UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.
I-W(').S\ THi; UBIMK'Y Ol
BENJAMIN PARKE AVERY.
GIFT OF MKS..AVERY.
'Alibis
Accessions No . ([) y (p //^ CLns
A HANDY-BOOK
THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
ASKLEPIOS.
(aiSCULAPITJS.)
Found in the Island of Melos, 1828.
British Museum, 1866.
From the Blacas Collection.
A HANDY- BOOK
BRITISH MUSEUM,
FOR
E VER Y-DA Y READERS,
BY
T: NICHOLS,
A SENIOR ASSISTANT IN THE PRINCIPAL LIBRARIAN'S OFFICE OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
" For the manifestation of the glory of God, and for the benefit of mankind generally."
SIR HANS SLOANE.
X?% J S8Sr "
I7BRSITY
O N D O N :
, PETT-ER, AND GALPIN,
LA BELLE SAUVAGE YARD, LUDGATE HILL;
AND 596, BROADWAY, NEW YORK.
1870.
AMI
Bfr?
CONTENTS.
CHAPTEE I.
THE ORIGIN OP THE MUSEUM
CHAPTER II.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT:
I. Egypt and the Egyptians ....... 14
II. Northern Egyptian Vestibule. Sculpture. Dynasty IV. to
XVIII ........ . . 35
III. Northern Gallery. Statuary Bas-reliefs Fresco-paintings.
Dynasty XVIII. . x ....... 50
IV. Central Saloon. Colossal and other Statuary. Dynasty XIX. 82
V. Southern Gallery. Statuary Sarcophagi Wall Sculpture.
Dynasty XIX. to the Eoman Occupation ... 92
VI. Egyptian Eooms : Upper Floor. Mummies Sarcophagi
Smaller Antiquities. Dynasty IV. to the Eoman Occu-
pation .......... 128
CHAPTEE III.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT:
I. The Kings of Assyria, Chaldsea, and Babylonia . . . 158
II. The Story of the Slabs. Assyrian Gods and Goddesses
Warfare Sieges Eemoval of Sculptures The Chase, &c. 179
III. Smaller Assyrian Sculpture. Architectural Eemains Fur-
niture Metal Works Ivories Vases, &c. - Glass
Terra-cotta Figures and Eeliefs Sculpture Monoliths
and Obelisks Vessels of Bronze Weights Miscel-
laneous Objects Seals Persepolitan Sculptures, &c. . 211
IV. The Assyrian Language and Writing ..... 228
(Subjects of the Assyrian and Babylonian inscriptions.)
CHAPTEE IV.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES:
The Greek Collection ......... 238
Hellenic Eoom. Earliest Specimens ...... 239
vi CONTENTS.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES (continued) :
PAGE
Elgin Room. Parthenon Sculptures, &c 244
The Phigalian Bas-reliefs 261
The Lycian Remains. Xanthian Monument, &c. . . . 264
The Carian Remains. Tomb of Mausolus 277
Discoveries in the Temple at Cnidus ...... 287
The Colossal Head of Asklepios (JEsculapius), from Melos . 290
Sculptures from the Cyrenaica Pentapolis 292
The Greek and Grseco-Roman Sculptures from various sources.
The Townleian and Miscellaneous Collections . . . 295
The Greek and Roman Portraits in Marble .... 316
Roman Sculptures, &c., found in England 327
The Greek and Grseco-Roman Terra-cottas (Clay Figures, Bas-
reliefs, &c.) 328
The Mural Paintings of Pompeii, Hereulaneum, and Stabise . 333
Bronzes. Greek, Etruscan, and Roman 335
Ancient Gold Ornaments, &c 350
Antique Gems 356
The Greek Vases (formerly called " Etruscan ") . . . . 360
The Keltic, Roman, and Saxon Remains found in Great Britain
and Ireland 367
Mediaeval Collections. Ivory Carvings, &c. Enamels Mis-
cellaneous Metal Works Clocks and Dials Seals
Signet Rings, &c. Majolica, &c. Glass .... 373
Pre-historic and Ethnographical Collections .... 381
Coins and Medals 384
The National Library 392
Index . . . 401
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Sir Hans Sloane (From the Portrait in the British Museum by
Stephen Slaughter, 1736) 3
Egyptian Antiquities. Statuette of Betmes (Fourth Dynasty);
Colossal Statue of Pharaoh Amenophis III. ("Memnon,"
Eighteenth Dynasty); the Goddess Pasht (Statue with the name
of Shishak, Twenty-second Dynasty); the Trial Scene, from
the Vignette of a Papyrus (Ptolemaic Period) - - To face 50
The Military Chief Banofre (Seated Statue from Thebes) - - 60
Column of Pharaoh Amenophis III. ...... 66
An Egyptian Fowling (Theban Fresco-painting) .... 73
Sepulchral Tablet of the Priest Amenhetp 80
Barneses II. (Sesostris) (From one of the Colossal Statues in Nubia) 83
Sarcophagus of Naskatu, a Memphite Priest ----- 110
Head of Sphinx, and Sepulchral Vases 120
Atau's Vases and Stand (Arragonite, from Abydos) ... 134
Egyptian Arms --._.--_.. 137
Hoshea, King of Israel Name in Assyrian (cuneiforms) - - - 168
Assyrian Pictures by Assyrian Artists (Bas-reliefs). Assyrian
Deities bestowing the Fruit of the Tree of Life on King Assur-
nazirpal ; the Assyrian Army besieging a City; a Lion-hunt by
King Sardanapalus (Assurbanipal) .... To face 178
The Assyrian God of War (From the Bas-reliefs) - - - - 226
Parthenon Sculptures (" Elgin Marbles"). Statues from the Pedi-
ment ; a Metope ; Slabs of the Frieze - - - To face 238
View of the Parthenon (From Lucas's Restoration) - - - - 246
Horse of Selene (Pediment of the Parthenon) ------ 250
Victory adjusting her Sandal (Temple of Nike-apteros) - 257
Combat of Centaurs and Lapithse (Temple of ApoUo at Phigalia) 261
Sculptures from Lycia. Tomb of Paiafa ; Nereids and Lion from
the Xanthian Monument To face 264
Marbles from Halicarnassus, Cnidus, and Cyrene. The Apollo
Citharoedus, from Cyrene ; the Demeter, from Cnidus ; Slab of
the Frieze of the Mausoleum To face 278
Mausolus. Statue from his Tomb 282
Asklepios (JSsculapius) (Head in Marble, from the Blacas Col-
lection) Frontispiece.
