the animal mask, curling downward and backing upon the central vertical axis to which each C is joined by a pair of upward-arched incised lines. Below, two pairs of interlocked Cs, one pair backing upon the side borders, the other upon the central axis, each pair joined at center back by two upward-arched incised lines to the side borders and central axis respectively. At the lower end, an opposed pair of elongated Cs facing the axial ridge and joined to the lower border by pairs of incised lines between the lower curl of the C and the border. Between the brows of the animal mask, a roughly rectangular cross-hatched area, bordered by rounded relief lines which converge to form the central axial ridge, spreading apart again at four evenly spaced intervals below to enclose small cross-hatched, diamond-shaped areas along the axis. Alternate diamonds are attached to the upper ends of the elongated Cs facing the axis by thin curved incised lines from the corners not on the axis to the upper ends of the Cs. The other diamonds are placed at points where widespread paired volutes curl outward perpendicular to the axis. From the downward- curled end of these volutes, a contrapuntally curved line is drawn out to the side borders. The curled ends of the volutes are joined to the side borders by upward-arched pairs of incised lines. The central axis and elongated Cs and subsidiary attached C-hooks are raised in thin, rounded relief line above an unmodulated surface. Along the sides are borders formed by a groove with a compara- tively high relief ridge separating the groove from the ornamented surface area. 152 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 The published profile drawing is rather crude, but the following basic traits are observable. The upper plate is slightly arched. The forward end curves inward in a rounded elliptical curve, seemingly slightly backsloped, terminating in an involuted hook ridge. The lower end of the upper plate curves inward and is terminated bluntly, with a short, narrow, squared forward-projecting wedge. The end hooks terminate at a level above that of the lower aperture interior so that the ends of the upper plate presumably did not rest against the scabbard wall. The tomb in which the slide was found contained no sword. The presence of iron-oxide stains on the underside of the slide indicates that the iron sword to the scabbard of which the slide was evidently attached, now totally decomposed, had been buried with the slide. The sword was probably similar to the double-edged, tanged iron sword with bronze guard found in another Western Han tomb (No. 270) at this site (p. 120). The length of this sword is 84.8 cm., but the tang is broken off just above the guard. Total length of sword in scabbard was probably just over one meter. Tomb 240 contained an inscribed bronze mirror (p. 116) with astronomical type decor on its back. Mirrors of this type, with single band of inscription, are hardly earlier in date than the first half of the first century B.C. (see Hamada, Senoku seisho [1934], pt. 2, pi. LI, 1) and, in slightly varying forms, continue in fashion well into the second century after Christ (e.g., Watson, Ancient Chinese Bronzes [1962], pi. XCVII, b). REFERENCE: Ch'ang-sha fa-chiieh pao-kao (1957), p. 128, fig. 107, 2, reduced-scale top and profile drawings; pl.XCIII, 12, photo of top; text, p. 127 f., s.v. 240:13. CV.80 MATERIAL: Jade-like stone, greenish-yellow. PROVENANCE: Tomb IA, Man-thsn, northern Annam, Viet-Nam; excavated 1939. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.89 TYPE: 1. DATE: Coins of Wang Mang u (r. A.D. 9-23) were found in the tomb. Hence slide was probably carved between the last years of the first century B.C. and the first quarter of the first century after Christ. At the upper end, an incised animal mask with striated eyebrows, facing upward. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of a single pair of extraordinarily elon- gated Cs backing upon the undefined central vertical axis. From the lower end of each C, a downward-arching C-hook is projected to the side borders. Above the cen- trally placed elongated Cs is a pair of upward-curling volutes enclosing a small incised circle and rectangular ornament; below the elongated Cs a similar pair of volutes with cross-hatched diamond pattern at the vortex where the two volutes join on the central axis. At the bottom are two rounded Cs placed side by side, opening upward. The decorated area is separated from narrow plain side borders by an incised line. At intervals along the borders are downward-curling C-spirals. All elements of the ornamentation are incised and the lines are crudely and imprecisely drawn, the decor elements poorly formed. The piece is to be considered a locally made imitation of a more sophisticated Chinese model. The profile has not been published. The richness of the funerary deposit in this tomb of typical Han, vaulted brick construction covered by an earth mound has led the excavators to assume the dead must have been a "military mandarin" (2, p. 219). The scabbard slide was found lying upon the much decom- posed blade of an iron sword on which remains of an iron scabbard were also found. The sword, double-edged, with a flat tang girded by two elliptical iron rings, lay near the center of the chamber. The preserved portion is 1.25 meters in length and is compared by Janse to the iron sword illustrated here on Figure 36b, 97.6 cm. long. It is not possible to determine from the published photo- graphs the distance ratio between hilt and point and slide. Between the elliptical rings of the tang were traces of wood, and an organic matter adhering to the iron scab- bard remains may be leather. Conglomerated with the upper end of the sword blade were the remains of an iron dagger, suggesting that sword and dagger fitted into sockets on the same scabbard, a form known from regions to the north of China and from the Lo-lang district in Korea where a similar set was found, belonging to about the same period as C V.80. While it seems likely that this sword of unprecedented length may be an import from China, the scabbard slide was certainly locally made, and the leather (?) covered iron scabbard may as well be of local manufacture. Bronze sheaths are sometimes encountered in China for knife or dagger-axe blades (e.g., Stanford University, Arts of the Chou Dynasty [1958], no. 158), but metal scabbards for swords, especially swords of such length, are, to my knowledge, unknown. The ensemble must have been extremely heavy and unsuited for any but ceremonial use. Among the finds at Shih-chai-shan in Yunnan Prov- ince were a large number of swords with gilt bronze scabbards (see CP.l) of local, non-Chinese manufacture. In the same tomb a small bronze belt hook was found (l,pl. CXXII, la) The stone from which the slide is carved has not been identified nor its origin localized, but the excavators note that Chinese sources refer to jade from Tonkin and jadeite from Annam. REFERENCE: Janse, Archaeological Researches in Indo-China (1958), 2, p. 218, fig. 129, drawing of top; 1, CATALOG 153 C V.83 pi. CXXII, 1c, photo of slide resting on sword blade as found; 1, pi. CXV, 2, photo of sword and slide in situ; 1, pi. CXXI, 1, photo detail of sword with conglomerated iron dagger; text, 1, pp. 48 and 54; 2, pp. 219 and 224 ff. CV.81 Plate 3c MATERIAL: "Pagodite" (agalmatolite); the material has possibly been incorrectly identified, as agalmatolite, with a hardness of only 2.25 on the Moh scale, is an extremely soft stone which can be scratched with the fingernail. It is unsuitable for use in the manufacture of a scabbard slide. PROVENANCE: Said to have been found in Tonkin region, Viet-Nam. COLLECTION: Musee Louis Finot, Hanoi, no. A22.80. TYPE: 1. DATE: Late first century B.C. to early first century after Christ. The ornamentation of the upper surface is similar to that of CV.8, but here is executed with slightly less technical perfection. As it is shorter than CV.8, the lower- most unit of paired elongated Cs backing upon the central vertical axis, together with their related C-spiral tangents, have been eliminated. As on CV.8, there are no pairs of lightly incised lines joining the paired elon- gated Cs across the axis or to the borders. The upper plate is widest at a point above the middle which prob- ably corresponds to the center of the aperture below. It narrows slightly toward the upper and lower ends. The profile has not been published. REFERENCES: Hanoi, Ecole francaise d'Extreme-Orient (1920), pi. V, B, photo of top; text, p. 197, tentatively identified as a girdle clasp. Janse, Archaeological Researches in Indo-China (1958), 2, p. 219, fig. 130, drawing of top (incorrectly copied). CV.82 Figure 6 MATERIAL: Jade, dark gray-green originally, but now largely decolored, with areas of decomposition. COLLECTION: Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York; no. J-274. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.81 ApL 1.00 W1.06 ApD .25 D. .44 ApX 1.28 The lower aperture plate is of exceptional thinness: .05. There is a slight, probably unintentinal, vertical tapering, on one side only; the other side connects upper and lower plates perpendicularly. TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. At the upper end, an incised animal mask with stri- ated eyebrows. Between the brows is a small incised drop-shaped ornament. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor. At the side borders near the upper end, a pair of flattened spirals curling downward; at the side borders near the lower end are short incised lines extend- ing inward perpendicular to the borders. The upper pair of elongated Cs back upon the undefined central vertical axis, with perpendicular tangent C-spirals extending from their lower ends to the borders; the lower pair of elongated Cs back against the side borders with similar tangent spirals extending to the axis. Along the central axis are two pairs of opposed volutes, the upper opening upward, the lower downward, with cross- hatched triangles at the point where the ends of the volutes converge on the axis. The ornamented surface is separated from thin plain borders by lateral grooves; the ends are open. All elements of the decor are incised. The sides of the incisions are slightly rounded and the surfaces on the inner sides of the elongated Cs rise slightly above the mean level so that a slight suggestion of volume is imparted to these forms. The upper plate is rather strongly arched, with very short extensions above and below the aperture. There are no involuted terminal hooks on the upper plate. The ornamented surface of the slide appears to be considerably worn. The upper left interior corner of the aperture has been deeply worn by the action of the sword belt over a long period of time, the upper aperture wall being worn nearly through at its left corner, the point of most constant contact with the belt when the sword is in normal suspension position (cf. SR.l). Possibly same as CV.53. (Cf. CV.4, CV.12, CV.35) Unpublished (?). . .Plate 4c MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Tomb 6002, western suburbs of Lo-yang,h Honan' Province; excavations conducted 1957- 1958 by the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. TYPE: 2. DATE: Late Western Han. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in relief and partly incised, with striated eyebrows extended upward from the head, down along the side borders. Between the brows, a flattened double volute opening upward toward the head. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of flattened border spirals curling upward, elon- gated Cs and paired volutes along the central vertical axis defined in areas by a low, beveled rise, interrupted at three points by the paired volutes opening downward. The elongated Cs are in two interlocked groups of four, each group consisting of an opposed pair backing on the 154 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 central vertical axis and a second pair joined to the upper ends of the former and backing against the borders. From the free, spiraled end of each C, an incised curved line extends to either the axis or the border in accordance with the orientation of the open side of the C. The Cs backing upon the axis are joined at their centers by a pair of incised lines arching upward across the central axis. Presumably the Cs backing against the side borders are linked with the borders by similar pairs of incised lines, but these are not certainly visible in the poor photograph of this seemingly somewhat worn piece. Just below the animal mask is a single pair of opposed elongated Cs backing toward the axis and joined to the side borders by a curved line drawn from the lower end of each C. The principal elements are executed in thin, rounded, relief line on a nearly flat, unmodulated sur- face. The thin, plain side borders appear to rise in relief equal in height to that of the main geometric elements. The forward end curves inward and is slightly under- cut; at the lower end, the upper plate turns inward abruptly at a pronounced angle, broadening to form a thick inward-projecting ridge which is possibly slightly undercut on the inner side. The slide was found in association with a tanged, double-edged iron sword (6002:11) preserved to approxi- mately its full length. On page 55, the length of this sword is given as 67 cm. This is probably an error as in the scaled photograph (pi. XIV) of three swords with scabbard slides, sword 6002:11 is only slightly shorter than sword 9002:49 (see CV.84) with a recorded length of 98.5 cm., whereas sword 3247:5 (see CG.60), shorter than 6002:11, has a length of 89.5 cm. Two iron swords were found in tomb 6002 and it may be that the measure- ments have been transposed. Sword 6002:13 is reported as 102.5 cm. in length, which may be somewhat too long for sword 6002:11, but is more nearly correct than the given measurement for 6002:11. No guard is reported as having been found with the sword. The thin, rapier-like blade, tapers into the tang with no pronounced shoulders at the butt of the blade. The point is long and slender. There were apparently fragmentary remains of a scabbard of unspecified material found in association with the sword. The date of the tomb is provided by numerous coins among the inventory. (See also CV.84, CG.59, CG.60 from this area.) REFERENCE: Chung-kuo k'o-hsiieh yuan, "Lo-yang hsi chiao Han mu" (1963), pi. XIV, 11, oblique top/profile photo of slide; pi. XIV, 2, photo of sword with slide resting on blade, presumably approximately the find posi- tion of the slide; p. 36, general text on scabbard slides recovered from the excavations; p. 33, general text on swords recovered from the excavations. CV.84 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Tomb 9002, western suburbs of Lo-yang,h Honan1 Province; excavations conducted 1957-1958 by the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. TYPE: 2. DATE: End of Western Han, or Han Interregnum. At the upper end, an animal mask, probably partly in low relief and partly incised, with striated eyebrows extended upward from the head down along the side borders. Between the brows, a double volute opening upward toward the head, with possibly an incised orna- ment directly between the brows. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor only partly visible in the poor published photograph. To either side of a well- defined relief axial ridge, the decor seems to consist of three pairs of opposed elongated Cs centrally placed on the surface area to either side of the axial ridge and opening toward the axis and side borders alternately. The open face of each C is joined to the border or axial ridge, - according to its orientation, by a thin tangent line arched downward. There are opposing pairs of small spirals along the borders, but the direction of these may not be ascertained. Possibly there are still other elements which cannot be seen. A concave groove appears to separate the decorated surface from narrow, plain side borders. The principal elements of the decor appear to be incised, but may actually be carved in a low, "thread-line" relief. The surface area surrounding the ornaments is unmodulated. The upper plate is extremely short, extending only slightly beyond the upper wall of a normal-sized aperture, utilitarian in appearance. The forward edge of the upper plate appears to curve inward slightly. Below the aperture the upper plate has a somewhat shorter than normal extension, curving rather gradually inward and terminat- ing in a blunt, inward-projecting ridge which is not undercut to form a hook ridge. The slide was apparently found lying on or near a long iron sword (9002:49) in the west alcove of a vaulted brick tomb. The sword lay at the left side of the body inside the coffin. At the right side was a shorter, ring- pommeled iron knife. The preserved portion of the long, double-edged, tanged iron sword is 98.5 cm. (p. 55). The tip of the blade is missing as well as perhaps a portion of the tang. The guard, presumably of bronze, is of the common Western Han variety with raised, rounded shoulders to either side of a central saddle where it is pierced for the tang (similar to the guards shown here on Figure 37). There were apparently fragmentary remains of a scabbard of unspecified material found with the sword. The date of the tomb is provided by the similarity of its inventory to that of adjoining burials in which coins CATALOG 155 were found, and by a small bronze seal (p 32, fig. 25, 3 and p. 31) with the inscription Wang Fu chih-yin T£i?I. ;£.£P ("King Fu's seal"). The seal was not found inside the coffin (p. 10, fig. 8, item 57) and probably did not belong to the burial with which the slide was found, but to one of the other two burials in the same tomb. (See also CV.83, CG.59, CG.60 from this area.) REFERENCE: Chung-kuo k'o-hsiieh yuan, "Lo-yang hsi chiao Han mu" (1963), pi. XIV, 13, oblique top/profile photo of slide; pi. XIV, 1, photo of sword with slide resting on blade (the slide inverted; original find position not represented by this photo); p. 10, fig. 8, plan of tomb showing find position of sword; p. 36, general text on scabbard slides recovered from the excavations; p. 33, general text on swords recovered from the excavations. CV.85 MATERIAL: Jade, grayish white, with scant earth incrustations on under side. COLLECTION: His Majesty King Gustaf VI Adolf, Stockholm. MEASUREMENTS: L 5.94 TYPE: 2. DATE: Late Antiquarian. At the upper end, a simplified animal mask, partly incised, with the outline of the eyebrows in "thread-line" relief. The rather squared eyes are provided with small round incised pupils. The broad eyebrows, extending farther down the snout than usual, and terminating in small, tight curls with very slight upsweep, are not marked with striae simulating hair. Between the brows, a cross- hatched lozenge shape. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical pattern of interlocking C-spirals in two parallel vertical columns to either side of the central vertical axis defined by an incised groove on a slightly peaked ridge, inter- rupted at three points below the animal mask by rather large, cross-hatched lozenges. The C-spirals throughout are executed in thin "thread-line" relief, with surfaces depressed by incision to either side of these lines. The C-spirals are interlocked in four opposed groupings, start- ing from the upper end: 1) C-spirals backed upon the central axis, with C-spirals springing from their lower ends and backing toward the side borders; 2) C-spirals springing from the axis in a direction perpendicular to it and curling downward, and linked to these, chains of four C-spirals alternately backing upon the axis and side borders; 3) another grouping similar to the preceding; 4) a final grouping orginating as the preceding two, but lacking the lower three C-spirals. The surfaces are other- wise plain, possibly slightly concave to either side of the central axis. The decorated surface is separated from narrow plain borders by an incised line along both sides and across the lower end. At the upper end, the incised side border lines terminate in tight inward curls parallel to the snout of the animal mask. The size of this piece alone precludes its having been used on a scabbard wall. Though unambitious and simpli- fied, the execution of the surface pattern appears to be of relatively high quality, though of a sort not represented on authentic early slides of this class. REFERENCES: Stockholm, Celedon-Jade (1963), p. 23, no. 39, not illustrated; ascribed to Han. Gure, "Jade Exhibition at Stockholm" (1964), pi. I, 3, photo of top; text, p. 122, s.v. 3. CV.86 MATERIAL: Jade, light gray, tinged with brown. COLLECTION: Sir Alan and Lady Barlow, London. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.38 W 1.00 D .63 TYPE: 2. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in relief and partly incised, with striated eyebrows extended down- ward along the side borders. Below, a bilaterally symmetri- cal geometric decor of incised elongated Cs alternately facing and backing toward the central vertical axis defined for most of its length by a beveled relief ridge. The elongated Cs have perpendicular tangent spirals projected from both ends on their inner sides to either the borders or the central axis in accordance with the orientation of the Cs, producing thick, curvilinear T-shapes. Along the side borders, two opposed pairs of degraded flattened spirals, possibly curled upward. Near the lower end the central axial ridge divides and forms into two perpendicular C-spirals. Below this point are other interrelated C-spiral forms. The surface area between the various geometric elements appears to have slight modulation. A narrow plain border along each side is defined by an incised groove. The upper plate is slightly arched. No further details are discernible from the poor published photograph. REFERENCES: Hansford, "Exhibition of Chinese Jades" (1947-1948), p. 53, no. 34 not illustrated; ascribed to Warring States. Sullivan, Barlow Collection (1963), pi. CLVII, c, oblique top/profile photo (blurred); ascribed to late Warring States or early Han; author incorrectly describes the piece as having the animal mask at the lower end. 156 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 CV.87 MATERIAL: Jade, opaque gray with brown viens and brown surface staining. COLLECTION: Museu Luis de Camoes, Macao. TYPE: 1. