{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O136516"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O136516/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BX9855/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BX9855/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009BX9855","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O136516/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O136516","accessionNumber":"LOAN:INDIA.39","objectType":"Handle fragment","titles":[{"title":"The Stein Collection","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"This fragment of a terracotta vessel handle is in the shape of a winged horse. The fur on the neck and mane indicated with incised marks; the top part of the wings is marked with concentric circles just below the neck. The head, fore- and hind-legs are lost. It was excavated from a room of what probably was a shrine with living quarters at the site at Farhad-beg-yailiki between Khotan and Keriya in Xinjiang, China. At this site several Buddhist shrines with dwelling quarters were discovered.  This Buddhist sanctuary was part of the former Kingdom of Khotan.  \r\n\r\nThe Victoria and Albert Museum has more than 70 ceramic fragments and fragments of Buddhist sculptures, as well as around 600 ancient and medieval textiles recovered by Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943) during his second expedition (1906-8) into Chinese Central Asia, where he once again visited and excavated sites on the southern Silk Road, before moving eastwards to Dunhuang.  At Dunhuang, he studied and excavated the Han-dynasty watchtowers to the north of the town, as well as the Mogao cave temples to the southeast, where he acquired material from the Library Cave. From there he moved on to the northern Silk Road, stopping briefly at Turfan sites but not carrying out any excavations. He made a perilous north-south crossing of the Taklamakan desert in order to hasten to Khotan where he excavated more ancient sites, before finishing off his expedition with surveying in the Kunlun Mountains.","physicalDescription":"Fragment of a handle of a terracotta vessel in shape of a winged horse. Fur on neck and mane indicated with incised marks; the top part of the wings is marked with concentrical circles just below the neck. The head, fore- and hind-legs are lost.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"terracotta","id":"AAT10669"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulded","id":"x30076"},{"text":"incised","id":"AAT53847"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Moulded terracotta","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2009BX9855"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES398903"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Fragment","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Farhadbegyailaki","id":"x37852"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"3rd century - 6th century","earliest":"0200-01-01","latest":"0600-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"LOAN:INDIA.40","id":"O136202"},"association":"Version"}],"creditLine":"Stein Loan Collection. On loan from the Government of India and the Archaeological Survey of India. Copyright: Government of India","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"6.51","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Excavated at the site at Farhad-beg-yailaki.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Fragment of a vessel handle, China.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Stein, Marc Aurel. <u>Serindia: detailed report of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China</u>. Oxford: Clarendon, 1921, vol. 3, p.1257"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Whitfield, Roderick. <u>The art of Central Asia: the Stein collection in the British Museum. Tokyo: Kodansha International in co-operation with the Trustees of the British Museum</u>, 1982-1983, vol. 3, fig.106"}],"production":"from Farhad-beg-yailaki","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"winged horse","id":"x35845"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["LOAN:INDIA.39"],"accessionNumberNum":"39","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:INDIA","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Stein number","id":"THES50251"},"number":"F.II.i.6"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-09","recordCreationDate":"2007-06-25","availableToBook":false}}