The Colossal Lion (From a Tomb near Cnidus) - - - - 289
Thalia, the Pastoral Muse (Statue, Townley Gallery) - To face 296
" Clytie " (Marble Bust) 298
Nymph of Diana (?) (Seated Figure, Marble) - - - - 300
Dione ; Hero (Marble Busts) 304
The Venus of the Townley Gallery To face 304
Apollo (Head in Marble, from the Giustiniani and Pourtales
Collections) 305
The; Disk-thrower, after Myron's Diskobolos (Statue in Marble) 307
Vlll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
The Canephora of the Townley Gallery (Statue in Marble) To face 308
Satyr playing with the Infant Bacchus (Marble Group from the
Farnese Collection) - - - - - - - - -311
Bacchic Vase (Marble) - - - - 313
Victory immolating a Bull (Small Marble Group) - - - - 315
Roman Portraits (Marble) Julius Csesar; Julia Sabina; Nero. To face 316
Pericles (Inscribed Marble Bust) 317
Trajan (Marble Bust) 320
Barbarian Chieftain (Marble Head) 321
The Emperor Hadrian addressing his Legions (Marble Statue) - 322
A Eoman in Civil Costume (Marble Statue) 323
Antoninus Pius (Marble Bust from Cyrene) 324
Sepulchral Urn, with Figures of the Chimsera; Terra-cotta Vase in
form of a Female Head 330
The BuHding of the Argo (Terra-cotta Bas-relief) - - - - 332
The Etruscan Venus ; an Etruscan Pedestal Mirror (Bronze) - - 338
Greek Armour and Weapons -------- 342
Mercury (Payne-Knight Collection) ; Jupiter (Denon and Pourtales
Collections) (Bronze Statuettes) 343
Bacchus (from Pompeii, Temple Collection); Meleager; Silenus
(Bronzes) To face 346
Etruscan Gold Ornaments 351
Gold Ornaments (From the Blacas Collection) - - - To face 352
Projecta's Silver Casket 355
Augustus (Sardonyx, from the Strozzi and Blacas Collections) - 358
The Camirus Vase (Surprise of Thetis by Peleus) - - To face 360
"Etruscan" Vases 361
The Portland (Barberini) Vase 364
Eoman Tomb of Tiles containing Cinerary Urns (Presented by
Her Majesty the Queen) 368
Eoman Ornaments found in Britain ------ 369
Ancient British Arms. Helmet, Shields, Axe-head, Celts, Sword-
blades, Daggers, Spear-heads, &c. (Bronze) To face 370
Ethelwolfs Eing 371
Anglo-Saxon Casket, with Eunic Inscriptions 372
Christ Crucified, supported by Angels (Italian Ivory Carving) - 373
Seal of Thomas Thirleby, Bishop of Westminster, A.D. 1540-50 - 378
Snuff-box presented by Napoleon I. to the Hon. Mrs. Darner j The
Mask said to have been taken from the face of Oliver Cromwell
shortly after his death 379
Slade Glass Mosque Lamp, with the Name of Sheikhoo ; Eoman
Bottle ; Persian Ewer ; Venetian Drinking- glass and Marriage-
cup To face 380
Eelics of the Abyssinian Expedition - - - - To face 382
Algerian Ornaments 383
Coins, Greek and Eoman _.-----. 387
Medal (English) 390
Sir Joseph Banks (Statue by Chantrey) - - .395
Shakspere (From the Portrait by M. Droeshout, in the folio of 1623) 398
,,;: .
A HANDY-BOOK
OF
THE BEITISH MUSEUM.
CHAPTEE I.
THE ORIGIN OF THE MUSEUM.
THE British Museum is filled to overflowing with
almost countless " specimens," or examples, of WORK.
The work is that of NATURE and that of MAN ; but
since man must always work only on the material
that Nature gives him, the rudest flint that bears
his mark upon it in its sharpened edge is counted
as Ms work.
But many "samples" cannot be understood for
what they are or relatively estimated without
some knowledge of that which they exemplify. Thus,
on the one hand, hieroglyphic writing might be
seen by an uninformed person without any suspicion
that it could convey connected ideas, and lava means
nothing to one who never heard of volcanoes ; or on
the other, he who knew nothing of Greek or modern
sculpture could scarcely judge of the comparative
value of either by the specimens before him. "We
B
2 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
cannot estimate the truth of a likeness without
knowing the original, nor call fruit fine or flowers
beautiful unless we have seen many of the same
class to compare them with. And thus these
" specimens " sentences torn out of the world's
history-book signify more or less to us according
as we know much or little of the context. Thus
also, like pictures graven on the walls of an
ancient people, or even like those that hang yearly
in our Academy, they give to the very life the scene
which has yet to be made intelligible by reference
to history or the descriptive motto. They are at
once the interpreters and the interpreted of history..
Without these specimens, or others like them, the
record were not ; they are the circumstantial evidence
through which the explorer patiently tracks the steps
of man and nature, telling us what both have done
in his "histories" of the one, and his "sciences" of
the other.
Before entering on a description of the different
departments, let us glance at the history of the
Museum as a whole.
Among the oil-paintings will be found several
portraits of a man, whose name, scarcely remembered
by this busy generation, is yet worthy of grateful
regard; for it is to SIR HANS SLOANE, of Chelsea,
that the founding of the British Museum is primarily
due. Born in Ireland in 1660, of Scotch parents, he
came to London at nineteen to study medicine. He
was already remarkable for his love of nature the
love, not so much of the poet, content to know through
THE ORIGIN OF THE MUSEUM. 6
feeling, as of the man of science, who seeks to know
through exploring. One of those " happy accidents "
which so often befall men with a strong bent or
gift, gave him the opportunity of following his
SIR HANS SLOANE.
(From the Portrait in the British Museum by Stephen Slaughter, 1735.)
favourite pursuit. A botanic garden had just been
opened at Chelsea, by the Druggists' Company, to
which Sloane had the privilege of admission, and
which, we may here mention, he bought in later
life and presented to those early benefactors, in
order that future young botanists might enjoy
a similar benefit. His studies in this pleasant
B 2
4 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
little garden led to his friendship with Ray the
botanist, and Boyle the philosopher ; and, indeed,
he seems very early to have acquired distinction
hy his zeal and industry in scientific research.
Applying the same habit of "patiently question-
ing and diligently observing nature " to his pro-
fessional studies, he became famous for his medical
skill, and at twenty-seven was offered the post of
physician to the Duke of Albemarle, Governor of
Jamaica. He accepted it, in order to epitomise his
own account that he might see for himself some of
the strange things he had heard so much of, that he
might deserve well of the Societies (the College of
Physicians and the Eoyal Society) which had con-
ferred " unmerited favours" upon him by electing him
as member of the one, and fellow of the other, and also
in order to increase his professional skill, "many of the
ancient and best physicians having travelled to the
places whence their drugs were brought, to inform
themselves concerning them." After little more than
a year's stay in Jamaica, however, the death of the
Duke of Albemarle occasioned Dr. Sloane's return to
England. He had in that time made so large a
collection of rare and valuable natural objects that
the botanical specimens alone were more than eight
hundred, and this collection we may regard as the
nucleus of the British Museum treasures. After his
return, Sloane again practised in London, and con-
tinued actively engaged in his profession until he had
reached his eighjiiefci year ; he then retired to his es-
tate at Chelsea, wherre he died January llth, 1753, at
THE ORIGIN OF THE MUSEUM. 5
the age of ninety-two.^) During this long period he
had, step by step, received and deserved almost
every honour that could be conferred upon him.
Having attended Queen Anne in her last illness, he
was created a baronet on the accession of George I.,
being the first in the medical profession upon
whom that honour had been bestowed. He became
President of the College of Physicians, and, on Sir
Isaac Newton's death, in 1727, of the Eoyal Society ;
and in the same year was appointed medical adviser
to George II. He was remarkable for his care
for the poor ; in the face of much opposition and
ridicule, he introduced dispensaries for their benefit ;
and the excellent management of the children of the
Foundling is traced to the judgment and kindness
exercised by Sir Hans Sloane during his connection
with the Hospital.
He was indeed no less morally than intellectually
gifted. Addison might have said of him that he was
" The happiness of his friends, his family, and his
relations;" words which are well confirmed by the
extremely frank and kindly expression of his portraits.
Only two years after Sloane's return from Jamaica
his collection is praised by Evelyn in his Diary, as
" very copious and extraordinary," and seems to have
attracted much interest from literary and scientific
men. Sloane continued to add to his treasures to the
end of life. Once, a collection, as valuable as his own,
( J ) His tomb may be seen in the old churchyard of Chelsea;
and in the Botanic Gardens hard by stands the statue of Sir Hans,
sculptured by Kysbrach.
6 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
was bequeathed to him by his friend, Mr. Courten,
alias Charlton, hampered with debts and legacies,
which made it an expensive bequest ; and at another
time he bought for 4,000 the collection of Mr.
Petiver, of Aldersgate- street. The former was worth
about 8,000, and was of a very miscellaneous de-
scription birds and medals, shells, miniatures, and
serpents, are among the rarities that Evelyn gazed
at with admiration ; the latter consisted chiefly of
botany : and with the additions made by Sloane
himself, his library at last numbered about 50,000
books and drawings, and above 4,000 MSS. In his
will, " Sloane's Museum " was valued by himself at
50,000; it was then at Chelsea, whither he had
taken it when he left Bloomsbury and retired from
active life. He desired that his museum should
become a national benefit, and gave expression to his
wishes in a will, by which it was left in trust to the
Government, on payment of 20,000 to his heirs.