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in low relief and partly incised, with striated eyebrows extended downward along the side borders. Below, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor of elongated Cs alternately backing toward the slightly defined central vertical axis and toward the side borders. Elongated C-spirals are projected at right angles from the lower end of each elongated C. At intervals along the central vertical axis are pairs of opposed volutes opening downward. The spirals along the side borders extend downward and outward. The surface between the geometric relief elements is flat. The carving of the surface decor is relatively carelessly executed, with irregularities in the thickness of the relief lines. The profile is weakly formed, with rounded terminals. The edges are beveled, imparting a softness to the form. CV.88 MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Tomb near village of Liu-chia-ch'u §0 MM, Shan-hsien M%& , Honan * Province. TYPE: 1. DATE: Western Han, mid first-century B.C. The published photograph and drawing of this scabbard slide do not permit a detailed description of its decor or form. The slide is not separately described in the report. A few general observations only may be made. At the upper end facing upward is an animal mask. Between the downward curving brows is a small incised drop-shaped element. Below the mask, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of at least four pairs of elongated Cs alternately backing upon the slightly defined central vertical axis and toward the side borders. C-spirals perpen- dicular to the elongated Cs emanate from the lower end of each. Along the side borders are at least two opposing pairs of spirals curving downward and outward. Two, possibly three pairs of opposed volutes along the axis open downward. Possibly there are still other elements of decor on the surface which cannot be seen. The principal geometric elements appear to be executed in low relief, the surrounding surface to be slightly modulated. The very small side profile drawing permits us to say only that in form and proportion the slide appears to resemble CV.36. The treatment of the upper surface suggests, however, a slightly later stage in the develop- ment of this class of slide. The scabbard slide was found in one of 46 vaulted brick tombs excavated in 1956 by the Yellow River Reservoir Archeological Team. The tombs range in date from late Western Han to the second century after Christ. Tomb 8 in which coins belonging to the reigns of emper- ors Wu m (140-87 B.C) and Chao BS (86-74 B.C.) were found is to be placed among the earlier in the group. Tomb 8 contained three burials (p. 116, fig. 9, plan of tomb). Lying at the left side of one of the skeletons was a ring-pommeled iron saber (p. 157, fig. 42, 2). The cord wrapping of the grip appears to have been well preserved. Four similar sabers were recovered from the 46 tombs; in length, they range from 108 cm. to 114 cm. In the same tomb, but unassociated with any of the three burials, was the long iron rapier (8:64) with which the scabbard slide was found. The sword lay near the center of the eastern chamber among other tomb furnish- ing. The tanged rapier is 115 cm. long. In its original state, with hilt and pommel and scabbard, it probably was about 120 cm. long. The sword is apparently fitted with a separately cast bronze guard of typical Han form. Adhering to the surface of the blade chiefly near the center where the slide is represented as having been found, were fragments of the lacquered (wooden?) scab- bard. No photograph showing the slide in situ is pub- lished; if the drawn reconstruction is correct, the slide was set exceptionally low on the scabbard. It is set approximately 50 cm. from the tip of the tang; this suggests that the scabbard must have been provided with a heavy chape in order to effectively counterbalance the weight of the sword above the tension point at the upper aperture wall. Among the 46 tombs seven other iron rapiers were recovered. The measurements of these are not given in the report. No bronze swords are recorded. REFERENCE: Huang-ho shui-ku . . . "Ho-nan Shan-hsien Lui-chia-ch'u" (1965), pi. XXVI, 4, poor, reduced scale photo of top; p. 157, fig. 42, 1, reduced scale top and profile drawings of sword with scabbard slide resting on blade; text p. 156. CV.89 Plate 12c MATERIAL: Jade, translucent grayish green; carved from material which contained areas of decomposed or decolored mineral, chiefly near the lower end and in the lower aperture wall and plate. COLLECTION: Margaret McC. and Walter S. Hurley, Laurinburg, North Carolina. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.94 W 1.00 D .66 TYPE: 1. DATE: Late antiquarian. ApL 1.44 ApD .28 CATALOG 157 The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with an animal mask at the upper end, facing upward, and below the mask with a perfunctorily executed and regularized geometric decor. The mask is defined by broad unsteady lines incised in a flat surface, without the slightest suggestion of plastic qualities. Between the striated brows is an incised arch derived from the drop-shaped ornament seen on authentic pieces. The ornamentation below the mask is bilaterally symmetrical, the central vertical axis undefined. Five pairs of flattened, elongated Cs alternate- ly back toward or face the undefined central axis. From the upper end of each C, a C-spiral is projected at right angles toward either the axis or the border in accordance with the placement of the elongated C. At two points along the axis a small circle is incised. Springing from the side borders are two pairs of opposed spirals, the upper pair curling downward and outward, the lower upward and outward. The principal geometric elements are carved in a low "thread-line" relief achieved by cutting a deep incision along the inner sides of forms (the inci- sion itself constituting the defined motives), the depth of which is exaggerated by a thin relief ridge along their exterior. The surface is otherwise flat. The forms are rough, the carving unsteady and carelessly executed. The slide is widest at the upper end, tapering slightly but regularly toward the lower end. The edges appear to be beveled and the plates heavier than those encount- ered on late Western Han slides whose basic proportions are copied by this slide. The upper end is rounded, terminating in a slightly involuted terminal lacking the sharp crisp precision of authentic pieces. The lower terminal hook is beveled at all edges and disproportion- ately small; the forward-projecting wedge is unusually thick, having been defined by a simple undercutting immediately below the upper plate. Unpublished. CV.90 Plate bb MATERIAL: Jade, translucent white, with iron-oxide stains on under surface of aperture and on lower aperture wall. COLLECTION: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; 930.21.84. MEASUREMENTS: similar to that of CV.23 and CV.43. Six pairs of elon- gated Cs in low relief, defined by an incised contour, alternately face and back upon the central vertical axis. From those Cs opening toward the axis, lightly incised C-spirals emanate from their lower curls and are drawn toward the axis. From those Cs opening toward the side borders, similar incised spirals are drawn toward the bor- ders and downward. A peculiar feature of both this slide and CV.23 is this interrupted spiral; it proceeds in an arc from the lower end of the elongated C, is interrupted by the incised groove which defines the plain borders, and reenters the decor surface below. The vertical axis is defined by a prominent relief ridge marked with a deep axial incision. The axis is interrupted at three points by enclosed cross-hatched lozenges, is divided in two at the lower end, forming a triangle with cross- hatching and terminates in two curved, incised lines. Between each pair of elongated Cs, short, lightly incised paired spirals are drawn toward each border from the axis, alternately curling upward and downward. The backs of the elongated Cs are joined to either the side borders or the central axis, in accordance with their orientation, by pairs of incised lines, arching upward between C and border, downward between C and axis. Only the axis and the elongated Cs are in low relief; other elements are incised. The borders slope inward from an edge ridge and are separated from the flat decor surface by an incised groove. The upper plate is slightly arched, terminating above with an inward-projecting, undercut hook. The lower end turns inward less abruptly and is undercut to form an acute forward-projecting wedge. The surfaces of the stone have a high gloss and all edges are sharp. The highly refined, yet lifeless and dull carving has the perfunctory elegance of the finest late Western and early Eastern Han slides. REFERENCE: Dohrenwend, Chinese Jades (1971), p. 95, photo of top. CV.91 MATERIAL: Jade, light green with reddish brown areas. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.16 W .91 D .59 ApL 1.31 L 3.00 ApD .28 W .88 ApX 1.97 D .63 TYPE: 2. DATE: Early Eastern Han. At the upper end an animal mask, partly in relief, partly incised, with striated upswept eyebrows. From the end of each eyebrow is an incised spiral. Below the animal mask, a bilaterally symmetrical geometric decor TYPE: Atypical. DATE: Late antiquarian (recent). The upper surface is ornamented with eight large elongated Cs defined along their convex line by a low relief ridge, along their interior concave line by deep incisions. The eight Cs are arranged in two parallel 158 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 vertical rows, all backing toward the undefined vertical axis. From the upper and lower hooks of each C, small incised C-spirals are projected horizontally toward the side borders, those from the upper end curving upward, those from the lower downward. Set on the border between each elongated C is a cross-hatched triangle. The upper and lower ends of pairs of opposing elongated Cs are joined across the undefined vertical axis by upward- and downward-pointing chevrons. The vertical orientation of the elongated Cs is accentuated by parallel incised lines joining the ends of those in each of the two rows. The individual elongated Cs, uniform neither in size nor in form, reflect the general poor standard of workmanship exhibited by this piece. The decor panel is closed by incised grooves at the upper and lower ends and by narrow plain borders at the sides. The piece appears to be widest at the upper end, tapering regularly toward the lower end. The profile has not been published or described. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 88, B54, photo of top: ascribed to late Eastern Chou. CV.92 MATERIAL: Jade, honey-colored with darker brown flecks. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.13 W 1.13 D .56 TYPE: I. DATE: Late Western Han. At the upper end, facing upward, is a superbly executed animal mask in low relief, with striated eyebrows upswept in a rather more freely curving manner than is usual. Between the eybrows is an incised drop-shaped ornament. Below the mask, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of paired elongated Cs in thin relief line alternately backing upon the slightly defined vertical axis and facing it from the outer borders. From the lower end of each elongated C, a curving spiral in relief is drawn laterally toward either the axis or border in accordance with the orientation of the elongated C, curving downward. Along the axis are two pairs of downward-facing volutes in relief, and two upward-facing, more open pairs, in relief line. A cross- hatched diamond marks the juncture of the volute halves at the axis. Along the side borders are three opposing pairs of C-spirals in relief, curving inward and downward. Between these border C-spirals are two pairs of rectangles in low relief with their lower and inner edges defined by an incised line. No arched, paired incised lines join the backs of the elongated Cs across the axis or to the borders. The surface between the principal decor elements executed in thin, rather abrupt relief line is generally flat, with only slight undulations in the areas bracketed by Cs or volutes or defining the volume of incised elements. Along each side is a thin, rounded, plain border defined by an incised line. The mask at the upper end is contained within these borders. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969) , p. 95, C3, photo of top; ascribed to Han or earlier. It is unclear from the text whether the scabbard slide published in profile on this page is the above-described one, or another. The profile is not inconsistent with the style and date of our CV.92. CV.93 MATERIAL: Jade, honey-colored. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.00 W1.00 D .44 TYPE: 1. DATE: Eastern Han. At the upper end, facing upward, is an animal mask in low relief with thick upswept eyebrows marked with striae. Between the eyebrows is an incised drop-shaped ornament and an incised bracket volute. Below the mask, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of paired geometric elements, incised and in relief, principally elongated Cs, lateral C-spirals and volutes in low relief line. The paired elongated Cs backing upon the undefined central vertical axis are joined by pairs of incised lines arched slightly downward, while those backing against the side borders abut these rather than being joined to them by similar pairs of incised lines. Lateral relief C-spirals are projected from the lower end of each elongated C, and those curving inward and downward are joined across the axis by pairs of incised upward-arched lines. The alternately incised and relief volutes along the axis are marked with cross- hatched diamonds where the halves meet the axis. Along the side borders are three opposed pairs of spirals curving inward and downward, the upper pair incised, the lower two pairs in relief line. Between these, projecting perpen- dicular to the borders and curving upward at their interior ends, are two pairs of incised lines which seem not to define relief rectangles as in earlier stages of this decor type. There are thin, rounded, plain borders along the sides; springing from the plain border at the lower end are two spirals curving upward and outward. The surface between the decor elements appears to be flat, the execu- tion of the decor to be of inferior quality, its elements attenuate and graceless. CATALOG 159 The profile has not been published or described. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 96, C4, photo of top; ascribed to Han or earlier. CV.94 MATERIAL: Jade, white translucent. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.00 W .94 D .44 TYPE: 2. DATE: Eastern Han, or later. At the upper end, facing upward, a conventionalized animal mask carved in low relief, with prolonged upswept eyebrows marked with light striae. Below the mask, a bilaterally symmetrical decor of elongated Cs in two parallel lines to either side of the central vertical axis defined by an uninterrupted relief ridge. From the upper end of each elongated C defined by an incised line on a relief ridge, an incised spiral curls upward toward the narrow plain side borders, and is interrupted by these. From the upper end of each elongated C opening toward the axis, an incised line is drawn laterally to the axis which is marked with a cross-hatched diamond where the incised lines from either side meet. The elongated Cs backing toward the axis are joined to it by pairs of downward-arched incised lines which reach, but do not cross over, the axis; the Cs backing toward the side borders are joined to these by pairs of similar incised lines. Opposing cross-hatched triangles are based at intervals along the side borders and along the central axis. Between opposed pairs of Cs, paired incised volutes open alternate- ly upward and downward. The elongated Cs are irregular in size and form as are the various incised elements. The quality of the workmanship is not distinguished. The profile has not been published or described. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 96, C5, photo of top; ascribed to Han or earlier. CV.95 MATERIAL: Jade, yellowish with deeper brown areas. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.75 W1.00 D .56 TYPE: 1. DATE: Mid Western Han. At the upper end, facing upward, an animal mask in relief, with upswept eyebrows marked with striae. Between the eyebrows in an incised drop-shaped ornament brack- eted by a pair of incised upward-curled volutes. Below the mask is a bilaterally symmetrical decor of geometric forms, the principal elements in relief to either side of a central vertical axis defined in places by a relief ridge. Opposed pairs of elongated Cs, in relief with incised inner line, alternately back upon the axis and open toward it from positions near the side borders. From the lower end of each elongated C, a C-spiral in relief is projected laterally toward either the axis or the side border in accordance with the placement of the elongated Cs. These spirals, curving downward, are in low relief, defined by incised interior edges. At intervals along the side borders opposed pairs of relief spirals curl outward and downward. Between these border spirals incised lines are projected from the borders, curving upward at their ends; the rectangles in low relief that such lines define in this and earlier stages in the development of this type decor appear to be missing here, or to be in very slight relief imperceptible on the published photo. The pairs of elongated Cs backing toward the axis are joined by pairs of widely separated incised lines arching downward. Along the central axis pairs of volutes, alternately in relief and incised, face alternately upward and downward; where they join at the axis there are cross-hatched trian- gles. The surface of the slide appears to be worn as though through long use, certain elements of the decor being partially obliterated. The profile has not been published or discussed. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 96, C6, poor photo of top; ascribed to Han or earlier. CV.96 MATERIAL: Jade, white translucent with brown areas. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.63 W 1.13 D .50 TYPE: 1, variant. DATE: End of Western or early Eastern Han. At the upper end, facing upward, an animal mask in relief, with striated upswept eyebrows. The incised drop- shaped ornament where the brows meet above the nose, generally present on slides of this type, is here missing; the double-volute bracket which usually encloses this form has been placed directly against the brows. Below the mask is a bilaterally symmetrical decor of geometric forms densely ordered on a flat surface, the principal elements executed in a thin "thread-line" relief. Pairs of opposed elongated Cs alternately back upon the unde- 160 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 fined central vertical axis, and open toward it from a position near the thin plain side borders. From the lower end of each elongated C, a C-spiral is projected laterally, curving downward along the border or curling upward to fuse with the curled ends of paired volutes opening downward along the vertical axis. Several decor elements usually found on slides of this type are here lacking: upward-opening incised volutes, down-curling spirals along the side borders, cross-hatched diamonds, and incised lines perpendicular to the axis defining the lower and inner sides of relief rectangles. The open face of the axial volutes is marked by a triangle in low relief, defined along its lower side by an incised line. Such elements, rare on scabbard slides, are usually marked with striae (cf. CV.18, CV.20, CV.65) in a comb-like pattern. Though there are some irregularities in the execution of the forms, the standard of craftsmanship appears to be high. The overall composition suffers from the dense crowding of elements none of which is relegated to a subordinate role. The profile has not been published or described. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 96, C7, photo of top; ascribed to Han or earlier. CV.97 MATERIAL: Jade, light green, with some surface discol- oration; fragments of iron corrosion on under side. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.25 W 1.00 D .50 TYPE: 1. DATE: Mid Western Han. At the upper end, facing upward, an animal mask in low relief, with upswept eyebrows marked with striae. Between the eyebrows is an incised drop-shaped ornament bracketed by a pair of incised upward curled volutes. Below the mask is a bilaterally symmetrical decor of geometric forms, the principal elements in relief to either side of a partially defined central vertical axis. Opposed pairs of elongated Cs in low relief alternately back upon the axis and open toward it from a position near the side borders. From the lower end of each elongated C, a C-spiral is projected laterally toward either the axis or the side border in accordance with the orientation of the elongated Cs. These spirals, in low relief, curve downward and inward. Along the axis paired volutes alternately open upward and downward, the upward- opening volutes being incised, their opposed pairs in low relief, each pair marked with a cross-hatched diamond when its halves meet at the axis. At regular intervals along the side borders small spirals curve inward and downward, and between these is at least a single pair of incised lines, rather freely drawn, which ordinarily define the lower and inner sides of relief rectangles. It is impossible to ascertain from the published photo whether these rectangles exist on this slide, and whether the spirals springing from the narrow plain borders are in relief or are incised. The elongated Cs backing toward the axis are joined by pairs of short straight incised lines crossing the axis. The surface of the slide between the decor elements appears to be flat, but may be slightly modulated. The profile has not been published or discussed. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 97, C8, photo of top; ascribed to Han or earlier. CV.98 MATERIAL: Jade, light green translucent. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.75 W 1.00 D .50 TYPE: 1. DATE: Early to mid Western Han. At the upper end, facing upward, an animal mask in relief, with upswept eyebrows marked with striae. Below the mask is a bilaterally symmetrical decor of geometric elements in relief, consisting of paired elongated Cs alternately backing upon the partially defined central axis and facing it from positions near the side borders. Perpendicular C-spirals spring from the lower end of each elongated C and curve downward along either the exceptionally thin plain side borders, or along the central axis. Paired volutes open downward at two points along the axis. Elongated Cs backing upon the central axis are joined across a low axial ridge by pairs of straight incised lines. The workmanship appears to be of indifferent quality, but to reflect a relatively early stage in the development of this composition in that the surfaces are gently undulating and are used to define certain, here faintly discernible, forms ordinarily incised (upward- opening volutes), or partially defined by incised lines (border rectangles). This treatment of the surface imparts certain plastic qualities derived from implicit rendering of certain forms more explicitly defined on other slides which must be its contemporaries. The opposed pairs of border spirals, for example, are treated as low relief areas partially defined by incised lines drawn along their inner downward curve. The relief areas replacing upward- opening incised volutes would not be recognizable except by relation to contemporary slides where these are more clearly defined elements. Possibly somewhat old-fashioned 161 at the time it was carved, the well-defined relief elongated Cs contrast rather harshly with the surrounding curved surfaces. The profile has not been published or discussed. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 97, C9, photo of top; ascribed to Han or earlier. CV.99 MATERIAL: Jade, light green, almost completely altered to opaque white. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.50 W 1.00 D .50 TYPE: 1. DATE: Early to mid Eastern Han. At the upper end, facing upward, is an animal mask in low relief, with upswept striated eyebrows. Below the mask is a bilaterally symmetrical decor of attenuate geometric forms in line relief, arranged in the customary manner of Type 1 Geometric Class slides. The border spirals curving downward and outward, appear to be incised rather than in relief. The published photo does not permit closer observation of incised details. At the sides are thin plain borders. The central axis is undefined and the surfaces surrounding the relief forms appear to be flat. The profile has not been published or described. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 97, CIO, photo of top; ascribed to Han or earlier. CV.100 MATERIAL: Jade, originally dark green, the lower por- tion flecked with areas of decomposition, the remainder of the surface area totally decolored; on the underside traces of iron oxide. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.88 W1.00 D .50 TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. At the upper end, facing upward, an exceptionally prominent animal mask in low relief, with large, broadly outlined eyes and upswept eyebrows marked with faint striae. Below the animal mask, covering the remainder of the upper surface of this short scabbard slide, is a bilaterally symmetrical decor of geometric forms. Between the brows of the animal mask is an incised drop-shaped motive bracketed by a symmetrical pair of incised, upward opening volutes. Two pairs of elongated Cs, the upper backing toward the undefined central vertical axis, the lower pair facing the axis from positions near the side borders, are rendered in full rounded volumes defined partly by incised lines and partly by the lowering of the surrounding surface. The perpendicular C-spirals projected toward either the borders or the axis in accordance with the orientation of the elongated Cs, are rendered in the same manner, and spring from a position nearer to the inside center of the elongated Cs rather than being clearly attached to the lower curl of these Cs. The pair of elongated Cs backing toward the axis are joined by two widely separated incised lines, either straight or arching downward slightly. Along the axis, between the two pairs of elongated Cs is a downward- opening pair of volutes marked where the parts join at the axis by a cross-hatched diamond. This volute appears to be an incised line with raised surrounding surfaces imparting to it a plastic character. A single pair of opposed border spirals curling downward and outward seems to be defined in the same manner. Projected from the side borders, between the two pairs of elongated Cs, are slightly raised, rounded rectangular areas, defined along their lower and inner sides by faintly incised lines. Along the vertical sides are narrow plain borders defined by a rounded groove. The profile has not been published or described. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 97, Cll, photo of top; ascribed to Han and identified as a "fitting for scabbard of knife or dagger." CV.101 MATERIAL: Jade, light green and reddish brown. A band of decomposed iron is described as passing com- pletely around the lower aperture plate. Hansford believes this to be the remains of a fixture which served to attach the slide to the scabbard. It may represent, in the interior of the aperture, portions of such a band, with corrosion products of a decomposed iron blade adhering to the underside of the lower aperture plate. COLLECTION: Klaus D. Baron and Baroness von Oertzen, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.50 W .75 D .38 TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. The decor of this slide is virtually identical to that of CV.100 except that the geometric forms appear to be incised only. Otherwise, the shape, position and orienta- 162 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 tion of the forms are equivalent. The workmanship has a free, but sketchy quality. The surface, except for vertical grooves defining narrow plain side borders, appears to be flat, but may be slightly modulated. The animal mask, in low relief, has large eyes, again provided with broad relief outlines. The profile has not been published or discussed. REFERENCE: Hansford, Jade (1969), p. 97, C12, slightly oblique top/profile photo; ascribed to Han and identified as a "dagger scabbard fitting." CV.102 MATERIAL: Jade, decolored white. PROVENANCE: Recovered in 1954 from a tomb located at Shao-kou H$| , about one and one-half kilometers west by north of Lo-yang,h Honan ' Province. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.77 W .91 D .51 ApL .87 ApD .24 TYPE: 1. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. The tomb in which this scabbard slide was found was discovered during large-scale excavations in the Shao-kou area near Lo-yang. On the basis of tomb construction, artifacts, and coins, the excavators assigned all of the tombs published in their report to the Han dynasty, ranging from mid Wesern Han to late Eastern Han. Tomb 1039, one of the simpler earth chamber burials, is assigned to the later part of Eastern Han. Its contents were few, and for the most part simple. In addition to several pottery jars, three bronze crossbow trigger mech- anisms were found (pi. L, 10, illustrates one of these) and the corroded remains of several unidentifiable iron objects, among which may have been a knife. Two pieces of jade were recovered from the tomb which had been rifled in antiquity: a plain flat rectangular plaque perfo- rated at each corner (pi. LXIII, 8) and the scabbard slide which lay near the left side of the decomposed coffin. The sword, to which the slide may have been attached, was missing. While other elements of the tomb inventory may belong to the Eastern Han period, typo- logically the scabbard slide is early. It cannot reasonably be dated later than the end of Chou. I propose, therefore, that it may have been an esteemed relic at the time it was placed in the tomb. Since it is extremely unlikely that scabbard slides were used, even, in late Eastern Han for the practical suspension of swords, it can by no means be certain that this particular specimen was associated with a sword at the time of its burial. Nothing concerning evidence of long use is revealed in the published description of the slide (p. 208, item 1039:9), and the published photograph of its upper plate is inadequate for the purpose of such observations. The slide and its decor may be described, however, on the basis of two scaled drawings of dubious accuracy pub- lished in the text of the report. At the upper end, facing upward, an animal mask in relief with striated upswept eyebrows and large, broadly outlined eyes. Below the mask is a bilaterally symmetrical decor of geometric elements which appear to be executed in low relief on a slightly modulated surface. Near the upper end a pair of elongated Cs back upon the unde- fined central vertical axis and are joined by two incised lines reaching across the axis, the upper represented as curving downward, the lower curving upward. At the lower end, a similar pair of elongated Cs open toward the axis from positions by the borders. Springing from near the center of each elongated C is a downward- curling C-spiral, the upper pair projected toward the side borders, the lower toward the axis. According to the drawing, the lower pair of C-spirals are joined across the axis, in the manner of the elongated Cs, by two incised lines, in this case both arching upward. Along the axis are two bracket volutes marked with a cross-hatched triangle at the axis, the upper pair opening upward, the lower opening downward. On the axis at the lower end is a small cross-hatched triangle. Near the upper end, a single pair of opposed border spirals curl downward and outward. Along the sides are narrow plain borders defined by a groove. The upper plate is rather strongly arched, its extension above and below the aperture being of approximately equal length. Both ends of the upper plate are slightly rounded, but terminate without the suggestion of a hook. In profile, it is similar to CV.37. Upper and lower aperture plates and aperture walls are represented as being of approximately equal thickness. REFERENCE: Lo-yang Shao-kou Han mu (1959), pi. LXIII, 9, indistinct photo of top; p. 212, fig. 91, 1, scaled drawings of top and profile (possibly inaccurate); text, p. 208, s.v. 1039:9; p. 81, fig. 43, 3, plan of tomb. CV.103 Plate 2b-e MATERIAL: Jade, pale grayish green translucent, the upper part heavily decolored; iron-oxide stains on exterior aperture plate; upper left interior aperture wall deeply worn by belt, with correspondingly less wear visible at lower right interior aperture wall. COLLECTION: Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York; no. J-266. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.50 ApL 1.38 W1.07 ApD .31 D .59 ApX 1.75 The aperture walls have a slight vertical taper so that the width of the lower aperture plate is .98. CATALOG 163 TYPE: 1. DATE: Mid Western Han. The decorated surface of the slide is much worn, indi- cating, as does the wear visible on the aperture walls, that this scabbard slide was in use for a long period. One cannot, of course, judge from the condition of the jade how long this period of use or carrying might have been. I know of few scabbard slides exhibiting more wear: CV.82, of Late Eastern Chou date, and SR.l, carved about the same time as CV.103 in China and recovered from a burial in South Russia which may be ascribed to the third or fourth century after Christ. At the upper end, facing upward, is an animal mask in low relief, with upswept eyebrows. The striae which marked these relief brows are largely obliterated, and some details of the face, such as the outlining of the eyes and contours of the muzzle, are now indistinct. Between the brows is an incised drop-shaped motive bracketed by an incised double volute rising at the undefined central vertical axis and opening upward and outward. Below this volute are three opposed pairs of elongated Cs, back- ing upon the axis, or facing it from positions near the side borders. Springing from the lower end of each elongated C is a C-spiral, projected laterally toward either the side border or the central axis in accordance with the orientation of the elongated C, curling downward. These and the elongated Cs are executed in low rounded relief. Along the side borders, at two places, are opposed spirals curling downward and outward. These are incised and form the perimeters of low, rounded relief areas. Below each C-spiral projected from an elongated C toward the side borders is a low relief rectangular area defined along its lower and inner side by an incised line. Along the central axis are two downward-opening double volutes, marked by a cross-hatched diamond where their halves meet at the axis. The lower left and right corners are filled by pairs of C-spirals forming brackets curling inward and upward. As with the border spirals and rectangles, these spirals define and enclose areas in low relief. The surface area between the geometric elements undulates slightly and represents a stage between such surfaces as that of CV.22 where surfaces and geometric forms are fused, and CV.8 where the surfaces surrounding the geo- metric forms in relief are essentially flat. Along the vertical sides are plain rounded borders, defined by an incised groove. The upper plate is slightly arched, terminating above in a rounded slightly back-sloped and undercut hooked ridge. The lower end of the upper plate turns inward quite abruptly and is undercut more on one side than the other, to form a forward-projecting wedge. Unpublished. Ridge Class CR.1 Plate bd MATERIAL: Jade, translucent rich green and greenish brown, marked with small dark inclusions of actinolite; slight evidence of wear at interior upper left aperture corner. COLLECTION: Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York; no. J-785. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.20 ApD .56 L 2.63 W .96 (upper end) W .89 (lower end) D 1.07 DATE: Fifth or fourth century B.C. The surface of the arched upper plate is divided into five parallel concave lengthwise bands of equal width. No other markings appear on the surfaces of the slide. The profile is basically identical to that of CG.19, though the latter is smaller, the craftsmanship of superior refinement. The date assigned to this unique scabbard slide must be considered as tentative. Though in form it resembles the earlier stages in the development of the CG class slides, in decor and proportions, especially the shape and dimensions of the aperture, it is more closely related to the XCR class slides, none of which can with certainty be ascribed a Chou date. Unpublished. Grain Class CG.l Figures 5 and 6, Plate 6a MATERIAL: Jade, white, probably decomposed. PROVENANCE: Tomb 25, Yang-t'ien-hu i$^.M , Ch'ang- sha,11 Hunan e Province. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. The upper surface is decorated with fully plastic, comma-shaped, grain-spirals raised in high relief slightly above the mean surface level which is depressed around the grains. The grains, with both right and left spirals, form two basic groups, separated by an undefined hori- zontal axis. To either side of the center are five horizontal rows with three and two grains alternately. In the lower section, each grain curls in the opposite direction to its counterpart in the upper section. The upper plate does not extend forward of the aperture, but curves inward to become the forward aperture wall. Below the aperture the upper plate extends for a short distance, the upper surface curving downward to meet the straight line of the lower. The rectangular aperture extends upward into the upper plate. The aperture walls and upper plate are thick, the lower aperture plate somewhat thinner. 164 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 The bronze sword associated with this slide was found in the wooden coffin and has a blade 6.42 long and a total length of 9.84 (p. 92, and pi. Ill, 5). The blade has a central rib, pronounced at the guard and receding into the blade near its tip. The straight bronze guard, which does not project beyond the blade, and the hilt with three low rings and a flat disk pommel, are cast with the blade. Found with the sword and slide was a black lacquered scabbard 9.06 long with an unusual plain jade chape, broader than the narrow tip of the lacquered scabbard. It is implied (p. 92) that the scabbard slide, identified as a yii-erh 3E^ "jade ear-ornament" (hence, scabbard ear), was found resting in a socket on the side of the scabbard (pi. Ill, 5 and Figure 5 here). The sword blade could have occupied no more than the upper three-fifths of the scabbard. The position of the socket, therefore, is quite near to the end of the sword blade when in its scabbard, so that almost the entire weight of the sword was above the suspension point of the sword and scabbard defined by the slide when the weapon was carried on a belt. The narrow extension of the lower part of the scab- bard and the jade chape could hardly have equalized the weight of sword and scabbard above the slide. Whether the lower interior of the scabbard is solid, or was weighted with some heavy material, is not indicated in the report. A small hook was found beside the scabbard (p. 92 and pi. Ill, 2): ci.CH.l. REFERENCE: Hu-nan sheng, "Ch'ang-sha Yang-t'ien-hu" (1957a), pi. Ill, 1, top and profile photos; text, p. 92. CG.2 MATERIAL: Jade, original color unknown, surfaces now entirely white, chalky, decomposed stone. PROVENANCE: Tomb 4, Hua-ch'iao hsin ts'un ^Hiiftt;, near Canton, Kwangtung0 Province. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.40 W .75 DATE: Western Han. The upper surface is decorated with four parallel rows of fourteen square grains each, evenly spaced to cover the entire surface. The grains are flat on top. No borders are indicated; the grains rise in low relief above the surface level of the slide (cf. CG.10, CG.ll). The upper plate, lower aperture plate, and aperture walls are of approxi- mately uniform thickness. The upper plate is bent slightly inward at the upper end, terminating with a blunt edge. At the lower end, the upper plate is bent more sharply inward, at a right angle on the inner side, but at a somewhat less acute angle on the upper side, so that the plate broadens and a blunted knob-ridge is formed. No sword was recovered from the tomb. Probably it was of iron and had completely deteriorated. A perforated flat jade pommel disk with serrated inner and outer rims (p. 72, fig. 28, 5 and p. 67) and a concave, circular bronze pommel mount (p. 67, fig. 23, 2) found in the same tomb presumably belonged to this, or another, iron sword. Various other iron objects (pincers, a dagger, other uten- sils) were found in the tomb. (Slides with similar grain type: CG.10, CG.ll) REFERENCE: Mai Ying-hao, "Kuang-chou Hua-ch'iao Hsi-Han mu" (1958), p. 72, fig. 28, 8, drawings of top and profile; text, p. 73. CG.3 Figure 8 MATERIAL: Jade, white (decomposed?). PROVENANCE: Tomb 30, northeast suburb of Ch'eng-tu sSc^P, Szechuan 29JII Province; excavated in 1956. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.54* L 3.47* W .67* D .55* DATE: Mid Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with forty-four (possibly more) horizontal rows of five small, closely set, circular grains offset horizontally to form diagonals. The grain type cannot be definitely determined on the basis of the published rubbing, but is probably knob. The ornamented surface appears to be open at the upper and lower ends, defined on the side by plain borders somewhat broader than usual. The upper plate is slightly arched and projects forward of the aperture for a short distance only. The forward edge is rounded and slightly back-sloped, ending in a shallow pointed ridge on the underside rather than a well-defined undercut hook. Below the aperture the upper plate extends to a more normal length, and at the end curves sharply inward, terminating on the underside in a shallow, pointed, forward-projecting wedge suggestive of a hook. The scabbard slide was found in association with a bronze sword 15.63 long (p. 21: fig. 8). The blade is of the tongued variety, with guard and hilt with three rings and round, concave disk pommel cast in one piece with the blade. The slide was found lying on the blade, the scabbard to which it had been attached having decom- posed. Sufficient fragments of the scabbard remained to determine it was made of lacquered wood. A chape, lying beyond the tip of the blade (p. 28), was the only other element of jade furniture associated with this sword. Tomb 30 also yielded a bronze mirror with raised plain border and a plain, scalloped, octahedral relief band about the center. In each of the eight interstices formed by the points of the interior band connecting with the border, are two flat, elongated Cs in low relief. Mirrors 165 CG.6. of this type belong generally to the earlier part of Western Han. The plain raised border and scalloped relief band are similar to those on mirrors in Karlgren's "G category" (Karlgren, "Huai and Han" [1941], a "subsidiary type . . . probably created at Shou-chou and spreading to a certain extent also to Lo-yang centre" in the third century B.C. [p. 107]. However, the background ornamentation of these Shou-chou mirrors (Karlgren, pis. LXV-LXVI) bears no relation to this more provincial, naive and almost certainly later example. Watson (Ancient Chinese Bronzes [1962], p. 89 f. and pi. XCII, b) places the majority of this class of mirrors in the second century B.C, but the type probably endured in provincial areas well into the first century after Christ. It is of interest to note that tomb 20 which produced fragments of a tanged, double-edged iron sword with bronze guard (p. 25, fig. 15, upper) and lacquered scab- bard, and tomb 28 which produced a single-edged iron sword 26.10 long (p. 25, fig. 15, lower), and tomb 23 which produced a similar sword, none of which con- tained any jade sword furniture, may be dated on the basis of coins found to the later part of Western Han. REFERENCE: Szu-ch'uan sheng, "Ch'eng-tu tung pei chiao Hsi-Han mu tsang" (1958), p. 28, fig. 19, scaled rubbings of top and profile. CG.4 MATERIAL: Stone (shih H ), possibly jade stone. PROVENANCE: Ch'ang-sha,d Hunane Province; exca- vated 1956. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.06 W .95 DATE: Western Han, probably late first century B.C. The piece is very poorly published, very briefly described; it is identified as sword ear-ornament (chien-erh HiJI?). The upper surface is ornamented with rows of closely set grains in low relief, offset horizontally to form diagonals. Grain type uncertain. Traces of a screen of lines in three directions appear to be visible on the surface. There are narrow, plain, probably raised borders along the sides; the ends appear to be open. The slide is evidently quite decomposed and the upper plate is broken to either end of the aperture so that the slide is in three pieces. No sword is reported as having been found in association with the scabbard slide, jade pommel disk, jade guard, and jade chape. The guard only is illustrated (pi. X.l, center) and is seemingly crudely fashioned. No iron artifacts are reported so that it seems likely they, and the sword which was probably of iron, had entirely decomposed. REFERENCE: Hu-nan sheng, "Hunan Ch'ang-sha Hsi- Han mu" (1957b) pi. X, 1, lower right, photo of top; text, p. 31. CG.5 MATERIAL: Jade, perhaps badly decomposed. PROVENANCE: Chiu-lung-kang Altfra ("Nine dragon mound"), Ho-chin M:& , on the Yellow River in south- west Shansi n Province. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with grains of uncertain form in offset rows forming diagonals. Wide, plain borders. Photo inadequate; no further infor- mation available. REFERENCE: Ch'iian kuo chi pen chien she (1955) 1, pi. XXXVI, 3, lower left, photo of top. Plate 6d MATERIAL: Jade, light green, partly decomposed; a small part of the lower end missing. COLLECTION: Alfred F. Pillsbury, Minneapolis. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.50 DATE: Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with six parallel vertical rows of twenty-five small, circular, rounded knob grains each, in low relief, now scarcely visible in places owing to the decomposition of the sur- face. Between the grains are short incised lines interlocked to form a pattern of diagonal stepped T's. The surface area surrounding the grains is softly beveled, establishing a gradual transition between flatter areas and the incisions forming the T-patterns. The sides and ends are provided with narrow plain borders set off from the decorated surface by incised lines. Attached to the right border, and wholly outside the surface area of the slide, is a stylized bird-headed serpent motive carved in flat openwork. The animal form is executed in silhouette essentially, with slight modeling. It reproduces a well-known variety of late Chou design, but is more constrained, heavy, lifeless than those, lacking the spontaneous grace and brittle elegance of the late Chou creations. REFERENCES: Salmony, Carved Jade of Ancient China (1938), pi. LVIII, 1, photo of top. New York, Arden Gallery, Three Thousand Years of Chinese Jade (1939), p. 40, no. 196, not illustrated. CG.7 MATERIAL: Jade, gray with brown stains; a small chip from left forward edge; no vertical taper. COLLECTION: Art Institute of Chicago, 50.834; Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Bequest. 166 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.34 ApD .19 ApX 1.84 L 3.81 W .94 D .63 DATE: Late antiquarian. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with four parallel vertical rows of twenty-four circular, rounded knob grains interlocked by incised lines (curved down- ward and toward the left) between pairs of grains in a continuous fashion to form a diagonal step pattern. No traces of a screen of lines by which the pattern and spacing were laid out remain. Along the sides are narrow, concave, plain borders cut lower than the decor surface and separated from it by an incised groove. The end borders, scarcely visible in the published photographs, are of the same type. The surface of the upper plate retains a high gloss. The upper plate is disproportionately thick and is nearly flat. At the upper end, the poorly formed, pendu- lous, and slightly undercut hook penetrates inward to a depth equal to that of the exterior of the lower aperture plate. The lower end reaches an equal depth and is curved inward through a gradual arc rather than through an obtuse angle and oblique plane. The proportions and workmanship are generally of inferior quality, the inci- sions unsteady. REFERENCE: Salmony, Sonnenschein Collection (1952), p. CVII, 2, photo of top. CG.8 MATERIAL: Nephrite, white shading into gray, slightly translucent; iron-oxide stains in several places; a small part of the upper end missing. PROVENANCE: Acquired in the region of Shou-hsien,1 Anhuif Province. COLLECTION: His Majesty King Gustaf VI Adolf, Stockholm. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.68 W .59 D .51 DATE: Ascribed to late Eastern Chou or Early Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with four parallel vertical rows of eighteen small round knob grains in low relief. Between the grains are short incised lines forming diagonal rows of T's. Narrow, plain borders at the sides and lower end, defined by incised grooves; a somewhat wider, plain border at the top. On the forward edge, the fully modeled figure of a recumbent tailless animal with a single foot. The decor of the upper surface generally agrees with jades of early Han age, but the profile indicates a degree of clumsiness unusual in authentic scabbard slides of either Chou or Han. Uncharacteristic of authentic slides is the extreme narrowness in relation to depth. Further- more, the slide increases in depth toward the lower end (contrary to the normal decrease) which would result in the lower end projecting out from the scabbard wall, producing a less attractive and less useful appendage to the scabbard. The upper plate terminates at the forward end in a rounded inward-projecting wedge. The lower end is bent inward in an ungraceful, thick curve ending in a pointed, forward-projecting wedge. The lower aperture plate, from the midpoint upward, slopes toward the upper plate so that it could not have been effectively inserted into a socket in the scabbard wall. However, the profile is published as a drawing only, and the irregulari- ties may, therefore, be somewhat exaggerated by inaccura- cies in the drawing. This unusual piece would have to be examined first- hand before any final conclusions on its date could be drawn. REFERENCES: Palmgren, Selected Chinese Antiquities from the Collection of Gustaf Adolf (1948), pi. LIV, 3, photo of top; p. 100, fig. 226, drawing of profile; p. 100, fig. 227, drawing of animal on forward edge. Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), pi. LXI, 9, photo of top. CG.9 MATERIAL: Jade, white with brown patches; some surface decomposition. PROVENANCE: Presumably acquired in Shou-hsien,1 Anhuif Province. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.69 W 1.02* DATE: Ascribed to Late Eastern Chou; possibly early Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is marked with a screen of parallel lines in at least two directions diagonal to the vertical axis, dividing the surface area into polygonal areas from which circular grains in rows offset horizontally to form diagonals have been carved. Traces of the reticulation remain on the background. The slide is not sufficiently well published to determine whether the grains are of the comma or knob variety. Narrow, plain borders, equal in height to the grains, are drawn along the two sides; the ends are open. No profile of this slide has been published, but its shortness indicates that it may be closely related to slides of the XCG class. REFERENCE: University of Pennsylvania, University Museum, Archaic Chinese Jade (1940), p. 51, no. 265 and CATALOG 167 pi. XIV, 265, small, blurred photo of top. CG.10 Figure 8 MATERIAL: Nephrite, ivory white with gray and brown areas; traces of rust (iron?) on underside. COLLECTION: His Majesty King Gustaf VI Adolf, Stockholm. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.24 W .67 D .51 DATE: Early Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with three parallel vertical rows of twelve square knob grains, flat on top. No traces of screening lines by which the pattern and spacing of the grains on slides of this class are laid out remain on the flat surface. Along the sides are broad plain borders recessed below the level of the decor surface which subsides at each end to the level of the borders. The upper plate is slightly arched, with a very short beak-shaped forward extension. The lower end of the upper plate curves inward, increasing in thickness very slightly and is bluntly terminated. The profile is similar to that of CZ.l. (Slides with similar grain type: CG.2, CG.ll) REFERENCE: Palmgren, Selected Chinese Antiquities from the Collection of Gustaf Adolf (1948), pi. LIV, 2, photo of top; p. 100, no. 954, fig. 225, drawing of profile. CG.ll .Plate 7c7 MATERIAL: Jade, a jade-like stone; white with black and brown spots. COLLECTION: Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, no. 9629; acquired in Peking. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.53 W .81 D .63 DATE: Early Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with five parallel vertical rows of sixteen square knob grains, flat on top. No traces of screening lines by which the pattern and spacing of grains on slides of this class are laid out remain on the flat surface. Along the sides are narrow plain borders recessed below the level of the decor surface which subsides at each end to the level of the borders. The upper plate is slightly arched. The forward end of the upper plate curves inward slightly; the forward edge is beveled and no hook is formed. At the lower end the upper plate curves inward abruptly. A sharp, ninety- degree angle is formed on the underside, but the outer surface curves more gradually so that the plate thickens. It terminates in a blunt knob ridge. (Slides with similar grain type: CG.2, CG.10) REFERENCES: Janse, "Notes sur quelques epees anciennes" (1930), pi. XVIII, 2a, photo of top; pi. XVIII, 2b, photo of profile. Janse, "L'empire des steppes" (1935), pi. IV, 8, photos of top and profile. CG.l 2 MATERIAL: Jade, pale green. COLLECTION: Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1943, 52.128; Grenville L. Winthrop Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: ApL .97 ApD .31 L 2.28 W .75 D .56* Depth of upper plate over aperture .13. DATE: Early Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with four parallel vertical rows of grains interlocked by incised lines (curved upward and toward the left) between pairs of grains to form a diagonal step pattern. Thin, plain borders along the sides and across the ends. The scabbard slide was presumably found with the fragmentary iron sword to which it is presently attached, apparently by means of some adhesive applied at a later time. The slide rests directly on the much corroded blade, but is surrounded by permineralized fragments of the wooden scabbard which doubtless was once lacquered. The upper plate is slightly arched. At the lower end it curves inward and the end is cut at an angle without the formation of an undercut hook. The inner corners of the aperture are squared; the two outer corners are rounded so that the aperture resembles a segment of an ovaloid space. REFERENCE: Na Chih-liang, Yii ch'i t'ung-shih (1964), pi. LXXIII, photo of slide in position on fragmentary sword and scabbard; top view of slide. CG.l 3 MATERIAL: Jade, light brown, flecked with white, bone white, and dark brown. PROVENANCE: Acquired in the region of Shou-hsien,1 Anhuif Province. COLLECTION: O. Karlbeck, Stockholm. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.95 W .79 DATE: Western Han (?). The substantially decomposed condition of this slide precludes verification of details of its decor. The upper 168 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 surface, enclosed on all four sides by narrow, plain, raised borders, is ornamented with rows of closely set circular, rounded knob grains offset horizontally to form diagonals. The slide visibly tapers toward each end. The screen of lines by which the pattern was laid out is not visible in the published photograph, but apparently traces of it remain on the surface. REFERENCE: Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), p. 126 and pi. LXI, 7, photo of top. CG.14 Figure 8, Plate 6/ MATERIAL: Jade, orange-brown and yellowish cream, slightly translucent; small patches of surface decomposi- tion on upper plate near forward end; traces of iron oxide on exterior of lower aperture plate; some soil in aperture; part of lower aperture plate and lower hook decomposed. PROVENANCE: Reputed to have been acquired in the region of Shou-hsien,1 Anhuif Province. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1947.7-12.500; Henry Oppenheim Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.47 ApL .97 W .86 ApD .17 D .42 ApX 1.25 Depth of upper plate over aperture .16. The sides slope inward toward the base so that the width of the lower aperture plate is .81. The slide tapers slightly from the center downward to the lower end where the width is .84. DATE: Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with six parallel vertical rows of nineteen circular, rounded knob grains interlocked by incised lines (curved downward and toward the right, except for the lines connecting grains of the left-hand row which curve toward the left) between pairs of grains to form a diagonal step pattern. Along each side is a shallow groove separating the decorated area from a thin, plain border which curves from the outer edge downward to join the groove. The upper and lower ends of the decorated area are closed by incised lines connecting across the ends to the lateral grooves. The grains slightly exceed in height the side borders. The upper plate is very slightly arched. The forward edge is rounded but not back-sloped as is customary with the Western Han pieces of most careful workmanship; the inward curve is undercut to form a sharply defined hook. At the lower end the upper plate curves abruptly inward and a hook is formed by a thin, squared, forward- projecting ridge rising from the underside of the upper plate. The lower hook is parallel to the line formed by the inner side of the lower aperture plate so that it may be presumed to have rested against the scabbard wall. The upper hook does not project inward so far and presumably was not thus supported. The workmanship of this handsomely proportioned piece is of high quality, the contours strongly, sharply, surely formed. REFERENCES: London, Royal Academy of Arts, International Exhibi- tion of Chinese Art, Catalogue (n.d.), p. 45, no. 616, not illustrated. London, Royal Academy of Arts, The Chinese Exhibi- tion: a Commemorative Catalogue (1936), p. 25, no. 616, not illustrated. Jenyns, Chinese Archaic Jades (1951), pi. XXXV, E, photo of top. Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), pi. LXI, 10, photo of top; text, p. 126. Savage, Chinese Jade (1965) pi. II, C, lower right, photo of top (reduced-size photo from Jenyns [1951]). CG.15 Figure 6 MATERIAL: Jade, pale translucent grayish green, with decomposed areas on the lower aperture plate and at the upper right side of the upper plate; traces of iron oxide on underside. COLLECTION: Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York; no. J-818. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.94 ApL 1.00 W .91 ApD .27 D .56 ApX 1.38 The sides slope inward toward the lower aperture plate with a width of .84. DATE: Late Eastern Chou. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with thirteen horizontal rows of plastic comma-spirals, offset horizontally in such a manner that diagonal rows are formed. The character of these diagonal rows suggests use of a pattern turned at less than forty-five degrees from the vertical so that the progression of grains toward the left side (beginning with the uppermost centralized grouping) required the introduction of irregular plain surface areas at the side borders, or the addition of partial grains to these spaces. The individual grains are carved in both right and left spirals, beginning near the crest of rounded relief knobs and terminating in incised lines below the general surface level. At each side is a narrow plain border rising to a ridge at the edge of the slide. At the upper and lower ends are narrow borders in relief marked with curved incisions to simulate rope patterns (cf. CG.22). A comparable motive appears on a jade beaker assigned to late Chou (Umehara, Sen'goku jidai no gyokuren gyokuhai [1956], pi. XIII, B). The upper plate is very slightly arched, the upper surface of the plate curving inward to meet the briefly extended flat underside of the plate. A short beak-like projection is thus formed. The extension of the upper 169 plate below the aperture is greater, the plate growing thinner toward the lower end where it curves inward and is cut off bluntly, the end forming a line parallel to that of the lower aperture plate. REFERENCE: West Palm Beach, Norton Gallery of Art, Exhibition of Chinese Archaic Jades (1950), pi. LVIII, 2, photo of top. CG.16 MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Alfred F. Pillsbury Bequest. DATE: Early Western Han. Possibly identical to C.l. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with three parallel vertical rows of twenty-three circular, rounded knob grains interlocked in pairs (alternating diagonally) vertically by incised arcs. The grains of the left row are interlocked in a continuous chain, the arcs drawn between them alternately curving toward the right and left. A short, incised, horizontal line projects toward the left from the inner side of the incised arc of each pair of grains and, with the arcs, constitutes a variety of the stepped-T pattern. The lines, projecting into the adjoin- ing row of grains to the left, are set close to the upper grain in each pair. Thin, plain borders appear to be defined by a narrow groove along the sides, with an incised border line closing each end. An incised line at each corner marks forty-five degrees in the corner right angles. REFERENCE: "Carved Jades of Shang and Chou" (1942), p. 119, center, photo of top. CG.l 7 MATERIAL: Jade, white, opaque, with deep rust-colored veins and patches; green and red bronze patination and fragments of wood adhering to exterior of lower aperture plate. COLLECTION: James Marshall Plumer, Ann Arbor, Michigan. MEASUREMENTS: W .70 ApL .94 ApD .25 ApX 1.34 Depth of upper plate over aperture .16. DATE: Western Han. The upper plate is broken just below the aperture, and the lower portion is missing. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with four parallel vertical rows of circular, rounded knob grains interlocked by incised lines (curved downward and toward the right) between pairs of grains to form a diagonal step pattern. The decorated surface is recessed below plain borders rather broader than usual along the sides which subside at the forward edge to the level of the decor surface and are joined by an incised line separating the decor surface from a plain border at the forward edge. The upper plate is slightly arched and projects only slightly forward of the aperture. The forward edge curves inward to meet the slightly lowered undersurface at an acute angle, forming a blunted beak-like projection. Unpublished. CG.l 8 MATERIAL: Jade, translucent gray-green with clouds and fine interior veins of gray-brown; a part of the lower aperture plate missing. COLLECTION: James Marshall Plumer, Ann Arbor, Michigan. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.00 ApD .13 to.19 ApX 1.22 L 2.34 W .72 D .38 Depth of upper plate over aperture .09. DATE: Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with five parallel vertical rows of nineteen small, circular, rounded knob grains interlocked by incised lines (curved upward and toward the right, except for those connecting grains of the left-hand row which curve toward the left) between pairs of grains to form a diagonal step pattern. The decorated area is recessed, but the grains rise in relief to a level just above that of the plain borders on all four sides. The decorated area is not centered on the upper surface of the slide, but is offset toward the right so that use of a single (and accidentally miscentered) die for the carving of the pattern may be presumed. The lower aper- ture plate is unusually thin, but evidence of regrinding suggests that the plate may have been reduced in depth in an effort to remove irregularities, perhaps associated with a breakage. The lower aperture wall slopes outward at an angle roughly perpendicular to the slope of the upper plate. The cant of the upper plate, which slopes sharply down from the deepest point at the top to the shallowest at the lower end, is unusual (but not unique—see CV.40), and determined the irregular ovaloid shape of the aper- ture. The upper plate projects slightly forward of the aperture and curves inward to form a blunt knob. At the lower end, the upper plate curves inward on one side at right angles and terminates bluntly; on the other side the inward projection of the upper plate has been ground away flush with the undersurface of the plate. The lower end of the upper plate is little more than a millimeter above the line formed by the outer surface of the lower aperture plate, but was perhaps slightly more elevated before the regrinding of the lower aperture plate. 70 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 REFERENCE: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Early Chinese Jades (1953), no. 120, not illustrated. CG.19 Figure 6, Plate 6b MATERIAL: Jade, brown stone with translucent gray- green patches; possibly not nephrite. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1947.7-12.479; Henry Oppenheim Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.72 ApL .91 W .98 ApD .44 D .78 ApX 1.38 Depth of upper plate over aperture .22. The side walls taper slightly so that the width across the lower aperture plate is .94. The upper plate is widest at the upper end, tapering to .97 over the center of the aperture, and .95 at the lower end. DATE: Fifth or fourth century B.C. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with thirteen somewhat haphazardly arranged horizontal rows of comma-spirals offset horizontally. The spirals, with both left and right curl, and without regular orientation, are unevenly spaced so that use of a die or pattern is doubtful. The end of each spiral begins as an incised line below the surface level and increases in relief height as it progresses toward the center. The surface is depressed slightly around each grain. The decorated surface is enclosed by narrow plain borders on all sides. The upper plate is slightly arched, projecting very slightly forward of the aperture to form a curved ridge. The projection of the upper plate below the aperture is only somewhat longer, becoming thinner and curving inward slightly, and terminating bluntly. The workmanship is of superior quality. REFERENCE: Trousdale, "Possible Roman Jade" (1969), p. 59, fig. 4, oblique top/profile photo. W .81 ApD .28 D .50 ApX 1.19 Depth of upper plate over aperture .16. The sides slope inward toward the base so that the width of the lower aperture plate is .75. The depth is greater along the right side than along the left where the maximum depth is .45. DATE: Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with a very coarse and irregular grain pattern produced by a screen of deeply cut lines in three directions intersecting irregularly. Along the sides are narrow recessed plain borders separated from the decorated area by a groove. The condition of the surface at the upper and lower ends is too badly decomposed to determine the existence of borders. The upper plate is slightly arched. The forward edge curves inward, terminating in a rounded, back-sloped hook on the left side, but on the right side it terminates in a rounded inward-projecting knob only, possibly as a result of an early break and subsequent regrinding. The upper plate, in keeping with the general shape of the piece, is projected further inward on the left side, so that the aperture is deeper on one side than the other. At the lower end, the upper plate slopes sharply inward with a slight forward-projecting wedge at the end on the under- side. The formation of the aperture walls is irregular. Two curved bays On the inner sides of both the upper and lower aperture walls are evidently evidence of the drill used to bore the aperture, the small peaks of stone between the round drillings not having been ground off (cf. CG.22). The lower aperture plate is of uneven thick- ness, being extremely thin at the center. The several irregularities which could not have been effectively cor- rected suggest that this is not an unfinished piece, but rather one of inferior quality, perhaps manufactured as burial equipment. Unpublished. CG.21 CG.20 .Figure 8, Plate le MATERIAL: Nephrite (by X-ray diffraction); deeply decomposed over most surfaces, apparently originally yellowish green to gray; heavy iron corrosion (geothite) on top, side, and underside of left side of upper plate over aperture (slide possibly lay on its side on the iron blade of a sword); smaller iron oxide stains in interior left side and bottom of lower aperture plate; iron-oxide discoloration penetrates through stone of lower aperture plate; excavation earth in aperture and adhering to undersurfaces; small chips out of both upper and lower end hooks. COLLECTION: Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C, 15.233. MEASUREMENTS: ApL L 2.47 .Figure 8, Plate lb MATERIAL: Jade, badly decomposed; earth and wood debris and iron corrosion in aperture and adhering to bottom of lower aperture plate. COLLECTION: British Museum, London. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.41 ApD .27 ApX 1.69 L 3.11 W .95 D .55 Depth of upper plate over aperture .17. DATE: Western Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with five parallel rows of eighteen circular, rounded knob grains in very low relief defined by incised circumferences and interlocked in pairs by incised lines grouping units of six grains into partially enclosed rectangles. Along the sides and at the upper end are narrow plain borders separated CATALOG 171 from the decorated surface by incised lines; at the lower end, a broader plain area is similarly separated from the decor surface. The upper plate is slightly arched, and terminates at the upper end in a blunt beak-like projec- tion. The longer extension of the upper plate below the aperture is terminated in a blunt right-angle curve inward. REFERENCE: Umehara, Shina kogyoku zuroku (1955), pi. CVI, upper right, photos of top and profile. CG.22. Plate Id MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: Eguchi Jir5,m Osaka. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.19* ApD .28* ApX 1.56* L 3.13* W .97* D .56* Depth of upper plate over aperture .19.* DATE: Mid to late Western Han (?). The surface of the upper plate is decorated with twenty horizontal rows of grains with generally six and five grains in alternate rows, offset horizontally to form diagonals. The grains are of the left spiral variety, incised on small rounded knobs. The grains nearest to the side borders have not been incised with the comma design, but have been left as plain knob grains. The surface between the grains is flat. The relief of the grains appears to rise slightly above the narrow plain side borders separated from the decorated surface by an incised line. Use of a die is evident in the incorrect centering of the pattern and in the appearance of partial grains along the borders. At the lower end a narrow border is marked with diagonal lines suggestive of a rope design (cf. CG.15). At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in flat relief and partly incised, with upswept striated eyebrows. The eyebrows run together above the snout with no line separating one from the other. Above the center of the eyebrows is a half-oval, cross-hatched area with a short incised spiral curling outward from each side. This ornament is not represented on any other scabbard slide. The upper plate is very slightly arched. The upper end of the upper plate is bent in sharply, but the forward edge inclines some- what upward rather than being back-sloped, or straight; the plate terminates in a rounded, back-curved knob ridge. The lower end of the upper plate is also bent sharply inward and a hook is formed by a squared, forward-projecting wedge on the underside of the plate. The contours of this piece are sharp and bold, but the ornamentation is not executed with precision and care. The interior aperture walls evince evidence of drilling similar to those of CG.20. REFERENCE: Umehara, Shina kogyoku zuroku (1955), pi. CVII, 10, top and profile photos. CG.23 MATERIAL: Glass, greenish-white, translucent; iron- oxide stains (presumably chiefly on underside). COLLECTION: His Majesty King Gustaf VI Adolf, Stockholm. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.66 W .75 D .20 Shallowest piece recorded. DATE: Late Western or early Eastern Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with five parallel vertical rows of twenty-six evenly spaced, small, circular, rounded knob grains. The surface between the grain is flat and recessed between narrow, plain, rounded side borders. The ends appear to be unbordered. The upper plate is very slightly arched. At both the upper and the lower ends, the upper plate turns inward at right angles and is terminated in a blunt inward-projecting ridge. REFERENCE: Palmgren, Selected Chinese Antiquities (1948), pi. LV, 3, photo of top; p. 101, fig. 229, drawing of profile. CG.24 MATERIAL: Glass, white (or decomposed surface only?). COLLECTION: Dr. Carl Kempe, Sweden. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.78 DATE: Han, perhaps Eastern. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with five parallel vertical rows of rounded knob grains. The upper end of the upper plate appears to be extended straight, the lower end to be curved inward, possibly with a forward-projecting wedge on the undersurface forming a hook ridge. The piece is too poorly preserved, too poorly published, for more detailed observation. REFERENCE: Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), pi. LXI, 6, photo of top; text, p. 126. CG.25 Figure 8, Plate 8b MATERIAL: Glass, pale green, now entirely encrusted with rough white decomposed material. PROVENANCE: Acquired in the region of Shou-hsien,1 Anhuiff Province. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1935.1-15.2. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.97 ApL 1.06 W .72 ApD .23 D .50 ApX 1.41 Depth of upper plate over aperture .14. The maximum width is attained slightly above the center of the aperture. 172 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 Tapering inward slightly toward each end, the width at the upper end is .70, at the lower end .69. The sides slope inward toward the base so that the width of the lower aperture plate is .61. DATE: Han, probably Western. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with four parallel vertical rows of eighteen evenly spaced, small, circular, rounded knob grains on a flat surface. At the upper end, cast in low relief, is a small, abbreviated, stylized animal mask of unique form, without eyebrows and with large, leaf-shaped eyes with small round pupils in relief. The mask is now almost invisible in the decom- posed material of the surface. The decorated surface is enclosed on all four sides by narrow, flat, plain borders elevated to a height equal with crests of the grains. Here, as on other glass scabbard slides of this class, the cast grains are not as distinctly formed as the carved grains on the jade pieces, but rise in more gently curved mounds from the surface. The fact that knob grains only appear on the glass slides of this class may be owing to a general Han predilection for grains of this type, but may also be dictated by the relatively poor response of Chinese glass of this period to the casting or impressing of more complicated forms. The upper surface of the slide was once smooth, clear, and glossy; the other surfaces are opaque, as though frost- ed. This condition appears to be the result of filing, and perhaps the slide was shaped from a rough casting. The upper plate is slightly arched. Both the forward and rear edges are back-sloped and provided with rounded, inward- projecting ridges across the undersides. A general characteristic of the glass scabbard slide is the slight outward slope of the aperture walls, more pronounced on the rear, or lower, aperture wall. This slope is rarely evident on the jade slides. The slope of the sides inward toward the base is also generally more pronounced on glass slides than on stone. Glass slides generally are narrower in relation to length than are the stone slides. REFERENCE: Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), pi. LXI, 8, photo of top; text, p. 126. CG.26 MATERIAL: Glass, light milky green, translucent; sur- face shows no signs of decomposition (possibly cleaned—- see below); some surface flaws in casting. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1940.12- 14.113. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.28 ApD .25 ApX 1.56 .16. The slide is widest L 4.00 W .78 D .50 Depth of upper plate over aperture over the center of the aperture, about two-fifths of the total length down from the head, and tapers slightly toward each end: width at top .75; width at lower end .69. The sides slope inward so that the maximum width of the lower aperture plate is .63. DATE: Late Western or early Eastern Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with four parallel vertical rows of eighteen evenly spaced, circular, rounded knob grains of somewhat irregular size on a clear, glossy, slightly concave surface between broad, flat, plain side borders, lower than the relief of the grains. The ends are unbordered. The interior border- lines are straight and parallel so that, as a result of the tapering of the slide toward either end, the borders are broadest over the aperture and narrower toward each end. At the upper end, an elongated, abbreviated, stylized animal mask of unusual form in linear relief. The surface of the slide occupied by the animal mask is flat and the relief of the mask, lower than that of the grains, does not exceed the height of the borders. The animal mask, bovine in aspect rather than feline as on the slides of the Geometric Class, is reminiscent of one carved on a small jade handle-socket in the British Museum (Jenyns, Chinese Archaic Jades [1951], pi. XXXIII, d) which has been variously ascribed to the Chou and Han periods. All surfaces except the upper appear frosted (result of filing?) as on the preceding slide. The slope inward of the sides toward the narrower base, as on CG.25, is more pronounced than on jade slides. The aperture walls slope outward as on CG.25, again the slope of the lower wall being more pronounced. The upper plate is very slightly arched. Both forward and rear edges are slightly back-sloped and provided with rounded, inward- projecting ridges across the underside. The glass of this piece was studied by Seligman and Beck. The chemical analysis of this piece showed a sufficient quantity of barium to indicate that it was cast of glass manufactured in China. The authors believe it to be of Han date (p. 48). REFERENCE: Seligman and Beck, "Far Eastern Glass" (1938), p. 48, fig. 11, line drawing to scale of top and profile; analysis results, Table III, pre-Han or Han material, item 4. (The above drawings contain some minor inaccuracies. The drawing of the upper surface indicates a border at the lower end where there is none. It also indicates that the lower end is squared whereas it is slightly rounded in an irregular fashion, being cut upward more on the right than on the left side. The profile drawing does not indicate the back-slope of the forward and rear edges, nor the greater outward slope of the lower aperture wall. The lower end is also inaccurate- ly rendered. It is not roundly curved as indicated, but turns inward in a series of two planes, the first, a short, flat plane at about a forty-five degree inward slope, the second, a deeper, back-sloped plane, meeting the former CATALOG 173 CG.29 at an obtuse angle. The inward-projecting ridge on the underside is broader and somewhat more angular than here drawn. The nature of the inaccuracies in the draw- ing does not suggest alteration in the form of the slide owing to the removal of samples for analysis.) CG.27 MATERIAL: Glass, white (decomposed?); upper end badly decomposed. COLLECTION: Mr. Louis Clarke (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS : L 2.52 DATE: Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with five parallel vertical rows of evenly spaced, circular, cone-shaped knob grains. There is evidently an animal mask cast at the now badly decomposed upper end; the eyes and snout only are partially visible. The rectangular recessed area decorated with the grains is out of line with the sides of the slide so that the plain borders around it are of irregular width as the decorated area moves from nearer to the right side at the lower end toward the left side below the decomposed area at the upper end. The poor centering of the decor suggests that the molds in which the glass scabbard slides were cast were composed of at least two sections and that the section containing the decor might have been interchangeable. An alterna- tive to this might be that a die was used to press the design into the soft upper surface of the slide after the glass had been poured into an open mold and allowed to partly solidify, and that in this instance the die was applied imprecisely. REFERENCE: Karlbeck, "Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou" (1955), pi. LXI, 11, photo of top; text, p. 126. CG.28 MATERIAL: Jade, brown. COLLECTION: Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm; formerly Osvald Siren, Stockholm. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.13 DATE: Probably antiquarian, but possibly Eastern Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with four parallel vertical rows of nineteen evenly spaced, circular, rounded knob grains interlocked by incised lines (curved downward and toward the right) between pairs of grains to form a diagonal step pattern. The decorated surface is separated from plain, raised borders on all sides by an incised groove. On the forward edge of the slide is the figure of a hydra carved in high relief. The figure prolongs the length of the slide rather than being carved into the forward edge. No traces remain of the reticulation by which the pattern and spacing of the grains were laid out. REFERENCES: Siren, Documents d'art chinois (1925), pi. XXXVII, no. 506, photo of top; ascribed to Sung dynasty. Stockholm, Celedon-Jade (1963), p. 24, no. 40, not illus- trated; ascribed to Han dynasty. Gure, "Jade Exhibition at Stockholm" (1964), pi. I, 1 oblique top/profile photo; text, p. 122, ascribed to Han dynasty. Figure 14 MATERIAL: Jade, pale green and brown. COLLECTION: The late Seiichi Ueno,q Osaka. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.65 W 1.00 D .55 ApL 2.06* ApD .19* ApX 2.38* DATE: Han, probably Eastern. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with fifty-six horizontal rows of generally ten or eleven fine, closely set knob grains offset horizontally to form diag- onals. The pattern was achieved by the screen of deeply cut, closely set lines laid in three directions and forming small polygonal knobs by the intersection of the lines. The screen lines were not ground away and the grains, which appear to be poly-sided pyramids, were only partially shaped. The decorated surface is bounded on all four sides by a raised plain border. The exceptionally long upper plate (and proportionately long aperture) is flat in profile. At the upper end it is turned inward at right angles, terminating in a blunt ridge. The lower end of the upper plate is turned inward at right angles through a series of two flat planes on the upper surface diverging successively at forty-five degree angles and by a right-angle turn on the inner side, terminating in a broad, squared ridge across the underside of the lower end. The exceptional length and angularity of this slide, both of which are more characteristic of the majority of non-Chinese slides, together with the relatively simplified carving, suggest that the slide might have been produced in the northern Chinese border regions in imitation of long Chinese examples similar to the following example (CG.30) . REFERENCES: Hamada, Yfichikusaizo kogyokufu (1925), 2, pi. XXI, 45, color photo of top; 1, pi. V, 45, reduced scale drawing of profile and rubbing (?) of top. Shu Kan iho (1932), pi. XXXIII, 2, photo of top. 174 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 CG.30 Figure 14 Unpublished. MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.06* W 1.06* D .56* Depth of upper plate over aperture .19.* ApL 1.41* ApD .25* ApX 1.75* CG.33 MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: Art Institute of Chicago, 50.875; Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: DATE: Eastern Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with six parallel vertical rows of twenty-four evenly spaced, circular, rounded knob grains interlocked in pairs by curved incised lines which group units of six grains into partially enclosed rectangles. Besides these incised lines, there are others forming regular, bilaterally symmetrical patterns on the surface, independent of, or incorporating, several grains. The decorated surface is bounded on all four sides by plain borders. The upper plate appears in profile to be almost flat, with the rounded, involuted forward end terminating in a sharp hook. The lower end of the upper plate is curved inward and terminates in a short, pointed, forward-projecting ridge. The compact proportions and sturdy contours of the earlier slides are here lacking. The ends of the upper plate are especially weakly conceived. REFERENCE: Huang Chiin, Ku yii t'u lu (1939), III, 19:a, rubbings of top and profile. CG.31 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.47* W 1.00* ApL 1.34* ApX 1.63* Authenticity cannot be established on basis of pub- lished line drawing. The upper surface is ornamented with thirty-three horizontal rows of closely set knob grains offset horizontally to form diagonals. Plain borders, narrow on the sides, broad at top and bottom. REFERENCE: WU Ta-ch'eng, Ku yii t'u k'ao (1889), II, 114:b, drawing of top, with foreshortened profile at left; (see note with CP.6). CG.32 MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: Art Institute of Chicago, 50.876; Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.47 ApL .94 W .75 ApD .19 D .44 ApX 1.28 Depth of upper plate over aperture .13. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with small, closely set knob grains. Probably Han dynasty. ApL 1.06 ApD .16 L 3.50 W .84 D .34 Depth of upper plate over aperture .13. At the upper end, an animal mask. The surface of the upper plate below is ornamented with knob grains. Possibly Eastern Han. Unpublished. CG.34 MATERIAL: Glass, extremely decomposed with heavy surface incrustations. COLLECTION: Art Institute of Chicago, 50.878; Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Bequest. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.63 ApL 1.00 W .66 ApD .28 D .56 ApX 1.44 Depth of upper plate over aperture .13. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with a pattern of small round knob grains now almost obliter- ated. Undoubtedly authentic Han dynasty work. Unpublished. CG.35 MATERIAL: Jade, brown; partly decomposed. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.00 The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with a pattern of grains. Published photograph inadequate. Ascribed to Han dynasty. REFERENCE: New York, Yamanaka and Company, Far Eastern Art (1943), no. 296, photo of top. CG.36 MATERIAL: Jade, light green with tan markings; part- ly decomposed. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.88 At the upper end, an animal mask. Below, surface of the upper plate decorated with grain pattern. Published photograph inadequate. Ascribed to Late Eastern Chou; probably late antiquarian. CATALOG 175 REFERENCE: New York, Yamanaka and Company, Far Eastern Art (1943), no. 297, photo of top. CG.37 MATERIAL: Jade. COLLECTION: National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.56* ApD .31* ApX 2.09* L 4.34 W1.03* D .63* Depth of upper plate over aperture .19. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in relief and partly incised, with small, thin, upswept striated (?) eye- brows. From either side of the muzzle end, whiskers curl upward and away from the muzzle, turning inward at their ends and terminating in points below the eyes. Covering the surface of the upper plate below are six vertical rows of closely set, circular, rounded knob grains interlocked by incised lines (curved upward or toward the left) between pairs of grains to form a diagonal step pattern. Thin, plain borders at sides and across lower end. The upper plate is slightly arched, terminating above in a weakly conceived and executed blunt inward curl. At the lower end, the upper plate turns inward at a nearly perpendicular angle, terminating without the for- mation of a forward-projecting hook-ridge. The contours are soft, the angles beveled and polished. REFERENCES: Ku-kung, no. 36, p. 10, lower left, photo of top. Na Chih-liang, Yii ch'i t'ung-shih (1964), pi. LXXII, 4, photo of profile. CG.38 MATERIAL: Jade. DATE: Late antiquarian. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with five vertical rows of large, circular, rounded knob grains offset vertically to form diagonals. The grains appear to be broad, flat nodules in very low relief. Narrow, plain side borders. REFERENCES: Hommel, "Chinese Sword Furniture" (1928), fig. 5, left, photo of top. Hommel, "Notes on Chinese Sword Furniture" (1951), p. 144, second fig. from top, lower left, photo of top; p. 144, lower fig., lower right, photo of top (somewhat larger scale than other photo of same slide in this source). CG.39 MATERIAL: Jade, yellow. COLLECTION: Formerly Tuan-fang J^^j Collection, China. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.25* ApL 1.13* W .95* ApD .33* D .56* ApX 1.44* Depth of upper plate over aperture .16.* The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with five parallel vertical rows of eighteen circular, rounded knob grains interlocked by incised lines (curved downward and toward the right) between pairs of grains to form a diagonal step pattern. Forward edge rounded with inward-curling hook ridge on inward side; lower end of upper plate curved inward with square wedge project- ing forward from under side to form a hook ridge. Published drawing inadequate. REFERENCE: T'ao-chai ku yii t'u (1936), p. 76;a, drawings of profile and top; scale uncertain. CG.40 MATERIAL: Jade, pale yellowish green, translucent; broken below the aperture. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1955.7-18.40. MEASUREMENTS: W .91 D .47 DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in relief and partly incised, with exceptionally broad, upswept, striated eyebrows. Between wide, plain borders below, four parallel vertical rows of circular knob grains, flat on top and with incised perimeters. The forward edge is rounded and undercut to form a sharp hook ridge. The lower aperture plate is uncom- monly thick. The contours and quality of workmanship suggest late, careless imitation. Unpublished. CG.41 MATERIAL: Jade, white; fragments of corroded iron inside aperture and red (cinnabar?) stains on exterior of lower aperture plate. COLLECTION: British Museum, 1937.4-16.33. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.78 W .97 D .38 DATE: Possibly Han (cf. CG.20). The surface of the upper plate is marked by deep, slant- cut lines in three directions. These are not placed so that, intersecting at regular points, triangles are formed, but are haphazardly cut and spaced so that rough polygonal areas of varying shape and size are produced. The area 176 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 CG.45 thus marked is separate from plain borders by a concave groove. The carving is crude, with irregular cutting marks evident at the corners of the aperture. Unpublished. CG.42 MATERIAL: Jade, pale gray-green with diagonal red- dish grown clouds across the upper surface. COLLECTION: Chicago Natural History Museum, no. 116559. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.76 W 1.26 D .55 DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an incised, abbreviated, degenerate animal mask, with diamond-shaped eyes and flat, partially striated eyebrows curled at the ends. Above the center of the brows, a cross-hatched diamond on a slightly raised rounded mound. Covering the surface of the upper plate below, twenty-one horizontal rows of closely set circular, rounded knob grains offset horizontally to form diagonals. The incised lines in three directions by means of which small polygonal areas (from which the grains were fash- ioned) were created were not completely ground away. Each grain is defined by an incised circumference cut into the surface area which rises slightly around each grain. The decorated surface is separated from thin, plain borders by an incised concave groove which interrupts the surface decor so that half grains appear along the sides. The lateral borders are closed at the lower end by an incised line. REFERENCES: Laufer, Jade (1912), pi. XXXIII, 1, color photo of top. Hobson, "Jade" (1913), fig. A, photo of top. Pope-Hennessy, Early Chinese Jades (1923), pi. XXXIII, 3, photo of top. CG.43 MATERIAL: Jade, white with yellowish clouded areas. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.53* W .97* ApL 1.34* ApX 1.66* DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, a degenerate animal mask with straight striated eyebrows with small end curls. Covering the surface of the upper plate below, four vertical rows of circular, rounded knob grains offset vertically to form diagonals. Thin plain borders are indicated at the sides only. REFERENCE: Wu Ta-ch'eng, Ku yii t'u k'ao (1889), II, Plate 12ci 115:b, drawing of top, with foreshortened profile at left. (See note with CP.6.) CG.44 MATERIAL: Jade. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.88* ApX 2.09* L 4.28* W .97* DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, a degenerate animal mask with thin, plain, upswept eyebrows, and pupiled eyes. The mask faces downward (cf. CV.68, CG.51). Covering the surface of the upper plate below, within framing lines, six vertical rows of closely set circular, rounded knob grains offset vertically to form diagonals. REFERENCES: Wu Ta-ch'eng, Ku yii t'u k'ao (1889), II, 115:b, draw- ing of top, with foreshortened profile at left. (See note with CP.6.) Laufer, Jade (1912), p. 259, fig. 164, after Wu Ta-ch'eng. Ginters, Das Schwert der Sky then und Sarmaten (1928), p. 71, pi. XXIX, C, after Wu Ta-ch'eng (citation to Laufer, Jade [1912], pi. XXXIII, incorrect). Plate 12e MATERIAL: Jade, brown. COLLECTION: O. Raphael (now dispersed). MEASUREMENTS: L 3.66 DATE: Late antiquarian. The upper plate is ornamented with six vertical rows of circular knob grains offset vertically to form diagonals. The grains are comparatively large, closely set, flattened hemispheres. Narrow, plain side borders. The upper plate is slightly arched, terminating in a globular inward-bent wedge at the upper end and a blunt, inward-projecting ridge at the lower end. The lower aperture plate is approximately equal in thickness to the aperture walls and upper plate. Contours are softly rounded. REFERENCE: Yetts, "A Chinese Scabbard-Jade" (1926), pi. C, photos of top and profile. CG.46 MATERIAL: Jade, black with milky green areas on the aperture walls and lower aperture plate. COLLECTION: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 13.40.174. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.44 W .81 D .72 ApL 1.09 ApD .34 177 Depth of upper plate over aperture .22. The sides slope inward so that the width of the lower apperture plate is less than that of the upper plate. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask. Covering the sur- face of the upper plate below, a cross-hatching produced by deeply incised diagonal lines in two directions which divide the surface into small squares. Within each square, a low rounded knob grain has been fashioned. Thin, plain borders along sides and lower end. The upper plate is strongly arched (resembling Form II slides of A-2 profile) so that the ends of the plate curve inward to a point just above the level of the lower aper- ture plate. The forward end terminates in a blunt wedge; the lower end is rounded, with a pointed wedge on the underside. Both the upper and lower aperture walls slope outward, meeting the arched upper plate at ninety-degree angles. Unpublished. (Cf. Rostovtsev, "Le porte-epee des Ira- niens" [1930], fig. 262, left) CG.47 MATERIAL: Jade, milky white with brown veins. COLLECTION: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 16.144.21. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.28 ApL 1.22 W .84 ApD .28 D .66 Depth of upper plate over aperture .25. Resting on its lower aperture plate, the slide is of greater depth at the lower than upper end (cf. CH.50). At the lower aperture wall the depth is .06 greater than at the upper aperture wall. DATE: Late antiquarian. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with eight vertical rows of circular, rounded knob grains offset vertically to form diagonals. The surface is irregular and the grains in very low, indistinctly carved relief which does not appear to be the result of age or wear. The upper plate is unusually thick and is terminated at the upper end by a rounded inward-projecting wedge, and at the lower end by an oval-shaped, inward-sloping broad- ening of the upper plate. A clumsy, poorly proportioned, poorly carved piece. REFERENCE: Rostovtsev, "Le porte-epee des Iraniens" (1930), fig. 266, oblique profile/top photo. CG.48 MATERIAL: Jade, pale green with dark brown veins and patches. COLLECTION: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 16.144.22. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.00 ApL 1.00 W .92 ApD .13 D .50 to .53 Depth of upper plate over aperture .25. Slides are generally slightly wider over the center of the aperture, narrowing toward each end, or else the width is uniform. This slide is narrowest in the center where its width is .88. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in relief and partly incised, with round pupils incised on the eyes. Covering the surface of the upper plate below, approxi- mately six vertical rows of circular knob grains offset vertically to form diagonals. The rows of grains slant toward the right and are gradually cut off, a portion of a grain at a time as the rows advance upward, while new rows similarly emerge at the left. The grains are round, smooth hemispheres which recede into the surface with- out sharp outlines. Thin, plain lateral borders, recessed below the level of the decorated surface. The upper plate is unusually thick. The hook-ridges at the upper and lower ends are only somewhat less clumsily fashioned than on the preceding piece. REFERENCE: Rostovtsev, "Le porte-epee des Iraniens" (1930), fig. 265, oblique profile/top photo. CG.49 Plate 13c7 MATERIAL: Jade, translucent gray with clouds and flecks of reddish brown. COLLECTION: Musee Guimet, Paris, MG 18425. MEASUREMENTS: L 2.84 W .88 D .41 ApL 1.16 ApD .16 ApX 1.31 DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an incised, extremely abbreviated, degenerate design based on an animal mask. The animal mask is separated from thin, plain borders equal in height to the surface upon which the mask is incised by shallow, concave grooves. Covering the depressed surface of the upper plate below, eight vertical rows of closely set, irregularly shaped knob grains offset vertically to form diagonals. The incised lines in three directions by means of which small polygonal areas were created (from which the grains were fashioned) were not completely ground away. The decorated surface lies between raised, plain side borders which recede to the level of the decor surface at the open lower end. The left-hand row of grains is cut by the border. The upper plate is slightly arched and terminates at both ends in crudely formed wedges, the forward edge slightly undercut to suggest a hook-ridge. The end ridges project inward to the level of the exterior of the lower aperture plate, thus preclud- SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 ing the lower aperture plate having fitted into a socket in a scabbard wall in the normal fashion. Centered on the underside of the upper plate, in the lower bay halfway between the lower aperture wall and the lower end ridge, is an undecorated rectangular hook raised from the undersurface of the upper plate on a short post. The diameter of the post is .23; the length of the forward-projecting hook is .25. Cf. similar hooks on CV.73, CH.45, C.6. Workmanship crude. Ascribed to Late Eastern Chou. Unpublished (?). CG.50 Plate \3b MATERIAL: Jade, brown. COLLECTION: Musee Guimet, Paris, MG 18426. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.19 W .81 D .44 ApL 1.69 ApD .22 ApX 1.94 DATE: Late antiquarian. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with four vertical rows of widely and irregularly spaced round knob grains offset vertically to form diagonals. The grains are flattened on top and rise only slightly above the surface, but are sharply defined by deeply incised perimeters. Grains of this type are common on jade work of the Ming and, especially, Ch'ing dynasties, but have no clear counterpart on the jades of earlier periods. The decorated surface, open at both ends, is separated from thin, plain side borders, equal in height to the decor surface, by an incised groove. The upper plate is slightly arched, rounded at the upper end with a round hook-ridge on the underside and curved inward at the lower end with a hook-ridge formed by a rounded, forward-projecting wedge. The profile closely resembles that of authentic slides of late Western and early Eastern Han, but the carving reflects later modes. The edges are rounded rather than sharply squared, the contours are softly defined, the shape has the arbitrary appearance of imitative work. Ascribed to Late Eastern Chou. Unpublished (?). CG.51 MATERIAL: Jade, gray with clouds, flecks and veins of reddish brown. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1947.7-12.478; Henry Oppenheim Bequest; formerly K. C. Wong. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.25 ApD .13 ApX 1.59 L 3.44 W 1.03 D .45 Depth of upper plate over aperture .19. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, a highly schematic, degenerate ani- mal mask lacing downward (cf. CV.68, CG.44). Covering the surface of the upper plate below, twenty-two hori- zontal rows of closely set round knob grains offset hori- zontally to form diagonals. Vertically the rows of grains veer slightly toward the right and are gradually cut off by the narrow plain border while new rows gradually emerge from the left. The individual grains are carelessly formed, are rarely perfectly circular; about the base of each grain are remains of straight cuts which were not polished off. The core from which this slide was fashioned was imperfectly shaped, or an error was made in the carving of the upper plate. Near the upper end, the right border clips downward below the level of the decorated interior surface and rises again just before the forward edge. The upper plate terminates in inward-curling rounded ridges at either end which project inward to a point parallel with the base of the aperture, thus precluding the slide ever having been attached to a scabbard in the normal fashion. The lower aperture plate is equal in thickness to the upper plate. The edges of the plates are beveled, and the stone has the soft, oily feeling of live jade. REFERENCES: Antiquus, "Sui and Ancient Chinese Swords" (1928), fig. 2, third from top, photo of top. Wong, "Ancient Jades" (1931), 14(1), pi. preceding p. 7, third from top, left, photo of top. Wong Collection of Ancient Chinese Jades [1937], pi. IX, no. 180, oblique top/profile photo. Jenyns, Chinese Archaic Jades (1951), pi. XXXV, C, photo of top; text, p. xxxvii, ascribed to early Han. Savage, Chinese Jade (1965), pi. II, C, center right, photo of top (reduced-size photo from Jenyns [1951]). CG.52 MATERIAL: Jade. DATE: Late antiquarian. The upper surface is ornamented with grains in relief which rise above the lateral borders. An extremely clumsy piece, crudely and irregularly fashioned, with a rounded ridge on the underside at the forward end and a shallow, pointed wedge on the under- side of the upper plate at the lower end. The upper plate, aperture walls, and lower aperture plate are of equal thickness. Below the aperture, the under edges of the sides of the upper plate are slant-cut. REFERENCE: Hommel, "Chinese Sword Furniture" (1928), fig. 3, lower right, photo of profile. CG.53 MATERIAL: Jade. CATALOG 179 MEASUREMENTS: ApL .94* ApD .16* ApX 1.31* (measurements L 3.75* W1.19* D .56* .56* Depth of upper plate over aperture from cut in book). TYPE: Probably imaginary. At the upper end, a fanciful animal mask; iris and pupils drawn in eyes. Below, twelve vertical rows of closely set, small, circular, rounded grains offset vertically to form diagonals. Thin, plain borders on all sides. The upper plate is straight on top, is bent inward at each end with no suggestion of hook-ridges. The aperture is set under the center of the upper plate. The walls and lower plate of the aperture are equal in thickness to the upper plate. REFERENCE: K'ao ku t'u (1752), VIII, 8:a, drawings of top and profile. CG.54 MATERIAL: Jade, greenish brown. COLLECTION: P. de Tanner, Berlin (now dispersed). DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, a crudely incised, degenerate animal mask with diamond-shaped eyes, with ears formed by triangles triply defined, and with a round circle between the abbreviated eyebrows. Covering the surface of the upper plate below, large, coarsely fashioned comma grains. The slide tapers toward the lower end. REFERENCE: Tanner, Chinese Jade (1925), 1, pi. XV, no. 1145, reduced-scale photo of top; ascribed to Han dynasty. (See annotation in bibliography.) CG.55 MATERIAL: Jade, gray translucent with rust-colored stains over entire surface; slight surface decomposition in a few places and some pitting of surface; two deep grooves on forward end where calcified jade has fallen away. COLLECTION: British Museum, London, 1945.10-17.149. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.09 ApL 1.50 W1.23 ApD .09 D .41 ApX 1.83 Depth of upper plate over aperture .16. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, an animal mask, partly in relief and partly incised, with pupils carved on eyes and with upswept, overlapping, striated eyebrows (cf. CV.37). Cov- ering the surface of the upper plate below, six vertical rows of finely carved comma grains offset vertically to form diagonals. The grains in alternate rows curl upward toward the left and downward toward the right; those in the left-hand row change direction in the middle of the row. The incised lines in three directions by means of which small polygonal areas were created (from which the grains were fashioned) were not completely ground away. The decorated surface area is separated from nar- row, plain, rounded borders by square-cut grooves along the sides, closed at the lower end by an incised line. The upper plate is straight. The forward end is rounded and tapers to a sharp hook on the underside less tightly involuted than usual on authentic pieces. At the lower end, the upper plate curves inward, the small rectangular forward-projecting wedge which formed a hook-ridge being largely broken off. The lower aperture plate is equal in thickness to the upper plate. The end hooks project inward to within .02 of the base of the slide. The unusually fine quality of the carving, together with evident, possibly natural, signs of age, suggest that this scabbard slide may be an antiquarian piece of Sung age- Unpublished. CG.56 MATERIAL: Jade. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper end, a schematic animal mask. Covering the surface of the upper plate below, circular, hemispheric grains in high relief. The incised surface reticulation has not been entirely ground away. The borders on either side cut through the outermost rows of grains. REFERENCE: Chang Mo-chun, Chung-kuo ku yii (n.d.), tenth pi. following p. 18, second from right, photo of top. CG.57 Figure 6 MATERIAL: Jade. DATE: Late antiquarian. At the upper and lower ends, feline-like animal masks facing inward toward a central panel decorated with five vertical rows of large, flattened dome-shaped grains. The central panel is arched upward across the width of the slide between narrow, plain side borders. At the upper and lower ends, narrow borders with five concave scallops. REFERENCE: Chang Mo-chun, Chung-kuo ku yii (n.d.), tenth pi. following p. 18, second from left, photo of top. CG.58 MATERIAL: Jade. Figure 6 PROVENANCE: Tomb 2717, Chung-chou-lu ■tJ>Hf& , Lo-yang,h Honan l Province; excavated in 1955. MEASUREMENTS: L 1.89 W .79 DATE: Mid fifth- to early fourth-century B.C. 180 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 Within narrow, plain borders on the sides and ends, the surface of the upper plate is ornamented with fully plastic, comma-shaped, grain-spirals raised in relief above the surrounding surface which is depressed slightly about each grain. The grains, with both right and left spirals, are not arranged in any clearly apprehended order, though there may be some symmetrizing elements in the composition. The upper plate is very slightly arched and does not extend forward of the aperture, but curves inward to become the forward aperture wall. Below the aperture, the upper plate extends for a short distance, thinning and curving inward slightly at the lower end. The aperture walls and upper plate are of approximately even thickness. The central portion of the lower aperture plate is missing. The sword with which the scabbard slide was associated (2717:31) is not described in the report. (The slide appears to have been mistakenly linked with sword 2717:101, described in the report [p. 97]. It is clearly evident from the illustrations and brief references else- where in the report that slide and sword 2717:31 belong together.) Sword 2717:31, apparently a rather short, double-edged, tanged bronze sword, was well preserved, but the scabbard and possible wooden casing for the tang had evidently entirely disintegrated. The sword was pro- vided with a jade pommel disk and jade guard, both decorated with comma-like grain-spirals carved, as on the slide, in full plastic relief. The guard does not reflect the usual form of those with central saddle between two raised, rounded shoulders, but is a narrow rectangle slightly rounded on top. It seems to represent a simpler and perhaps more archaic type than the guard with shoulders. The sword closely resembles a probably some- what longer tanged bronze sword in the Werner Jannings Collection (Loehr, Chinese Bronze Age Weapons [1956], no. 104) which is placed by Loehr in his category Chou IV, ca. 450 B.C. to the end of the Chou dynasty. Another bronze sword from the same tomb, 2717:32, with solid, plain hilt, and rhombus-plate base for the blade, related to the somewhat earlier similar sword with hollow handle, represents a type placed by Loehr (ibid., p. 204) in his categories Chou III-IV and, on the whole, probably van- ished during the course of the fifth century B.C. with the gradual emergence of the "classic" Chou sword with ringed hilt. However, recent excavations suggest that the two types continued side by side for a considerable period and that the hollow, or plain solid-hilted, swords may not wholly disappear before the middle of the fourth century B.C. (see Watson, China [1961], p. 139). The rich finds from this tomb pose a complex chrono- logical problem which cannot be resolved entirely on the basis of the published summary report with its frequently rather indistinct photographs. The objects evidently span a considerable period of time, possibly several centuries, according to present estimates. A ko ;£ (pi. LXVI, 4), with high, long, arched blade and long, curved nei F*3 sharpened on the scalloped under edge, corresponds to Li Chi's final typological stage in the development of this weapon (The Beginnings of Chinese Civilization [1957] p. 57, fig. 9, LLK:K), hardly earlier than the last century of the Chou dynasty. In the same tomb were other ko weapons typologically earlier. Weapons of the latter type Loehr has assigned to his Chou III category (op. cit., no. 74), not continuing beyond about 450 B.C. There were also in this tomb several bronze vessels of the ting .SO T 44- * 'Hl**^ W v_- ~" ^*# • FICURE 99.