Figure 1
Map of the network of the Silk Roads. Adapted by the author © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (SMB)/Stiftung Humboldt Forum/Cartographer: Sheraz Khan.
Figure 2
Rendering of a section of the study collection gallery © Photo by the author.
Figure 3
Front and back view of the mould, Inv. No. III 7987 © Photo by the author.
Figure 4
Front and back view of a ‘head of a subsidiary male deity figure’, Inv. No. MAS.1094. Adapted by the author © The Trustees of the British Museum.
Table 1
Preliminary systematic overview of the figurative reliefs within the Berlin collection.
| SIZE CLASS (IN CM)(HEAD + BODY) | TYPE OF RELIEF | ANCHORING OF THE BODY TO THE WALL | INNER ARMATURE | HEAD | ANCHORING OF THE HEAD TO THE WALL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| small | …–50 | *low/bas relief | back side is fully connected = constitute a whole with the rear surface | not required | low/bas relief or high relief | back side is fully connected |
| smaller than life-size | 50–150 | **high relief | back side is fully connected = constitute a whole with the rear surface + tenons (?) | not required (?) or: bundles of reed/straw + (partly tied around with ropes) | high relief | back side is fully connected (?) + tenon (?) |
| life-size | 150–170 | **high relief & *** very-high relief | back side is fully connected = constitute a whole with the rear surface + tenons | bundles of reed/straw + (partly tied around with ropes) and/or a wooden frame | very-high relief | tenon |
| larger than life-size – monumental | 170–… | ***very-high relief | visible (?) tenons & beams | wooden frame made of beams + partly tied around with ropes (?) | very-high relief | tenon |
[i] Reliefs are classified according to the height of the figures’ projection or detachment from the background.
*Low/bas relief: Figures are modelled on a flat surface so that they project only slightly from the (back)ground, there is little or no undercutting of outlines.
**High relief: Figures project at least half or more of their natural circumference from the background and may in parts be completely disengaged from the background/parts can be modelled fully in the round.
***Very-high relief: Figure is almost in the round and does not constitute a whole with the rear surface, as it is only partially connected to the back wall.
Figure 5
© Dyakonova 1995: 214, plate 69 & Dyakonova 2011: 294.
Figure 6
Front- and back view of a head that belonged to a (larger than) life-size figure. Inv-No. III 4502 Kocho (Turfan region) © Photo by the author.
Figure 7
Inv. No. III 7981 from Karashahr © Photo by the author.
Figure 8
‘Moule à l’intérieur d’un visage plus grand et empreinte’. Inv. No. MG 17742 from Tumshuk, Musée Guimet © Photo by the author, 2022.
Figure 9
Schematic map of the main complex, drawn by Grünwedel 1912: 192. Adapted by the author.
Figure 10
Ming-oi Temple Ruins drawn by A. Stein & R.B. Lal Singh Del. Adapted by the author © Stein (1921): Vol. III, Plate 51).
Figure 11
© Dyakonova 1995: 179, plate 34 & Dyakonova 2011: 239.
Figure 12
Detail from the exhibition plans for the Humboldt Forum © Photo by the author.
Figure 13
‘Stucco Relief Heads from Buddhist Shrine, Mi. xvii, ‘Ming-oi’ Site, Kara-Shahr’ © Stein 1921, Vol. IV: 1218.
Figure 14
Exterior view of the ruin, as seen from the north-west. Adapted by the author © Stein 1921, Vol. III: Fig. 287.
Figure 15
(A) shows the front of the mould and the sampling location is marked in red. The XRD spectrum (B) is characteristic for gypsum,24 a sulfate mineral composed of hydrated calcium/calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4∙2H2O) as the main component (see definition above).
Figure 16
Photomontage depicting the mould (left: Inv. No. III 7987 © Photo by the author) and the head (right: MAS.1094 © The Trustees of the British Museum). Adapted by © the author.
Figure 17
Photomontage depicting the mould (Inv. No. III 7987 © Photo by the author) and the head (Inv. No. MAS.1094 © The Trustees of the British Museum). Adapted by © the author.