The will gave evidence of a liberality of feeling some-
what unusual in days when " the learned " were a
small and exclusive aristocracy, who did not always
sufficiently realise that "property" in wisdom, above
all things "has its duties as well as its rights."
Sir Hans desired that his collections should be kept
together " in or about London," where his fortune
had been made, and where they would be of most
use, owing to the " great confluence " of people.
The Government accepted the bequest, and at
the same time determined upon buying some other
collections that were then on sale. It then became
THE ORIGIN OF THE MUSEUM. 1
necessary to provide a building for the reception of
these collections, together with a library bequeathed
for the public use by Major Edwards, and a collection
of MSS. that had long been lying about in Govern-
ment offices.
The sum required was 300,000, which Govern-
ment was unable to raise without having recourse
to a public lottery ! Natives, foreigners, and cor-
porate bodies were invited to contribute, and most
minute and curious regulations were made for the
conduct of the lottery ; no open betting on the result
was allowed ; the managers were to swear to be
above-board in their dealings, and were to have " a
hundred pounds a-piece for their good offices;"
and the lottery tickets were to be printed in
difficult devices, to baffle imitation. Above 95,000
accrued from this national lottery, which took place
in 1753 and 1754; and 20,000 having been paid
out of the sum to the two daughters of Sir Hans
Sloane, as required by the will, the Sloane Museum
became the property of the nation, and with the
before-mentioned collections, was henceforth known as
the " BRITISH MUSEUM." By the Act incorporating
the Museum in 1753, forty-seven trustees had been
appointed ; three " principal trustees," the Archbishop
of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, and the Speaker
of the House of Commons ; twenty " official trustees,"
ministers and officers of state, &c. ; nine family
trustees, and fifteen elected trustees. These gentlemen
now proceeded to choose a suitable building for the
reception of the Museum ; and Montague House,
8 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Bloom sbury, then the property of Lord Halifax, was
bought by them for about 10,000, and fitted up for
the purpose. On January 15, 1759, all arrangements
had been completed, and the Museum was opened to
the public for the first time. Nothing was to be
paid for entrance, but the public was very warily
admitted, as great fears were entertained lest the
" mobb " should do mischief ( ] ) Only ten at a time
were allowed to enter, and these were broken up into
two companies, and limited to an hour's inspection of
each department of the Museum. As the days of
general admission were also to be considered as public
holidays for Londoners, it is perhaps no wonder that
some alarm was felt for the safety of the Museum.
But, happily, the predictions of evil proved so
utterly groundless, that the restrictions on free
entrance were by-and-by abandoned. The Museum
has never been injured by sight-seers, and it is said
that even habitual thieves think it shame to rob
that which has been so assiduously and generously
gathered and kept for the people's use and pleasure.
Eminent men were placed in charge of the
(*) In a paper found among the Ward Collection of MSS. in the
British Museum, after pointing out the bad results that would follow
from the opening of the museum to the public, the writer goes on to
say : " If notwithstanding this forewarning it might be judged
within the intention of the Act that public days should be allowed,
the trustees would find it absolutely necessary to have more than
ordinary assistance to preserve the least order on these occasions
to have a committee of themselves attending, with at least two
justices of the peace, and to have the constables of the division of
Bloomsbury; but, besides, these civil officers would have to be sup-
ported by a guard, such as usually attended at the play-house ; and
even after all this, many accidents must and would happen."
THE ORIGIN OF THE MUSEUM. 9
Museum Dr. Gowin Knight at the head, assisted by
Dr. Maty, Dr. Morton, and Mr. Empson, of whom
the first two afterwards succeeded to Dr. Knight's
office. The Museum prospered under the good man-
agement of these and subsequent librarians. From
the very commencement, valuable objects and col-
lections of every description, and from every part of
the globe, were poured in upon it, until at the
beginning of this century it was so over-filled that
the antiquities gained by the Egyptian expedition
in 1801, and the Townley Marbles, bought in
1805, lay scarcely sheltered from rain in the
Museum yards, and a gallery was erected for both
collections in 1807. But additions were con-
stantly made, and in 1823, when the magnificent
library formed by George III. was given to
the nation, it was considered better to build an
entirely new museum-house than to go on ineffectually
adding to the old one. Parliament voted supplies,
and the work was -begun at once. The first wing of
the new building was ready for the reception of the
royal library in 1828, Mr. (afterwards Sir Henry)
Ellis being then librarian. As others were added,
the old building was pulled down ; the works of
reconstruction and demolition thus went on simul-
taneously and gradually, and it was not till 1845
that the old Montague House had entirely dis-
appeared. Sir Robert Smirke was the architect of
the present building. It is an imposing and beautiful
structure of the " Grecian Ionic " order, not un-
worthy of the noble collections within its walls. The
10 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
last considerable addition made to the Museum-house
is the Beading-room, designed by Mr. Panizzi, which
was opened to readers in 1857. Yet now, in 1869,
the Museum has again quite outgrown its habi-
tation. Each department is so extensive and com-
plete, that to be of the utmost use to the student,
it would require a separate building and organisa-
tion ; and though at present so much as this cannot
be hoped for, yet the separation of the " Natural" from
the other collections has been already the subject
of discussion in Parliament, and will probably be
effected before very long. The ground floor of the
Museum is now given up chiefly to books, manuscripts,
and cognate collections, and to ancient sculpture ;
while in the galleries above are to be found (often
with difficulty, from their close crowding) natural
productions, animate and inanimate, and ethno-
graphical collections, ancient and modern. The
Museum is divided into twelve departments, viz.,
Printed Books Manuscripts Oriental Antiquities-
British and Mediaeval Antiquities and Ethnography-
Greek and Eoman Antiquities Coins and Medals-
Botany Prints and Drawings Zoology Palaeonto-
logy Mineralogy and Maps, Charts, Plans, and
Topographical Drawings each under the immediate
care of a keeper or under-librarian.
That the Museum has steadily risen in public
favour from the commencement, the following figures
will show. In 1805, the first year in which a
complete return of the number of admissions was
made, 11,989 visitors entered; in 1815, 34,409;
THE ORIGIN OF THE MUSEUM. 11
18.25, 127,643; 1835, 359,716 visitors and students;
1855, 395,564; 1865, 477,650; 1867, 556,317; 1868,
575,739.
The Exhibition years of '51 and '62, however,
disturbed the regular rate of increase ; more than two~
and a half millions of visits were paid to the Museum
in the former, and more than a million in the latter
year; while the years after the Exhibitions, '52 and
'63, showed a great falling off. The visits of students,
as well as of the general public, are included in these
numbers.
But what, after all, is the use of the Museum ?
Its historical use we have already referred to, and
the scientific use is not less obvious. There remain
to be noticed among the " benefits to mankind,"
which also are and must be " for the glory of Grod,"
its use in the advancement of art and science, and
its influence in the improvement of taste. Since it
is by the application of knowledge to practical lile
that progress is ever effected, the Museum gives the
means of better action, in giving the means of
knowledge to the people. One familiar thought
will bring clearly before the mind the greatness of
the boon thus offered to those who will use it. It is
said that in the East civilisation is stationary, and in
the West progressive ; the Asiatic, to whom " know-
ledge " is a great and beautiful abstraction, which is
alloyed and defiled when it ceases to be purely
speculative, receives the patterns of his life and
work from his forefathers, copies them with an in-
observant and incurious fidelity, and seeks neither to
12 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
invent nor discover any new thing. The European,
on the other hand, seeks to understand what it is
given him to be and do, and finds in mastery of the
facts he knows, the key to others that he knew not
of new modes of work, new sciences, new arts, are
suggested to him ; his life is ennobled and ameliorated
by knowledge thus gained and APPLIED ; and he is
ultimately blessed with the blessing that necessarily
waits upon "him that is faithful in the least."