—Rectangular sword guards from Taxila and China. [AfteT Janse (1930), plate XVII.7. edged, and relatively broad. No. 56 is 34.25 long; no. 58 is 21.00 long; no. 57 is broken, with length of remaining fragment 15.00 long. The swords are not comparable to Chinese Han dynasty types; Marshall quite rightly com- pares them to the Roman spatha (2, p. 544). All of the swords are furnished with separately cast bronze guards. Two of these, on nos. 57 and 58, are identical in form to types of Chinese bronze sword guards of the Han dynasty, with rounded shoulders and lateral projection beyond the blade (e.g., Figure 37 here). They are certainly to be con- sidered imports. The guard associated with sword no. 56 is a simplified, angular imitation of the Chinese form. Guards of the former type, extremely common on Chinese iron swords of Han age, are amply attested in regions outside China: see, e.g., Hamada, P'i-tzu-wo (1929), pi. LIV, 4 and fig. 37, 6, from southeast Manchuria; Harada and Komai, Bokuyojo (1931), fig. 26, 5, from southeast Manchuria; Umehara and Fujita, Chosen kobunka s'okan (1947-1948), 2, pi. XXXVIII, 65, from Lo-lang district, Korea. These examples are all from the Chinese border regions, however, where Chinese guards may more rea- sonably be expected to be found. The Taxila guards represent the westernmost extension of this type presently known. KOREA K.l MATERIAL: Jade. PROVENANCE: Lo-lang k district (?). COLLECTION: National Museum, Seoul. DATE: Han. The surface of the upper plate is ornamented with the profile of a thick-bodied dragon form, partly in low relief, partly incised, with curled tail and projecting serrated spinal appendage. The surface of the body is ornamented with a single chain of interlocked C-spirals. The plate is unbordered. Across the forward end a deep groove has been cut and there is apparently an animal mask of some sort on the forward edge, only partly visible in the published photograph. The upper plate in profile is flat. The upper end is involuted in a rounded, regular curve ending in a hook-ridge. At the lower end, the upper plate curves inward and is terminated in a blunt ridge with the suggestion of a rudimentary forward-projecting hook- ridge. The lower aperture plate and aperture walls are nearly equal in thickness to the upper plate. The subject of its ornamentation, not represented among extant Chinese scabbard slides known to me, and the somewhat coarse workmanship and clumsy shape of the piece suggests it is an imitation of the Chinese form of scabbard slide produced locally outside China. REFERENCE: Siren, Kinas Konst (1942-1943), 1, p. 248, fig. 162. MONGOLIA M.l MATERIAL: Ma-nao S§I$ carnelian/agate; wavy, marble-like veining (incorrectly identified on pi. XL, 7 as jade). PROVENANCE: Tomb 12 of a group excavated in the late 1930s by Ono Katsutoshi, Hibino Takeo and Mizuno Seiichi, at Ho-hsi MS. in Yang-kao hsien WsMM > Ku-ch'eng-pao fu ^"MilPft, Shansin-Suiyiian JSSiS border region of Inner Mongolia, at ca. 113 degrees 50' long, E. by 40 degrees 30' lat. N. 233 DATE: Last half of first century B.C. The upper surface of the scabbard slide is unorna- mented except for the natural patterning in the veining of the stone. The slightly arched upper plate is excep- tionally thick, the aperture walls and lower aperture plate of sturdy construction. The piece was probably intended for use. The forward end curves inward, with a slight back-slope to the forward edge, and terminates in a well- formed undercut hook-ridge of sturdy proportions in keeping with the form of the slide. The lower end of the upper plate curves inward sharply (as on CV.8, for example), terminating in a broad, blunt ridge with a forward-projecting squared wedge. The end hooks lie slightly above the line of the inner side of the lower aperture plate so that the piece could be conveniently set into a socket on the scabbard wall. The excavation of tomb 12 was directed by Mizuno Seiichi chiefly. It was in the form of a typical steppe kurgan, over thirty meters in diameter and "several meters" high (pi. XXIX, upper). The excavators express the opinion (p. 93) that it had been robbed in antiquity. The coffin was made of wood. Inside the coffin, the excavators found several lacquered utensils and a bronze stamp seal, partly legible, which they believe bears the name of the interred (p. 302 and pi. XLI, center). The coffin also contained two fragments of silk embroidery (pis. LVII, upper, LVIII, upper) of identical type to two fragments from Noin Ula Hsiung-nu 1S[)§X. graves (Trever, Excavations in Northern Mongolia [1932], pis. XVI, XXI, 2; Lubo-Lesnichenko, Drevnie Kitdiskie tkani [1961], pis. XII, 1, XXVI, 1, XXXI, XXXII; Rudenko, Kul'tura Khunov [1962a], pi. XLVII). The coffin also contained 1850 copper coins of the wu-chu Sgfc type, circular with square hole in the center (pi. XXXII, lower). The sword to which the scabbard slide belonged may not have been preserved; it appears not to be mentioned in the text and is not illustrated. It was probably similar to the iron sword associated with scabbard slide XAf.5 found in the same tomb (see description under XM.5). Tomb 17, similar in size and construction to tomb 12 (pi. XIII, upper), contained inside the coffin an iron sword 80 cm. in length, with well-preserved black-lacquered sheath (pi. XIX, lower) and wooden grip much decayed but originally covered with gold leaf. The sword was provided with a guard of carnelian and the author believes (p. 280) that it probably had a scabbard slide of the same stone. The tomb also contained two iron knives with ring pommels, coins, lacquered utensils, bronze "hill censers," a bronze ko ^ dagger-axe (pi. XIX, upper), and a bronze ring-pommeled knife and belt hook (pi. XX). In both tombs 17 and 15, Chinese bronze mirrors with inscriptions were found. Mirrors of this type probably first appeared at the end of the second century B.C, were popular during the first century B.C, and seem to have disappeared during the course of the first century after Christ (Bulling, Mirrors of the Han Period [1960], p. 26), through recent excavations of post-Han tombs in Szechuan suggest that in provincial areas typical Han inventories may have continued into the later third or early fourth century after Christ (Shen, "Szu-ch'uan Chao-hua" [1959], p. 119). The mirror from tomb 17 (pi. XXI) is similar to one in the collection of His Majesty Gustaf VI Adolf, King of Sweden (Bulling, op. cit., pi. XXI) and probably belongs to the mid first century B.C The mirror from tomb 15 (pi. VIII) is similar to one recovered from the Han dynasty tomb at Ch'ang- sha d (Ch'ang-sha fa-chiieh pao-kao [1957], pi. LXVII, 3), a type which seems to have developed in the later part of the first century B.C (See also Bulling, op. cit., p. 28 and pi. XXII.) The mixed inventory of the tombs, containing Chinese import objects (textiles, bronze belt hook, dagger-axe, hill censers, lacquered utensils, coins) and objects of local manufacture imitating Chinese productions (the scabbard slide and other objects of jade, carnelian, and bone (pis. XXXVIII-XLI)), suggests a mixed popula- tion. The authors believe the tombs were those of a highly sinicized people, possibly almost assimilated into Chinese culture, but basically of Hsiung-nu stock (p. 332). The bodies were buried according to Chinese ritual (p. 337), with jade, or other stone, pieces sealing the orifices. The jade objects especially reflect local craftsmanship, endea- voring to imitate Chinese styles, but in decorating the surfaces with incised curvilinear patterns probably copied from the surfaces of Chinese lacquered vessels (pis. XXXVIII, XXXIX), the local artisans introduced a repertoire of motives not to be found on jade work of this period within China proper. The working of agate, though known in China, is more characteristic of north- ern stone work, not only in Inner Mongolia but in Manchuria as well (Harada, Bokuyojo [1931], pis. LVI, 2, XVIII, 1 and 4, and fig. 24, 2). Beginning in the late Chou period, agate had a somewhat more restricted use in China. The carnelian scabbard slide must certainly have been associated with a long iron sword similar to the one from tomb 17, or the one from tomb 12 with which XAf.5 was associated. There is yet no evidence to suggest that the Hsiung-nu developed or used a long sword (Kao, "Sword Worship in Hsiung-nu Religion" [I960]); their typical weapon was the knife. The scabbard slide is, beyond question, of local manufacture. Whether it belonged to a sinicized Hsiung-nu or to a Chinese provincial official, perhaps a bit barbarized, is a question which cannot be answered. (Cf. XM.5, from the same tomb.) REFERENCE: Ono and Hibino, Mbkyo kbkoki (1946), pi. XL, 7, profile and top photo. 234 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 PERM DISTRICT OF THE USSR NOTE: Rostovtsev, "Le porte-epee des iraniens" (1930), p. 339, according to information received from A. M. Tallgren, speaks of the possible existence of a fourth scabbard slide from the Perm district, in the Rumyantsev Museum, Moscow. J. Werner (Archaologie des Attila- Reiches [1956], Heft 38-A, p. 27) also speaks of four slides from the Perm region, again citing Tallgren. This is probably identical to P.l which was later transferred to the Gosudarstvennyl Istoricheskil muzel, Moscow, so that the existence of three scabbard slides only from the Perm region may be presumed. Butcf. RX.l andSR.4. P.l Plate 17c? MATERIAL: Stone; the type has been variously identified and described, in order of publishing date, as chalcedony (A and C), "white Chinese marble' (B), jade (G), greenish nephrite (E). Kusheva-Grozevskaya (E, p. 160, n. 1) stresses that identification of the piece as chal- cedony by Aspelin (A) is incorrect. PROVENANCE: According to Kusheva-Grozevskaya (E, p. 160), the slide was a chance find on the lands of the Poshev factory on the Kama River in the former Perm guberniya. Rostovtsev (F, p. 339) reports its find spot as the village of Trandy, in the same region. COLLECTION: Formerly Eshev (private) collection; received by the Rumyantsev Museum, Moscow, before 1877, and reported in this collection by A (1877) and by D (1926). Kusheva-Grozevskaya (E, p. 160) reports, in 1929, that it is in the Gosudarstvennyi Istoricheskil muzeT, Moscow, and persumably it is there at present. Rostovtsev (F, p. 339, n. 3) is evidently wrong in placing it (1930) in a museum in Perm. The piece was seen in Moscow by Umehara (H) in the mid-1930s. The piece was reported to me (Moscow, I960) as being in the museum at Vyatka in the Perm district, but probably is still in Moscow. MEASUREMENTS: Published records of this scabbard slide do not agree on its measurements. I have indicated below the variants together with their source. The measurements marked * are estimates calculated from the half-size illustration in A. L 4.53 (F, p. 339); 3.55 (E, p. 160)4.44* W 1.18 (E, p. 160) D .79 (E, p. 160); .88* ApL .75 (E, p. 160); 1.00* ApD .35 (E, p. 160); .38* ApX 1.56* DATE: Third to fourth century after Christ. Unornamented. The piece has been variously identified as a sword guard (C) and as a belt clasp (B). The thick upper plate is straight. The forward end of the upper plate, extended above the aperture, curves inward in a broad, regular arc, terminating in a back-projecting, sharp hook-ridge of extraordinary prominence. At the lower end the upper surface of the upper plate inclines inward at an oblique angle, meeting the base of the slide at an acute angle. The under surface of the upper plate turns inward at right angles so that a lower end ridge of roughly triangular profile is formed. Both the upper and lower ends project inward to a depth level with the base of the lower aperture plate. The aperture itself is usually depicted as rectangular in shape, but nearly all of the drawings of this slide are based on one published by Aspelin (A, Plate 17e here). Kusheva-Grozevskaya (E), who probably personally examined the piece, has depicted the aperture with a curved upper end. Cf. similar aperture on SR.10. The aperture projects into the upper plate. REFERENCES: A. Aspelin, Antiquites du nord fino-ougrien, 2 (1877), p. 149, no. 631, oblique bottom/profile drawing, half- size, inverted. B. Moscow, Moskovskil PublichnyT i Rumyantsevskil muzeT, Katalog (1905), p. 44, no. 1220, not illustrated. C. Tallgren, L'Orient et VOccident dans I'age du fer finno-ougrien (1924), p. 23, fig. 11, no. 4, oblique bottom/ profile drawing, based on Aspelin (A), but not inverted. D. Vignier, "Notes sur un livre recent" (1926), p. 116, not illustrated. E. Kusheva-Grozevskaya, "Odin iz tipov Sarmatskogo mecha" (1929), pi. I, fig. 2, oblique top/profile drawing. F. Rostovtsev, "Le porte-epee des iraniens" (1930), p. 339, fig. 258, no. 4, after Tallgren (C). G. Tallgren, "Notes marginales" (1933), p. 237, fig. 4, second from top, after Tallgren (C). H. Umehara, Kodai hoppb-kei bumbutsu no kenkyft (1938a), p. 59, fig. 21,4, top, profile and bottom drawings. J. Egami, Ynrashia kodai hoppb bunka (1948), pi. XXIX, 4 (lower left), top, profile and bottom drawings, after Umehara (H); immediately above these is another drawing of the same slide after Tallgren (C). P.2 Plate \8a MATERIAL: Stone, identified as chalcedony by Aspelin (A), and Tallgren (B). PROVENANCE: According to Rostovtsev (D, p. 339), a chance find near the Poluden River (a tributary of the Kama) in the Perm district, now Molotov district, RSFSR. COLLECTION: Formerly S. A. Teploukhov at Ilinsk, province of Perm; reported to me (Moscow, 1960) as being in the museum at Vyatka in the Perm district; CATALOG 235 probably it is presently in the Gosudarstvenny! Istori- cheskil muzeT, Moscow. MEASUREMENTS: Measurements marked * are cal- culated from the half-size drawing published by Aspelin (A). ApL 1.00* ApD .19" ApX 1.30* L 4.72 (D, p. 339) ; 4.44* D 1.03* DATE: Third to fourth century after Christ. Unornamented. The piece is similar in form to P.l, with the following exceptions. The forward edge is rounded, but the arc is flatter. The forward edge does not terminate in an involuted hook-ridge, but is brought up to meet the under surface of the upper plate at right angles. The upper plate is extremely thick, the upper and lower bays little more than rectangular notches in a solid piece. The rectangular aperture is almost com- pletely within the area of the upper plate. REFERENCES: A. Aspelin, Antiquites du nord fino-ougrien, 2 (1877), p. 149, no. 630, oblique top/profile drawing, half-size, inverted. B. Tallgren, L'Orient et VOccident dans I'age du fer finno-ougrien (1924), p. 23, fig. 11, no. 5, oblique top/ profile drawing, based on Aspelin (A), but not inverted. C. Kusheva-Grozevskaya, "Odin iz tipov Sarmatskogo media" (1929), p. 161, not illustrated. D. Rostovtsev, "Le porte-epee des iraniens" (1930), p. 339, fig. 258, no. 5, oblique top/profile drawing, after Tallgren (B). E. Tallgren, "Notes marginales" (1933), p. 237, fig. 4 (third from top), after Tallgren (B). F. Egami, Yurashia kodai hoppb bunka (1948), pi. XXIX, 4 (upper right), oblique top/profile drawing, after Tallgren (B). P.3. Plate 18/; MATERIAL: Stone; the type has been identified, in order of publishing date, as nephrite or whitish nephrite (A, C, D, E), chalcedony (B), jade (J). PROVENANCE: Chance find at Beklemishevka field, between the Gorev and Poluden tributaries of the Kama River (A, pp. 50, 53) in the former province of Perm, now the Molotov district, RSFSR. Talitskaya (K, p. 120 f., s.v. no. 909) gives the coordinates of this place as 58 degrees 20' lat. N by 55 degrees 30' long. E, and presents a bibliography for finds made at this spot. COLLECTION: Formerly S. A. Teploukhov; Rostovtsev (F, p. 339) indicates that the piece is in the museum at Perm; reported to me (Moscow, 1960) as being in the museum at Vyatka in the Perm region; possibly it is in the GosudarstvennyT IstoricheskiT muzeT, Moscow. MEASUREMENTS: Rostovtsev (F, p. 339) provides a length measurement of 2.95 for a scabbard slide found at the village of Markhov, Perm. This is incorrect. The object is not a scabbard slide (see below). No measure- ments or scaled drawings of this piece have been published. DATE: According to Talitskaya (K), the finds from Beklemishevka are to be dated between the fourth and ninth centuries. The scabbard slide must be near to the earlier limit. Unornamented. The slide is almost identical in form to the preceding (P.2). The upper plate is extremely thick, but the upper and lower bays are somewhat more deeply cut and the rectangular aperture is only partially cut into the area of the upper plate. The walls of the bays are perhaps not quite perpendicular, though draw- ings vary somewhat in depicting the degree of slant. Spitsyn published with the scabbard slide another object (A, pi. Ill, 17) of nephrite, a chance find from the village of Markhov (?) on the Lomovatov River (A, pp. 51, 54), a tributary of the Kama River, in the Perm region. He catalogs it as an object of unknown use. It is this object that Rostovtsev (F, p. 339) erroneously identified as a scabbard slide and for which he gave the measure- ment of 2.95, which, to judge from the lengths of P.l and P.2, is surely too short for the scabbard slides of this region. This angularly cut, straight-sided object is a frag- ment only, perhaps constituting about one half or less of the original piece. The remaining portion resembles a flat, half-lozenge shape, with blunt, narrow end. In the center of the broken wider end is a portion of a circular or oval cut which was drilled through the object and probably served as a socket. I am inclined to believe that this object is a fragment of a stone sword guard, inspired by, but hardly accurately imitating, the Chinese sword guards of jade. The shape of the fragment suggests the guard was modeled after similar bronze, flat, lozenge- shaped guards belonging to earlier Samatian swords, but sometimes encountered on the late Sarmatian iron swords of the Volga-Ural steppe. The tang of the sword would have been passed through the socket in the stone, the latter secured against the butt of the blade by the overlay of wood around the tang above forming the grip of the sword. A stone guard of somewhat different type, but doubt- less also inspired by the Chinese examples, was found at Sirkap (Taxila): see note following GP.2. REFERENCES: A. Spitsyn, Drevnosti Kamskoi chudi (1902), pi. II, 1 oblique bottom/profile drawing, inverted; text, pp. 28, 50, 53. B. Tallgren, L'Orient et I'Occident dans I'age du fer finno-ougrien (1924), p. 23, fig. 11, no. 6, oblique bottom/ profile drawing, based on Spitsyn (A), but not inverted. C. Shmit, "TuTskiT vsadnik" (1925), p. 431, not illustrated. 236 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 D. Ginters, Das Schwert der Skythen und Sarmaten (1928), p. 69, pi. XXVIII, f, oblique bottom/profile draw- ing, inverted, based on Spitsyn (A). E. Kusheva-Grozevskaya, "Odin iz tipov Sarmatskogo mecha" (1929), p. 161, not illustrated. F. Rostovtsev, "Le porte-epee des iraniens" (1930), p. 339, fig. 258, no. 6, after Tallgren (B). G. Janse, "Notes sur quelques epees anciennes" (1930), p. 80, fig. 4, no. 3, oblique bottom/profile drawing, inverted, based on Spitsyn (A). H. Tallgren, "Notes marginales" (1933), p. 237, fig. 4, bottom, after Tallgren (B). J. Janse, "L'empire des steppes" (1935), pi. IV, 7, oblique bottom/profile drawing, inverted, based on Spitsyn (A). K. Talitskaya, Urala i Priural'ya (1952), p. 120 f., s.v. no. 909, not illustrated. L. Maenchen-Helfen, "Crenelated Mane and Scabbard Slide" [1957], p. 91, fig. 6, f, after Ginters (D). M. Trousdale, "Possible Roman Jade" (1969), p. 59, fig. 6, after Spitsyn (A). USSR (Unknown Provenance) RX.l (possibly identical to SR.4) MATERIAL: Nephrite, greenish white. COLLECTION: GosudarstvennyT IstoricheskiT Moscow, no. 31666, room B (V), case 6/2. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.82 W .98 D .59 ApL 1.14 ApD .32 Chance find; provenance unknown. Unornamented. The upper plate is flat. The upper end curls inward to form a hook. At the lower end, the upper plate slopes inward and down at an oblique angle, terminating at the lower end in an acute angle. The broad flat under-ridge at the lower end is provided with a forward projecting wedge creating a hook-ridge. The aperture does not pene- trate into the upper plate, i.e., the outer or upper interior surface of the aperture forms a line parallel with the undersurface of the upper plate. REFERENCE: Kusheva-Krozevskaya, "Odin iz tipov Sarmatskogo mecha" (1929), pi. I, fig. 1, oblique top/ profile line drawing, inverted; text, p. 160. SYRIA S.l Plates 18d and \9a-b MATERIAL: Ivory, brown; no evidence of wear. PROVENANCE: Khisfine, Syria, a cemetery of the Roman period to the south of Damascus, excavated May 1943. COLLECTION: National Museum, Damascus; accession number 4279. MEASUREMENTS: ApL 1.57 L 3.94 W .55 (maximum) DATE: Roman period, second century after Christ. Nearly identical in form to CZ.14, E.2, E.35, S.2. The scabbard slide is carved in one piece with the ivory sword scabbard. The lateral borings above and below the aperture are thus not required for attachment, but may have served for the passage of lashing to provide addi- tional strength. At the lower end, a gracefully propor- tioned hook curves outward and upward. The upper end is blunt. The slide tapers rather sharply and regularly from the upper end where it is broadest to the lower end terminating in the hook. The aperture is closed by the scabbard wall, and the upper and lower aperture walls are convex. There is no applied ornamentation to its surfaces. The slide belongs to a well-preserved ivory scabbard which contains a fragmentary, much decomposed, broad double-edged iron Roman spat ha with ivory grip parts and pommel. The grip and separate ivory ferrule are stained gray-green, as though from contact with bronze oxidation, but these parts may preserve original applied staining or coloring. The ivory chape is in the shape of a flat projecting disk, fastened to the scabbard by a gold nail at its center. The preserved length of the sword and scabbard is 30.71. The position of the slide on the scab- bard wall seems exceptionally low and must have been counterbalanced by the weight of the chape and heavy sword blade. REFERENCES: Damascus, National Museum (1951), p. 152, s.v. 37-Epee (No. 10.088), not illustrated. Damascus, National Museum (1959), p. 93, s.v. 67, No. C. 4279, not illustrated. Trousdale, "Possible Roman Jade" (1969), p. 36, fig. 17, upper, drawing of top and profile; text p. 63. CATALOG 237 S.2 Plate 18c MATERIAL: Ivory, brown; no evidence of wear. PROVENANCE: Khisfine, Syria, a cemetery of the Roman period to the south of Damascus, excavated May 1943. COLLECTION: National Museum, Damascus. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.53 DATE: Roman period, second century after Christ. Nearly identical in form to CZ.14, E.2, E.35, S.l. The scabbard slide is similar to S.l, with the following exceptions. The hook at the lower end (by analogy with S.l) is a less finely articulated rounded ridge, and the upper and lower aperture walls are more crudely formed, each showing clearly two concavities caused by the drill which was used to cut out the aperture. The slide is not carved in one piece with its scabbard, but forms a sepa- rate attachment with enclosed aperture, the lower plate being considerably thinner than the upper. Short flat tongues project above and below the slide on the side which rested against the scabbard wall. These suggest the slide was attached to the scabbard wall in the manner of most examples from Europe (e.g., E.2, E.35): lashings bound round the scabbard passed over the tongues, or the tongues inserted under a leather or cloth scabbard cover. Additional support was probably provided by thongs or wire passed through the lateral borings above and below the aperture and tightly bound round the scabbard. REFERENCES: Damascus, National Museum (1951) p. 151, no. 31, not illustrated. Trousdale, "Possible Roman Jade" (1969), p. 63, fig. 17, lower, photo of profile; text p. 63. SOUTH RUSSIA SR.l Plate 19c MATERIAL: Jade, grayish white translucent, with cavi- ties of decomposition on upper surface; entire under surface, but especially under plate of aperture, stained by iron corrosion. PROVENANCE: According to Rostovtsev (A) and Dalton (B), the slide, together with other articles, chiefly jewelry, was acquired in Kerch and presumably came from a tomb in this area. The records of the British Museum, however, obtained from Mr. Alexandre Volgenioff, indicate that it was found in 1894, \vithout context or associated artifacts, in the central Kuban region of the north Caucasus. COLLECTION: Formerly General A. L. Bert'e-Delagard (Berthier-Delagarde), Paris; acquired 1923 by British Museum, Department of British and Medieval Antiqui- ties, no. 1923.7-16.88. MEASUREMENTS: L 3.63 ApL 1.31 WI.05 ApD .28 D .59 ApX 1.88 Depth of upper plate over aperture .19. The upper plate is widest over the center of the aperture, narrowing to 1.03 at the head and to 1.00 at the lower end. The sides slope inward slightly toward the base, so that the width of the lower aperture plate is 1.00. DATE: Carved in China late second to end of first century B.C; believed by Rostovtsev to have come from a South Russian tomb datable third to fourth centuries after Christ. The Chinese origin of this scabbard slide is beyond doubt. Only somewhat larger in size, it is otherwise virtually identical in all respects to CV.24, and the description of the decor on that piece may serve to describe this one. The geometric decor of the upper surface is extremely worn and can be distinguished with considerable diffi- culty by turning the piece obliquely to the light. It is difficult to conceive how Umehara (D) was able to obtain such a clear image of the decor unless the photograph has been "touched-up." Unlike the scabbard slides from China which rarely reveal evidence of much wear, this slide was evidently used over a very long period of time before burial as the upper outer edges of the aperture are deeply rounded out from prolonged slippage along the leather belt which passed through the aperture. It is interesting to note that the upper left side of the aperture is considerably more worn than the upper right side; this is revealing of the fact that the sword was worn in an inclined position at the left side. This position places the principal weight of the sword on the belt at the point where it passes around the upper left edge of the aperture. REFERENCES: A. Rostovtsev, "Une trouvaille de l'epoque greco- sarmate de Kertch" (1923), p. 134, n. 2, not illustrated. B. Dalton, "Sarmatian Ornaments from Kerch" (1924), p. 259, not illustrated. C. Rostovtsev, "Le porte-epee des iraniens" (1930), p. 338, figs. 256 and 257, top and profile photos respectively; text, p. 339. D. Umehara, Kodai Jioppb-kei bumbutsu no kenkyu (1938a), pi. XX, 1, top and profile photos, not precisely to scale as indicated; p. 59, fig. 21, 1, top photo, with drawings of bottom and profile, irregular and poor; text, p. 63. E. Egami, Yurashia kodai hoppo bunka (1948), pi. XXIX, 5, photo of top, with drawings of bottom and 238 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 profile (after Umehara). F. Trousdale, "Possible Roman Jade" (1969), p. 59, fig. 8, after Umehara (1938a) pi. XX, 1. SR.2 Plate 20a-b MATERIAL: Chalcedony(?), pure grayish white, opaque, with longitudinal fissures in lower bay extending through to upper surface, with iron corrosion penetrating through the fissures; another two-pronged longitudinal fissure in lower aperture plate. PROVENANCE: Reported to have come from a tomb near Mount Mithradates, a large hill on the outskirts of Kerch; recovered by Mr. Messaksudi, a resident of Kerch, in about 1918. COLLECTION: Musee des Antiquites Nationales de la France, Salle des Comparisons, Saint-Germain-en-Laye; formerly Messaksudi, Kerch. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.81 ApL 1.50 W 1.05 ApD .28 D .78 ApX 2.06 Depth of upper plate over aperture .38. The upper plate is widest at the head, tapering in a regular line to the lower end where the width is .94. The sides of the upper plate are perpendicular to the upper surface, but the aperture walls slope slightly inward so that the mean width of the lower aperture plate is .91. DATE: Among the dated, or datable, objects recovered from the tomb, the latest are three gold coins with a representation of the emperor Pupienus who ruled for ninety-nine days in A.D. 238. The tomb is, therefore, probably to be dated to the middle of the third century. The scabbard slide is probably to be dated to the earlier part of the same century. Unornamented. The upper plate is about twice the thickness of the normal slide of Chinese manufacture. The forward edge is essentially perpendicular to the upper plate, the angles rounded and superbly carved. The forward end terminates in a blunt ridge without the formation of a back-curving hook. The upper surface of the upper plate is flat; .19 above the lower end, it turns inward at an oblique angle (similar to V.l and V.2) to meet the underside of the upper plate at an acute angle. The lower end of the slide is unique: there is no lower protuberance of hook or wedge form projecting inward beyond the level of the undersurface of the upper plate to form the lower bay. Among the authors who have described this slide, no doubt has been expressed that its present form may not accurately reflect its original shape. The mere uniqueness of its shape is suffi- cient cause to speculate that it may once have been provided with a lower hook (thus bringing it into con- formity with other locally carved South Russian and Volga slides) at some time broken off, and a close exam- ination of the piece revealed that this might well be true. The slide has a cleaned and polished appearance. The existence of iron-oxide stains in the fissures of the under- side suggests that these were probably more widely spread on the surfaces at one time, and that the surfaces were cleaned after the slide was recovered from the tomb. The only appreciable signs of surface decomposition are on the underside where the lower hook would have been. Possibly a softer area in the stone at this point caused an irregular break in the end hook so that in order to conceal the break and reshape the piece it was necessary to remove the hook entirely. The lowermost .38 of the underside of the upper plate is slightly higher than the mean line of the plate and is set off by a perceptible ridge. This is the approximate surface area which the hook would have occupied. If, indeed, there was once a hook, as I believe there must have been, the break and recarving surely occurred in antiquity as the corners of the reformed angle of the lower end were subsequently chipped. The figures below indicate the lower end of the slide as it now appears (left) and the probable earlier form suggested by analogy to V.l, V.2 and SR.10 which are otherwise similar to SR.2 in form. \ I FIGURE 100.—Scabbard slide SR.2 as it appears, and restored. Very little is known about the excavation of this tomb save the small amount of information contained in a report submitted by Mme. Messaksudi in June 1920, some two years after the tomb was opened and subsequent to the death of her husband who had executed the project. According to this report, the sword and its parts were found in situ. Nothing remained of the scabbard. The long, double-edged iron sword (hilt cast in one piece with the blade) with a total length (surmised—the tip is broken off) of slightly more than a meter, was provided with a partially decomposed wooden grip, a gilded silver pommel set with five red semi-precious stones and secured by means of a silver nail into a wooden roundel, and (according to the report), the scabbard slide mounted as the guard, the blade having been passed through the aper- ture (the cast hilt being broader than the aperture). It is characteristic of late Sarmatian swords in this region to have no guards and the restoration of the scabbard slide as guard by the excavators, or by some other party, was undoubtedly performed in the belief that the stone object must have fulfilled this function and by some means had become separated from the sword (see page 00 here). The CATALOG 239 SR.3 scabbard slide is still (1961) thus mounted, held in place by a red cementing material filling those portions of the aperture not occupied by the thin blade of the sword. REFERENCES: Reinach, Les accroissements des musees nationaux frangais (1912), 3, p. (pi. ?), 35, not seen; cited in Rost- ovtsev [1923], p. 106, and in Kusheva-Grozevskaya [1929], p. 162, n. 5). Paris, Societe des Antiquaires de France, Extrait des proces-verbaux . . . Bulletin de la Societe nat. des Anti- quaires de France, 1920, pp. 257-262, report by M. Michon on Messaksudi find; not illustrated. Mely, "firaaux et emilleurs," pp. 221 ff. (not seen; cited in Rostovtsev [1923], p. 106, and in Kusheva-Grozevskaya [1929], p. 162, n. 5). Rostovtsev, "Une trouvaille de l'epoque greco-sarmate de Kertch" (1923), p. 106, fig. 3, photo of full sword with slide mounted as guard; p. 106, fig. 4, bottom/profile photo of slide; p. 107, fig. 5, photo detail of sword with slide mounted as guard, hilt and inlaid pommel disk. The above photos are poorly reproduced. Tallgren, L'Orient et I'Occident dans I'dge du fer finno-ougrien (1924), p. 23, fig. 11, 1, drawing of slide mounted on sword as guard; p. 23, fig. 11, 3, oblique bottom/profile drawing of slide; drawings inaccurate. Ginters, Das Schwert der Skythen und Sarmaten (1928), p. 69, pi. XXVIII, a, drawing of slide mounted as guard on sword (recognized as incorrect reconstruction); p. 69, pi. XXVIII, b, oblique bottom/profile drawing of slide; drawings inaccurate. Obermaier, "Sudrussland" (1928-1929), pi. XL-D, a, oblique bottom/profile drawing of slide; drawing inaccurate. Kusheva-Grozevskaya, "Odin iz tipov Sarmatskogo mecha" (1929), not illustrated; text, p. 162. Rostovtsev, "Le porte-epee des iraniens" (1930), p. 338, fig. 254, photo of slide mounted as guard on sword; p. 338, fig. 255, oblique bottom/profile photo of slide p. 339, fig. 258, 3, oblique bottom/profile drawing of slide, mis- understanding Tallgren (1924), p. 23, fig. 11, and misidentified as coming from the Perm region; p. 339, fig. 258, 1, drawing of slide mounted as guard on sword (after Tallgren [1924]). Drawings inaccurate. Tallgren, "Notes marginales" (1933), p. 237, fig. 4, top, oblique bottom/profile drawing of slide, repeating Ros- tovsev's (1930) mistaken identification based on mis- understanding of Tallgren (1924). Drawings inaccurate. Umehara, Kodai hopp'o-kei bumbutsu no kenkyu (1938a), pi. XX, 2, photo of top of slide mounted as guard on sword and oblique top/profile photo of slide mounted as sword guard (best available photos); p. 59, fig. 21, 2, lower right, top, profile and bottom drawings of slide (all inaccurate); p. 59, fig. 21, 2, center, drawing of slide mounted as guard on sword, giving section of sword blade and grip (after Rostovtsev [1930]); p. 64, fig. 22, left, oblique bottom/profile drawing of slide (after Ebert, in Obermaier [1928-1929]). Drawings inaccurate. Text, pp. 60-62, erroneously attributes reconstruction of slide as sword guard to Rostovtsev. Egami, Yftrashia kodai hoppb bunka (1948) pi. XXIX, 3, drawings of top, profile and bottom of slide (after Umehara [1938a], p. 59, fig. 21, 2, lower right): all inaccurate. Misidentified as coming from the Volga-Ural region. Sokol'skiT, "Bosporskie mechi" (1954), not illustrated; text, p. 192, no. 16. Maenchen-Helfen, "Crenelated Mane and Scabbard Slide" [1957], p. 91, fig. 6, a, drawing of sword hilt with slide mounted as guard; fig. 6, b, oblique bottom/profile drawing of slide: drawings inaccurate (after Ginters [1928]). .Plate 20c MATERIAL: Gold, inlaid with garnets. PROVENANCE: Recovered from a tomb on Hospital Street, Kerch, in 1904, by V. V. Shkorpil. COLLECTION: Leningrad, GosudarstvennyT Ermitazh, Byzantine Section. DATE: Late fourth century after Christ. Coins of Valentinian II (A.D. 375-392) recovered from the tomb. The slide has the shape of a small section of a trun- cated pyramid. The upper surface, ends, and sides are decorated with inlaid triangular circular and lozenge- shaped garnets arranged in a regular, symmetrical geo- metric pattern. The aperture is broken, a small portion only remaining of the upper and lower aperture walls. The aperture appears to have been set close to the upper end so that there is no bay between the upper aperture wall and the forward end of the slide. The slide was found in association with a long, double- edged iron sword in a gold-sheathed scabbard decorated with precious and semiprecious stones. A small socket in the side of the scabbard was evidently intended to receive the projecting aperture of the slide. REFERENCES: Shkorpil, Ochety (1904), not seen. Spitsyn, "Veshchi s inkrustatsel iz Kerchenskikh kata- komb" (1905), p. 120, fig. 34; text, p. 124, regarded as object of unknown use, apparently for sword. Matsulevich, Serebryanaya chasha iz Kerchi (1926), pi. Ill, 1; text, p. 35, considered as cleat for hanging up a sword. Ginters, Das Schwert der Skythen und Sarmaten (1928), p. 75, pi. XXXI, e, top/profile drawing (after Shkorpil [1904]); text, p. 74; p. 75, pi. XXXI, b and C, pommel and other sheath ornaments of inlaid gold from same tomb. 240 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 17 SR.6 Kusheva-Grozevskaya, "Odin iz tipov Sarmatskogo mecha" (1929), not illustrated; text, pp. 161 and 166. Behmer, Das zweischneidige Schivert (1939), pi. XI, 5f, top/profile drawing (after Ginters [1928]). Sokol'skiT, "Bosporskie mechi" (1954), not illustrated; text, p. 164. Werner, Archaologie des Attila-Reiches (1956), Heft 38-B, pi. LVIII, 7, oblique top/profile drawing (after Ginters [1928]). SR.4 MATERIAL: Nephrite, according to Umehara, with iron-oxide stains on underside. PROVENANCE: Discovered in Kerch, according to Umehara. COLLECTION: MOSCOW, RusskiT IstoricheskiT muzeT (according to Umehara, p. 63 = GosudarstvennyT Istor- icheskil muzel?). MEASUREMENTS: L 3.20 W .80 DATE: Probably third to fourth century after Christ. Possibly identical to RX.l. Unornamented. Umehara compares the piece to SR.l, a slide of Chinese manufacture. The published sketches suggest, by the slight arch of the upper plate, back-curved forward edge, undercut forward hook and lower end with forward-projecting ridge on the underside, a common Chinese form. But the fact that it is unornamented, a characteristic of South Russian stone slides but not of Chinese, indicates that it must be a local South Russian copy of the Chinese slide and that Umehara's drawings possibly emphasize the Chinese characteristics too strongly. REFERENCES: Umehara, Kodai hoppb-kei bumbutsu no kenkyii (1938a), p. 59, fig. 21, 3, small sketches of top, profile and bottom; text, p. 63. Egami, Yftrashia kodai hoppo bunka (1948), pi. XXIX, 6, top, profile and bottom sketches (after Umehara). SR.5 MATERIAL: Jade, white translucent. PROVENANCE: Unknown, acquired in Kerch. COLLECTION: M. Georges Salles, Paris (formerly). DATE: Carved in China, probably during the first century after Christ; probably not interred in South Russia before the third century after Christ. This slide, a typical, rather late Chinese example of the CH class, is described by M. Georges Salles (who believed it to have been a belt plaque carved slightly later than Han) as having been altered in the Crimean region and transformed into a pendant. Probably the aperture walls and plate have been broken off. The ends have been enclosed in gold plate, with gold loops at one side through which the suspension cord was presumably passed. Salles may be correct in assuming that this muti- lation took place sometime between the third and sixth centuries. Most likely the slide arrived in South Russia in the period during which its function was understood, and during which such objects were locally made. The trans- formation into an ornament may have resulted from breakage of the aperture on the underside, rendering it no longer serviceable as a scabbard slide, but too precious to be discarded. The upper surface is ornamented with two hydras, each partly covered by the added gold sheathing about each end. The figures are carved in high, rounded relief, but do not appear to be cut free of the surface at any point. The simple incised-line side borders are inter- rupted at several points by the figures. REFERENCES: Vignier, "Notes sur un livre recent" (1926), pi. Ill, 4, photo of top; text, p. 16. Werner, "Bogenfragmente aus Carnuntum" (1932), not illustrated; text, p. 55, n. 26. Plate 20d MATERIAL: Nephrite, greenish white; traces of iron oxide on underside. PROVENANCE: Unknown, purchased in South Russia. COLLECTION: Leningrad, GosudarstvennyT Ermitazh, Greco-Scythian Department, no. 102/136. MEASUREMENTS: L 4.13 W .94 D .66 ApL 1.09 ApD .19 DATE: Third to fourth century after Christ (?). Unornamented. The surface and line of the upper plate are flat. The forward end is rounded in a regular arc, terminating on the underside in a rounded, blunt ridge not undercut to form a hook. At the lower end, the upper surface of the upper plate inclines inward at an oblique angle, meeting the base of the slide at an acute angle, somewhat rounded at the vertex; a blunt, triangu- lar knob ridge, similar to those of V.l and V.2, is formed at the lower end. Both forward and rear aperture walls are perpendicular to the upper plate. Both forward and rear aperture ends are rounded out, and the aperture is partly cut from the area of the thick upper plate. The slide appears to have neither vertical nor lateral taper, but to have approximately constant width and depth along its length. REFERENCE: Kusheva-Grozevskaya, "Odin is tipov Sarmatskogo mecha" (1929), pi. II, 1, oblique top/profile drawing; text, p. 160. CATALOG 241 SR.8 SR.7 Plate 21a MATERIAL: Chalcedony. PROVENANCE: Kerch; discovered in 1842. COLLECTION: Leningrad, GosudarstvennyT Ermitazh, Greco-Scythian Department, no. 408. MEASUREMENTS: L 5.71 W .91 D .71 The slide is widest at the upper end, tapering to .83 at the lower end. DATE: Fourth century after Christ, possibly somewhat later. Unornamented. The thick upper plate is straight. The forward edge is rounded, terminating on the inner side in a blunt ridge without the formation of an involuted hook ridge. Near the lower end, the upper surface of the upper plate inclines inward at an oblique angle, meeting the base of the slide at an acute angle. The lower knob ridge section is exceptionally large, the bays unusually shallow. The upper plate below the aperture was broken in antiquity and reinforced by two gold wires bound about the shaft in hollow grooves cut to receive them and by an iron brad inserted into a small hole drilled through the two pieces of the upper plate. In place of the normal rectangular aperture are two parallel laterally drilled holes. Kusheva-Grozevskaya (p. 165) suggests that the holes served as passages for thongs by means of which the slide was bound to the scabbard, and that the leather sword belt passed through either the upper or lower bay. While such an arrangement is possible (the three projections of the underside are equal in height and all, therefore, would have rested closely against the scabbard wall), it is unlikely. Suspension of the sword by means of a scabbard slide could be effective only if the belt passed through an enclosed aperture allowing the sword free movement on the belt. Passing through either the upper or lower bay, it would be liable to binding between the slide and the scabbard wall. There is evidence, however, that in late times, and in regions far from the Asian territories where the slide was the usual or only method of sword suspension over sev- eral centuries, the primary value of the slide as a suspen- sion device which lies in its enclosed aperture was not understood and crude imitations requiring the belt to pass between slide and scabbard wall were produced (e.g., E class). A more reasonable hypothesis