But not only does the intelligent study of these
collections suggest and stimulate invention, it also
'develops and enlightens taste, or the sense of the
beautiful and befitting. We of an over-anxious and
over-hasty age may come here to school, and be
taught by nature, and by ancient men, that measure
and completeness in our work which can only be
attained by such patient processes as theirs. We
see nature with gentle touches fashioning a pebble
in a thousand years into loveliness ; we see our fathers
giving their transient lives with ungrudging, nay,
with joyful toil, to elaborate their work, and thus un-
consciously securing for it an immortality of beauty.
And as we learn to love and prize beauty from either
source, and even as we call it the " unattainable per-
fection " of nature and ancient art, we are being
taught the secret whereby it was, and may be again,
attained the unhasting, unresting method of nature
the patient waiting on his work in which man so
worthily followed her. The artist is reminded that
.the same way to perfection lies open to him as to the
Greek of old ; the mere observer learns, in the study
THE ORIGIN OF TUE MUSEUM. 13
of beauty which came by honest labour, to discourage
and avoid that which is false and fleeting in art or
workmanship of any kind.
And in these collections, as in a microcosm, the
"glory of God" is manifested; not only by the
evidence of design and adaptation in each and every
object, for which, perhaps, Sir Hans Sloane and the
philosophers of his age, chiefly glorified God, but by
this that, on examination, this beauty and luxuriant
diversity of life, from its root to its uttermost unfold-
ing, is found to be occasioned and determined by law
this variety to spring from unity, this freedom from
necessity. For the " service " of creation appears as
"perfect freedom;" its "necessity" as the most
spontaneous grace. Modern science has revealed this
wonderful union of what appear to us contradictory
elements this reconcilement, in the government of
the world, of the free play of individual life with its
subservience to universal ends. Thus, while Sir Hans
Sloane and his contemporaries rejoiced in the pro-
vision for individual development and beauty that
they found in every fragment of nature's work, we
of this age have almost a new sense and perception
given us, in the knowledge that these fragments are
truly and indeed parts of a great whole. Surely
to have but a glimpse of these unfolding mysteries
of creation is " for the benefit of mankind, and the
glory of God j'^ 1 ) and this we may have, if we choose,
in the Museum, where are set forth alike the "pro-
cess of the ages " and the " long results of time."
( l ) See Motto.
14
CHAPTER II.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT.
" The Egyptians stand forth pre-eminently as the Monumental People of
the world." BUNSEN.
I. EGYPT AND THE EGYPTIANS.
To the west and south-west of the land of Egypt
lie the Libyan deserts ; to the south the somewhat
less arid country of Nubia or Ethiopia ; and on the
east, hot winds blow across the narrow sea that
divides it from Arabia, a land of few rivers and
much sand ; but on the north is the Mediterranean,
and across it blow the northern winds, tempered and
moistened by their journeying over land and sea. And
through the midst of the low-lying plain, bounded
by rocks of granite, limestone, and sandstone, flows
the Nile " Hapimoou, the Numerous Waters "
and by its bounteous overflow, a barren land is made
like to a watered garden. Its course from the
cataracts near ancient Philse to the sea is about 450
miles ; it flows within a valley nine miles in mean
width as far as Cairo ; and soon after divides into two
great branches, which fall into the sea at Eosetta
and Damietta, forming the plain of the Delta (A).
Hither, it is said, came the tribe of Mizraim, or
Menes, son of Ham, shortly after the Noachian
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 15
deluge^ 1 ) Travelling westward from Central Asia,
they passed the isthmus that unites the continents,
and found in the valley of the Nile a good and
pleasant land to dwell in. They came from what
was then the centre of civilisation, bringing with
them the highest art and knowledge of their time.
Thus, while in many countries the growth from
savage rudeness can be traced backward even to the
ages of "stone" and "bronze," in Egypt the most
ancient remains are those of a people possessing all
the essentials of well-being. Analogies between the
Egyptian race and its Asiatic neighbours confirm
the popular account of its origin. With all their di-
versity, strong likenesses exist between the Egyptian
and Assyrian styles of architecture the Egyptian
face has points in common with the Asiatic, and, as a
great philologist has said, the Coptic language, which
preserves the ancient forms and roots, "bears irre-
fragable witness to the primitive cognate unity of
the Semitic and Aryan races."
With a climate hot, dry, and pure, and with a soil
productive beyond their wants, the Egyptians rapidly
increased. Tradition speaks of a priestly or theocratic
government as at first established among them ; but
they have been ruled over by kings from the earliest
known times. The kingly power, though absolute
in many directions, was in others limited by custom,
and by the privileges of the influential castes. Eirst
was the priestly or sacerdotal caste. Eeligious
duties and the study of art and science were not
(*) Misr is still the Arabic name for -Egypt.
'
16 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
their sole employment ; they administered justice,
regulated taxation, and, in fact, all civil affairs were
under their control. Members of the royal family
(including sometimes even the king himself) held or
superintended the chief priestly offices ; a third part
of all Egypt was the portion of the temple and the
priesthood; the caste was exempt from taxation;
and even (as we learn from the history of Joseph)
when " the famine was sore in the land," the
estates of the priests were not sold. The priests
were permitted to marry, and their wives were often
associated with them in the service of the temples.
Extreme abstinence and cleanliness were enjoined on
them by their rules, and their ablutions even ex-
ceeded the number usually prescribed by custom
in the East. The military caste defended the
empire from external enemies, and kept peace at
home ; the regular armies which the great Egyptian
conquerors required were drawn by conscription from
this class. The agricultural caste were the pro-
prietors or farmers of the land. They were moder-
ately taxed, according to the produce of their farms,
for the support of the king and the superior castes ;
and so abundant were their harvests, that the imposts
paid by this caste were the chief part of the state
revenue. The fourth, or industrious caste, con-
sisted of merchants, workmen, and artisans of all
sorts, among whom sculptors and artists were placed ;
and thus it has happened that they, whose works
secured so lasting a fame for their masters, are them-
selves unknown. The industrious caste contributed,
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 17
like the agricultural, to the wealth of the nation.
Egyptian greatness was, indeed, founded upon the
labour of these inferior castes. The farmers grew
corn so largely, that in process of time Egypt be-
came the granary of the world, and also exported
flocks and herds. The artisans were famous for
their manufactures of fine linen, their paper, their
pottery and metal- work, and many other manufac-
tures. They built galleys with oars and sails ; the
chiseling of their granite monuments shows that
they must have used tools of the most finely-
tempered steel ; and paper was made by them from
the papyrus, a reed (probably not now to be found
in Egypt) which grew in marshy places.
Many dynasties of kings or Pharaohs reigned
over Egypt ; but. we shall see no Egyptian remains in
the British Museum of earlier date than the Fourth
Dynasty. Yet before that house had begun to reign,
the Egyptian people were great and prosperous.
Their manner of life was the same then as in far
later times ; their language different only in a few
minor points of construction; and their subsequent
history but relates the growth and (development of
a civilisation which was already flourishing. Egypt
was densely peopled ; but the poor had an abundance
of simple food, and underwent no such struggle for
mere life as too often falls to the lot of their brethren
in colder and less fertile countries. Nor did they
need to take much thought for shelter ; the heat
obliged them even to sleep out of doors, and they
scarcely used their huts, except as store - houses.
c
18 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
These facts the density of population, the little
labour required for its subsistence, and the time it
thus gained for application to other purposes seem
in part to account for the gigantic character of
Egyptian buildings. Neither the life nor the labour
of the people was precious in the sight of their
masters. An Egyptian king, knowing that cheap
and abundant labour could be permanently com-
manded by the state, could design a work of almost
any magnitude, however "unproductive," without
misgiving lest his plan should be beyond accomplish-
ment. If too vast for one generation to fulfil, the
poor, who never ceased from the land, would com-
plete it in the next, under his successor; and the
stranger and the captive were also impressed into
the work. Soon great cities sprang up, chiefly upon
the banks of the Nile ; and the country was divided
into three provinces, Upper, Middle, and Lower
Egypt, or generally only into Lower and Upper.
Before the era of the Pyramids, Abydos, or This,
the oldest capital of Egypt, had been built in the
Upper province, and Thebes had, perhaps, been
founded ; and. in the Lower, Heliopolis and Mem-
phis had risen, and, like This, had been the abode
of kings. Under one of these (Athothis, a lover of
literature, also celebrated for his knowledge of medi-
cine) the palace of Memphis was built; and in his
reign, too, according to tradition, quarried stone was
first used in building. The builders obtained their
materials the hardest granite in the world, the
more malleable sandstone, and the calcareous stone
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 19
used for lime and also in building from rocks of
each formation, which are present in the range of
hills bordering the Nile on either side.
The Egyptians possessed in a high degree that
religious faculty which is " the glory of the human
understanding." They have so stamped the impress
of religion on all their works, both small and great,
that Egyptian remains cannot be understood with-
out constant reference to Egyptian belief. The
priesthood cast so much mystery around their faith,
that many of its rites and tenets are still subjects of
conjecture rather than certainty; but some of its
chief characteristics have been made known to us
through the researches of Sir Gr. Wilkinson and
De Rouge. The fundamental doctrine of the religion
was the unity of the Deity; but this unity was
thought too sacred for representation, and HE was
known by a sentence, or an idea, being worshipped in
silence. The attributes of this Being, however, were
represented under positive forms; and hence arose
a multiplication of gods, that engendered idolatry,
and caused a total misconception of the real nature
of the Deity in the minds of all who were not ad-
mitted to a knowledge of the truth through the
mysteries. The division of the nature of God into
his attributes was in this manner : Regarded with
reference to his works, or to man, he was no longer
thought of as quiescent, but became an agent; and
he was no longer the One, but distinguishable and
divisible, according to his supposed character, his
actions, and his influence on the world. He was, then,
c 2
20 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the Creator, the Divine Goodness (or the abstract idea
of good), Wisdom, Power, and the like ; and as we
speak of him as the Almighty, the Merciful, the Ever-
lasting, so the Egyptians gave to each of his various
attributes a particular name. But they did more ;
they separated them, and invented figures of gods
and goddesses, in order to specify and convey to the
eyes of the people an impression of these attributes
or abstract notions ; and thus in Egypt, as in other
countries, the educated and enlightened gave occasion
to the idolatry of the multitude by their elaborately
symbolic teaching. The uneducated failed to take
the same view as "the initiated" of these personi-
fications, and the mere emblems of divinity soon
received divine honours, as being the very gods they
represented. The Egyptians also represented each
god as appearing under a variety of names and
characters, and as often assuming the form of
animals. The animals so honoured became objects
of reverence, and even of worship, in their turn ;
and thus, by a series of downward steps, the vain
imaginations of man " changed the glory of the
incorruptible Grod into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed beasts
and creeping things." Those attributes of the Su-
preme Being which resemble qualities most appro-
priate to man, strength, courage, &c., were personified
as gods ; the more feminine attributes, such as gentle-
ness or purity, as goddesses.
The divinities usually had some special seat of
worship which they were supposed to protect and
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 21
favour, like the patron saints of Eoman Catholic
towns. Naturally the power and wealth of the city
came in time to influence the popular opinion con-
cerning its presiding deity, so that whatever their
original rank in the Egyptian Pantheon, the gods
of great cities could hardly fail of being esteemed
great. The wife and child of a god, associated with
him in a kind of trinity, were also worshipped in his
chosen city. This group was theoretically regarded
as a combination of " attributes," the third of which
proceeded from the other two. The doctrine of these
trinities, or, more properly, triads, prevailed from the
earliest times, and probably had some philosophical
foundation, which the priesthood deemed too abstruse
for the common people to understand.
First in the Pantheon was Ammon, Amen, or
Amen-Ea (Ea, the sun), the chief deity of Thebes.
He represented the one universal force, the " hidden
power" of Nature. As Ea, the sun, he was sup-
posed more or less to influence the inferior deities
or satellites, and was the tutelary god of On, or
Heliopolis. The classic mythology corresponds in
many respects with the Egyptian, partly, perhaps,
because their origin is identical, and partly because
the younger mythology may have derived some of
its myths from the elder. The Egyptian gods, there-
fore, are commonly identified with those Greek gods
who seem most to resemble them ; and Amenra is
known as Jupiter, Ammon, or Zeus. Mut, or La-
tona, " the mother," mistress of the heavens, was the
wife of Amenra. Her double relation to Amenra
22 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
as both mother and wife, probably symbolised the
primeval birth of day out of night, and the since
equal reign of the two. Khem, the generator, the
god of Panoplis, is known as the Greek Pan.
Khnum, Noum, Kneph, or Chnubis, the god of
.the Thebaid (Upper Egypt) and Ethiopia, typifies
the creative Spirit. His name signified director : he
was the moving principle of the stream, resident
in the midst of the pure waters. He is represented
in his creative office as fashioning gods and men on
a potter's wheel or furnace. This coincidence with
the Mosaic account of the creation of man out of
clay is especially remarkable, since the worship of
Khnum was practised in Egypt hundreds of years
before the time of Moses, as the inscriptions on
the first pyramid, B.C. 2450, and at Wady Megara,
bear witness. His wife Sati was called the " Sun-
beam " and " Arrow." Neith, or Minerva, " a
secondary manifestation of Mut," was the goddess
of Sai's, whence her worship is supposed to have
been transferred to Athens. She is represented in
green, a sign that she was connected with the
under- world, and invisible to mortals; a festival of
" Burning Lamps " was held in her honour. Ptah,
or Yulcan, was the god of Memphis. He was
dwarfed and deformed the great mechanist.
Among the second and third orders of deities were
Chons, or Hercules, " the Pursuer," son of Mut and
Amenra, with whom he forms the Theban triad ;
Athor, or Yenus "of handsome countenance," mis-
tress of dancing and sports, goddess of beauty, love,
TILE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 23
and pleasure ; Pasht (Artemis or Diana), goddess of
chastity, cleanser from impurities, mistress of the
goddesses, and beloved by Ptah, worshipped at
Bubastis in Lower Egypt she is represented with
the head of a lioness or a cat. Thoth, or Mercury,
the ibis -headed, was the god of language and
literature, the reputed inventor of writing, the
" scribe of the gods," and recorder of the final judg-
ment ; at his festival the people eat honey and
eggs, exclaiming, " How sweet a thing is Truth !"
Ma, allied to Thoth, was the goddess of justice
and truth ; her emblem was the ostrich -feather.
Nefer-atum (Atum) was the " regulator of the two
worlds ;" he was sometimes depicted with the lily
and plumes on his head. The hawk -headed god
of war, Munt-Ea or Mars, has for his emblems
plumes and the sun's disc ; he was the " vanquisher
of Typhon." The crocodile-headed Sebak or Sevek,
was "the devourer" or the scavenger of nature.
Bald-headed Imouth or ^Esculapius, was the physician
or " giver of life." Anubis (represented with the
head of a dog or jackal) was the god of embalming,
an art which he is said to have invented : he takes
a very prominent place in the oldest sepulchral
inscriptions. Nephthys, the sister of Isis, and her
constant companion, was called " mistress of the
house." Thoueris, a manifestation of Yenus, was
a hippopotamus-headed goddess, the reputed mistress
of Typhon. The four "Genii of the Amenti "
were the guardian spirits of the embalmed dead.
We have left to the last the best-beloved group
24 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
of the Egyptian gods Osiris, his wife Isis, and their
son Horus. Osiris and Typhon (who was sometimes
called Set, Seth, or Besa, and represented with an
ass's head) were brothers, the former being the type
of good, the latter of evil. In early times they
were both adored as gods throughout Upper and
Lower Egypt ; for evil was not at first identified with
sin or wickedness. The Osirian myth was the great
" mystery " of the Egyptian religion. Osiris is fabled
to have come upon earth for the benefit of mankind,
with the title of "manifester of good and truth,"
to have been put to death through the malice ol
Typhon the Wicked One, to have risen from the
dead, and to have become the judge of all. He is
called the ineffable Osiris, the son who having
fought on earth the battle of his father the lord
o
of the invisible World had risen and become the
only being in the firmament. As judge of the dead
he received the soul of the perfect or the justified,
purified and blessed, to himself. Apis, the bull of
Memphis, sacred to Ptah, was also, according to
Plutarch, " the fair and beautiful image of the soul of
Osiris." The lion typified Horus his son, " the
avenger of his father." The worship of Osiris and
Isis was universal and popular in Egypt from the
earliest times.
Before recounting the names of the sacred animals,
it may be mentioned that probably, one cause of the
frequent representation of the gods under the forms,
or with the heads of animals, is that, according to the
popular myth, they were accustomed to disguise
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 25
themselves thus, in order to escape the evil eye of
Typhon their common enemy. The hawk was sacred
to the solar deities; the jackal, which abounds in
Egypt, to Anubis ; the cat to Pasht ; the shrewmouse
to Mut ; Apis, as before mentioned, to Ptah ; the cow
to Athor ; the vulture to Muntra ; the ibis to Thoth ;
and the sow was the emblem of Typhon. Other
sacred animals, real or invented, were the dog-headed
monkey or cynocephalus, the sphinx, the griffin, the
ichneumon, the tiny enemy of crocodiles and serpents ;
the ram, the oryx, the ibex, the goose ; the latus and
other fishes ; the ureus, or cobra di capello snake,
emblem of the goddesses and of royalty ; the crocodile,
scorpion, toad, frog, and scarabaBus or beetle. The
origin of animal worship among the Egyptians is
impenetrably obscure. Strabo says that all the
people adored certain of the animals in common
three among the land animals, the ox, the dog, the
cat ; two among birds, the hawk and the ibis ; and
two among fishes, a kind of carp, and the sturgeon ;
and that the worship of other animals was peculiar to
certain cities. Probably each city worshipped the
animal emblematic of its tutelary god. This de-
grading form of worship attained its height in the
degenerate period of Egypt's history, when it had be-
come subject in succession to the Greek and Roman
dominions. Dr. Birch considers that as animals are
so frequently employed in the hieroglyphic texts to
express words of action, they probably symbolised,
according to their nature, some quality or function of
the deity. Thus, the sheep would signify meekness,
26 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the dog-headed monkey adroitness, the jackal anger ;
and these qualities and powers would be suggested
by their heads when placed on the human forms of
the gods. He also believes that the animals in
Egyptian temples were employed instead of statues,
and adored by the worshippers. The individual
animal thus selected from its class for worship was
supposed to be an incarnation of the divinity it re-
presented, while the whole species was respected as
emblematic of the god.
Wherever we may turn among the Egyptian
remains, the strange and mysterious hieroglyphic
inscriptions will meet our eyes. It may be of some
interest to the reader, therefore, to learn from Dr.
Birch's valuable elucidation of the principles of hiero-
glyphic writing (in his new edition of Bunsen's
" Egypt "), how simply and naturally it originated.
At first a thought was expressed by the figure or
fact with which it naturally corresponded; thus, for
example, two eyes indicated the verb to see ; a man
standing on his head signified to invert, to turn up-
side down; an ass-headed god holding clubs was
no inappropriate symbol for the verb to terrify ; and
a hand holding a reed would be easily understood
to be writing. A woman seated, playing on a tam-
bourine, was (we suppose) an accurate representation
of the Egyptian's idea of joy or pleasure; and a jug
stood for beer. These symbols were the first essay
at the visible expression of thought; but in time
the inconvenience of so slow a process became felt,
and the first marks or lines of the object-drawing
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 27
were made to stand for the ivhole object as if, having
agreed that the drawing of a jug should stand for
beer, we were for the sake of speed to agree further
that a drawing of the handle only of the jug should
be sufficient to suggest primarily the jug to the eye,
and thence beer to the mind. Thus, by the first
process of abbreviation, the hieroglyphics were the
hints or suggestions of pictures, which had to be com-
pleted by imagination, ere they became intelligible.
The sign, however, being constantly written, became
less and less like even that small part of the picture
which it was intended to represent; and it was so
unlike the thing it actually signified, that its original
design soon dropped out of view, and it came to
seem no more to those who used it than an arbitrary
symbol for a word, like our 8f for and. The handle
of the jug, hastily written, would turn into a curved
line, which would from long association have ac-
quired the fixed meaning of "beer," while it would
have ceased to possess any pictorial significance what-
ever. Thus were formed the hieroglyphic signs for
a great number of words, which were also used
alphabetically, and combined and modified into com-
pound words, continuing, however, to be read in
combination as they were separately spoken, in this
unlike the letters of our alphabet. The employment
of words alphabetically was especially useful in the
writing of proper names. Upon this system the
priests soon based a short -hand of their own,
apparently for the purpose of secrecy. It was more
quickly written and less easy to read than the hiero-
28 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM,
glyphic, and was called after its inventors, the
" Hieratic." The running, or cursive hand, more
rapid and less angular than the preceding two, was
invented for the use of all, being especially needed
by the trading part of the community. This was
the people's style the Demotic or Enchorial. It
is graceful and flowing, and was probably almost as
quickly written as our own running - hand. The
hieroglyphic, the hieratic, and the demotic forms,
were sometimes used in one and the same writing
or inscription.
Few Egyptian writings have been discovered ;
one, however, there is, which is proved on compe-
tent authority to have been written before any other
known book in the world. It is the " Ritual of
the Dead," the " inspired work " of the Egyptians,
portions of which, mixed up with glosses and com-
mentaries on the text, have been found of the date
of 2250 B.C. (Eleventh Dynasty). It is a wonderful
evidence of the depth and intensity of the " religious
sense " among the Egyptians. Their confident ex-
pectation of immortality contrasts strangely with the
uncertain and unhopeful feeling of the Greek and
Roman about the invisible world. The dead were
honoured as greater than the living, because they
were nearer to the true life ; and, as the past has over-
shadowed the lives of other nations, so the shadow of
the future fell over the life of Egypt. Thus, of its
many remains, the most important, those which tell
us most of the LIFE of the people, are the sculptured
dwellings of its dead. The doctrine of the MATERIAL
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 29
resurrection involved the most careful preservation of
the body, and brought about such a matter-of-fact
realisation of the life to come in the daily habits of
the people as has perhaps never been known else-
where. Immediately after death came the judgment
of men on the deeds done in the body. An inqui-
sition was held over the embalmed body, before its
descent into the tomb, as to the conduct of the dead,
'and the condition of his affairs. Accusations were
allowed to be brought against him, and if it were
proved that he had lived unworthily, or had died in
debt to any man, the judges who conducted the
inquisition in their public capacity interdicted the
rites of interment ; the body was carried back to its
former abode, and remained there until the relations of
the dead had made atonement for his offences, or had
paid his debts. Not even kings and priests were
exempt from this inquisition. The " Ritual of the
Dead" professes to reveal also the judgment passed
upon men in the unseen world. It is called " The
Book of the Euler of the Hidden Place/' and its
origin is spoken of as being the greatest of
mysteries. One of the most acute Egyptologists
of modern times, whose authority is of the greatest*
weight with every thoughtful student of Egypt,
has justly remarked that, " The problems which
this Ritual proposes to every one w r ho pretends to
take an interest in the history of the human mind
and the destinies of our race are of the highest
range." The following is part of a summary given
by Dr. Birch :
30 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
" The principal ideas connected with the earlier part of the Ritual
are the living after death and the being born again as the sun, which
typified the Egyptian resurrection. The soul is here spoken of as
the greatest of things in creation. The deceased goes in like the
hawk, and conies out as the phoenix or heron, and enters the great
or celestial gate ; having passed through the roads of darkness, he
comes forth with justification, and eats, drinks, and performs the
other functions of life, as if he were still among the living ; the
corruption of the deceased is wiped out of his heart. One chapter
contains a group of prayers addressed to the midday and the setting
sun, within the cabin of whose boat the soul eternally traverses the
celestial ether."
*
We quote the "Trial Scene" from Sir GL
Wilkinson's description :
" Seated on his throne, accompanied by Isis and Nephthys, with
the four Genii of^Amenti, who stand on a lotus growing from the
waters, in the centre of the divine abode, Osiris receives the account
of the actions of the deceased, recorded by Thoth. Horus, his sou,
introduces the deceased into his presence, bringing with him the
tablet of Thoth, after his actions have been weighed in the scales of
Truth. To Anubis, who is styled the 'director of the weight,'
belongs this duty ; and, assisted by Horus, he places in one scale
the feather or the figure of Thmei (Ma), the Goddess of Truth, and
in the other a vase emblematic of the virtuous actions of the
judged. A Cynocephalus, the emblem of the ibis -headed god, sits
on the upper part of the balance; and Cerberus, the guardian of
the palace of Osiris, is present. Sometimes also Harpocrates, the
symbol of resuscitation and a new birth, is seated on a crook of
Osiris, before the god of letters expressive of the idea entertained
by the Egyptians and other philosophers, that nothing created was
ever annihilated; and that to cease to be, was only to assume
another form, dissolution being merely the passage to reproduc-
tion.
" Some of the figures of the dead are represented wearing round
their necks the same emblem which appears in the scales after they
have passed their ordeal, and are deemed worthy of admission into
the presence of Osiris; the purport of which is, that they are justi-
fied by their works, weighed, and not ' found wanting.' "
The Hermetic books (as the Eitual is also called)
close with an injunction on whatsoever priest might
possess them, that he should let no one see the
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 31
sacred ritual, for that would be detestable; but
should learn it, hide it, and make (perform ?) it.
The doctrines of duty and accountability, which
appear thus to have been wrought into the very sub-
stance of life, seem not altogether to have failed of
effect. The Egyptians, though courageous, as their
foreign conquests attest, were mild and humane, at
least for their times. Women and children were
respected, polygamy was apparently unusual, if not
prohibited, and a happy domestic life was not
uncommon, if we may judge from the tablet sculp-
tures, where the husband, wife, and children, are
so often pleasantly grouped. It is some evidence
of the internal peace and order of the empire,
that women occasionally ruled over it, either in
their own right or as regents during a minority ;
for in a condition of society where might is right,
it is found that a woman's hand cannot hold violence
in check, and women are not suffered to reign.
Our knowledge of Egypt is drawn from many
sources. Manetho (260 B.C.), a priest of Heliopolis, or
On, compiled a history of his country in Greek, from
the records that he found in the Egyptian temples.
It is from this that the received lists of the kings
are mainly taken. Something is told us by other
ancient writers, Greek and Koman; but, on the
whole, Egypt was to the ancient, as it has been to
the modern world, scarcely more than a "name of
awe and mystery." The story of its monuments
was graven on their surface but in unintelligible
characters and, at once inviting and baffling re-
32 A HANDY-BOOK OF TEE BRITISH MUSEUM.
search, Egypt seemed to have no fitter emblem than
its Sphinx, ever propounding a riddle which no man
ever guessed! By the discovery of the famous Bo-
setta stone, however, the hieroglyphic cypher ceased
to be a secret. There are three -kinds of writing
on this tablet. At the top is the hieroglyphic, used
both symbolically and alphabetically or literally;
in the middle is the demotic, or popular form of
writing ; and beneath is a GREEK inscription. It was
(as is proved) rightly conjectured by Dr. Young, that
each of these inscriptions had the same meaning.
He therefore tried by comparison and inference,
arguing from the known to the unknown cha-
racters, to discover the key to the latter; and it is
to his success in this endeavour that we owe most of
our knowledge of Egypt. ( 1 ) The key once obtained
by means of the Greek inscription which told Dr.
Young what to look for in the Egyptian it has been
used ever since to unlock new doors of knowledge
by zealous and patient explorers and excavators ; and
more is known to-day of the social and public life of
Egypt than the classical ancients ever knew. Space
would fail to tell of all the students of Egyptology
to whom the public is indebted. Lepsius, Brugsch,
Bunsen, Birch, Wilkinson, and Poole, are those of
whose information the author has most frequently
and gratefully availed himself. The dates here given
are those which appear most reasonable ; but it is
(*) It should be mentioned that, although Young found out the
principle, it was Champollioii who really discovered the construction
and meaning of the hieroglyphics.
OB-
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT.
impossible always to reconcile conflicting statements
on the difficult point of Egyptian chronology.
Egyptian architecture and sculpture have this
advantage (in common with ancient art-works, but
not, unfortunately, with modern), that the sculpture
was designed with reference to the architecture ;
while our statuary is placed in unsuitable sur-
roundings, and looked at solely with reference to
its own merits. An Egyptian statue, whether of a
man or of a symbolic animal, was generally one of a
series, and the series was an approach to some
magnificent temple or monument, or, at least, the
sculptures were in definite and appropriate relation to
some building, save in the rare case when they them-
selves assumed the proportions of a building (like the
colossal figures of the elder and younger Memnon).
It would, therefore, be unfair, in looking at the
Egyptian remains, to judge of these sculptures which
were really parts of a large design as if they had
been intended, like our own, separately to impress
the mind. We should rather try to imagine for
ourselves the noble porticoes to which they be-
longed, the temples which they guarded, and thus
to understand something of their grandeur, and
even sublimity, when in such positions.
The Sphinx face is remarkable for its strangely
mingled expression. Power, gentleness, reserve,
thought, have all been traced in it. Was it not also
the ideal of the African type ? As Raphael's
Madonnas were glorified likenesses of Italian women,
as the Greek gods were idealised Greeks, and a
34 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Dutch painter's Madonna is Dutch in type, so the
poor lentil-eating African sculptors seem to have
expressed in this one countenance all the possibilities
of their strong and patient race.
If there be any true analogy between the child-
hood of an individual and that of the world, does it
not seem to receive apt illustration from the character
of Egyptian architecture? It is (it appears to us)
child-like in its realistic and minute representation of
what is familiar ; child-like also in its ideal or imagi-
native art, namely, in its invention of impossibilities
griffins, sphinxes, and so on which it works out into
detail with the sober make-believe of a child. Is not
the Egyptian love of vastness for its own sake also a
note of the world's magnificent childhood. No
idea fastens more powerfully on a child's imagination
than that of size or bigness.
Most of the remains we shall examine come from
the gigantic tombs of kings, or from those of private
persons. These last are extremely interesting, as it
was the habit of the Egyptians to carve and some-
times paint upon the slabs of the tomb scenes and
inscriptions in commemoration of their lost friends'
life on earth. The remarkable dryness and purity
of the air has preserved the greater number in sin-
gular freshness.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 35
II. NOKTHEKN EGYPTIAN VESTIBULE.
SCULPTURE.
Dynasty IV.-XVIII.
The earliest examples of Egyptian sculpture are
to be found in the "Northern Egyptian Vestibule;"
and so far as at present known these earliest
Egyptian sculptures are also the earliest now extant
in the world.
First, we observe three fragments of the casing, or
covering stones, of the great pyramid (No. 56) ; near
these are sepulchral monuments taken from tombs in
the neighbourhood of the pyramid (Nos. 527 535);
and at the entrance of the northern vestibule are two
false doors (ISFos. 157 159), also taken from a tomb
at Grizeh. All of these are grouped together, as
belonging to the earliest period (the fourth dynasty)
to which existing Egyptian remains can be traced.
According to the latest calculations, based on the
written and architectural evidence of the monuments
themselves, their date may be placed about 2450 B.C.
The greatest of the three great pyramids was princi-
pally the work of the time of Pharaoh Khufu, Cheops,
or Suphis, the second king of the Memphite fourth
dynasty a royal house whose origin is fixed by
Wilkinson at the distance of four thousand three
hundred years from our time, and by Bunsen and
others even earlier. The brother of Cheops, Chephren
or Shafra, reigned together with him for some
time; the names of both are found in the cursive
D 2
36 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Egyptian hand on many of the stones of the pyramid ;
and there is proof that these names must have been
written before the blocks were fixed in their places.
During his travels in Egypt between B.C. 460
and 455 B.C. Herodotus visited the Pyramids, and
gathered much interesting information about them
from the priests and guides of the country. What
ne was told is pretty well known : That Cheops, on
his accession to the throne, plunged into all manner
of wickedness, closed the temples, forbade sacrifices,
and compelled the Egyptians to build his pyramid;
that for twenty years a hundred thousand men
were always at work upon it, one such army
being relieved by another every three months ; that
ten years had been previously expended in making
the causeway, remains of which are still to be seen,
for conveying the stones up to their places a cause-
way which Herodotus thought to be a performance
not inferior to the Great Pyramid itself ; and that he
learned, through an interpreter, from a hieroglyphic
inscription on the pyramid, that 1,600 talents of
silver had been expended on the radishes, onions, and
garlic consumed by the labourers who constructed it.
This Babel -like edifice, built of calcareous stone
obtained from its site and the mountain on the east of
the Nile, behind Toora and Masarah, stands on more
than thirteen acres of land, the surface of the four
sides of the pyramid being over twenty-one acres in
extent. A French engineer computed that the stones
used in this edifice would be sufficient to build a wall
of 1,800 miles, one foot thick, and ten feet high, round
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 37
France. Its base, a square, was originally 756 feet
on each side, and its perpendicular height 480 feet 9
inches 120 higher than St. Paul's, and 278 higher
than the Monument of London. The construction
of the three Great Pyramids is said to reveal a
knowledge of astronomical and geographical science
most surprisingly accurate, when we remember that
fifteen hundred years after, the science of the Greeks
was in its very infancy. It also exhibits, in the
opinion of Mr. Piazzi Srnyth, whose excavations have
lately been attracting attention, some remarkable
coincidences of belief between the builders of the
pyramid and the Hebrew patriarchs. In the interior
of the Great Pyramid are two chambers, unfinished,
but intended, the best authorities think, the one for
the tomb of Cheops, the other for that of Chephren.
The following translation of an inscription of the
age of Cheops is important as containing an allusion to
the pyramid, and valuable as an example of the style of
inscriptions at this period. It is from De Rouge's
"Monuments:" " The living Horus, the Conductor,
the King Chufu (Suphis) the Living; he designed
the temple of Isis, the Ruler of the Pyramid near
the house of the Sphinx, above the north-west of the
house of Osiris, Lord of Rusta (Rosetta) ; he built his
pyramid near the temple of that goddess."
In the immediate vicinity of the great Pyramid
stand two others, not quite so large, the one erected
by Chephren, the other by Mycerinus, the remains
of whose coffin and of whose body (it is supposed)
are exhibited in the " First Egyptian Room " of the
38 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Museum. Near by are numerous tombs enclosing
the remains of princes, and other distinguished con-
temporaries of the above-named Pharaohs, in which
many interesting sculptures have been found. The
following sketch of his first sight of the Pyramids is
given us by Lepsius, who was one of a scientific
expedition sent to Egypt in 1842 by the Prussian
Government :
" It is impossible to describe the scene that met our view when
we emerged from the avenues of date- trees and acacias ; the sun rose
on the left behind the Moqattam hills, and illuminated the summits
of the pyramids in front, which lay before us in the plain like
gigantic rock-crystals. All were overpowered, and felt the solemn
influence of the splendour and grandeur of this morning scene.
About thirty Bedouins gathered around us, and waited for the
moment when we should ascend the pyramids, in order to raise us,
with their strong brown arms, up the steps, which are between three
and four feet high. Scarcely had the signal for departure been
given, than immediately each of us was surrounded by several
Bedouins, who dragged us up the rough steep path to the summit,
as in a whirlwind. A few minutes later, and our flag was unfurled
on the summit of the oldest and highest of human works that is
known. The panoramic view of the landscape spread out at our
feet next riveted our attention. On the one side the Nile valley, a
wide sea of overflowed waters, intersected by long serpentine dams,
here and there broken by villages rising above its surface like
islands, and by cultivated promontories filling the whole plain of the
valley that extended to the opposite Moqattam hills, on whose most
northerly point the citadel of Cairo rises above the town stretched
out at their base. On the other side, the Libyan desert, a still more
wonderful sea of sandy plains and barren rocky hills, boundless,
colourless, noiseless, enlivened by no creature, no plants, no trace
of the presence of man, not even by tombs ; and between both, the
ruined Necropolis, whose general position and simple outline lay
spread out clearly and distinctly as on a map. What a spectacle,
and what recollections did it call forth! When Abraham came to
Egypt for the first time, he saw these very pyramids, which had
been already built many centuries before his coming. In the plain
before us lay ancient Memphis, the residence of the kings on whose
tombs we were then standing; there dwelt Joseph, and ruled the
and under one of the most powerful and wisest Pharaohs of the
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 39
newly-restored monarchy. Farther away, to the left of the Mo-
qattam hills, where the fruitful low ground extends on the eastern
arm of the Nile, beyond Heliopolis, distinguished by its obelisk,
begins the blest region of Goshen, out of which Moses led his people
to the Syrian desert. It would not, indeed, be difficult from our
position to recognise that ancient fig-tree on the road to Heliopolis,
at Matarieh, under whose shade, according to the tradition of the
country, Mary rested with the infant Christ. How many thousand
pilgrims of all nations have since visited these wonders of the world,
down to ourselves, who, the youngest in time, are yet but the pre-
decessors of many other thousands who will succeed us ascend
these pyramids, and contemplate them with astonishment."
The great Sphinx had also been carved before the
close of the fourth dynasty, as we learn from the
above inscription of the time of Cheops. This andro-
sphinx, or man-headed lion, seems in its watchful
repose the fit guardian of the Great Pyramid, from
which it is distant about a quarter of a mile eastward.
It is 190 feet long, and sixty -two feet high in front.
We need not dwell upon the expression of the face,
with which the representations in the Crystal Palace
have made every reader familiar, and which has be-
come the type to our imaginations of all that is secret
and inscrutable. A fragment of the Sphinx will be
found in another room of the Museum. But now,
leaving the casing-stones of the Pyramid, we come to
the glazed case of sepulchral monuments from the
neighbouring tombs. Here the boldness of the incised
hieroglyphics unsurpassed in this respect by any
later specimens we possess evidences a degree of
artistic skill that we are surprised to find in so
remote an era.
The portion of a wall of a tomb (No. 527) of the
fourth dynasty, B.C. 2450, contains a dedication to the
40 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
deity under the form of Anubis, the god supposed to
have watched over the bodies of the embalmed.
Anubis is generally represented with the head of a
dog or jackal. This dedication is in memory of
Ankh-haf, a treasury clerk, who is seated with his
wife Neferset at a table spread with viands for the
dead. No. 528 represents Eu and his wife Tent in a
similar position. The two false doors (Nos. 157, 157*)
should next be examined. They resemble in archi-
tectural character most of the earliest tombs found at
Grizeh. In these companion-slabs, Teta, an officer of
state under King Chephren, the builder of the second
Great Pyramid, sits with his wife Tebt at a table or
altar of offerings, the children being also present.
The lady Tebt is seen with her right hand on her
heart, as if vowing eternal fidelity to Teta, who stands
opposite to her ; she is clothed in the simple tightly-
fitting dress commonly worn by the Egyptian women,
and has ornaments round her neck, her hair hanging
loosely over her shoulders. Stepping back into
the vestibule again for a moment, we see in the
middle of this hall the statue of an officer (head
wanting) from a tomb near the pyramids. Just
behind him is a small seated statue of one Betmes,
who held an important office in his day, according to
the hieroglyphs upon his shenti, or apron, and who
is equipped with the 7iab, hoe, or pickaxe, for the per-
formance of certain mystical labours in the peaceful
fields and isles of the departed. Both these statues
belong to the fourth dynasty, and are excellently
wrought. There is grace in the erect bearing of the
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 41
standing 1 figure ; and Betmes, with his thick crop of
hair parted in the centre, has one of the most agree-
able profiles to be seen in any early Egyptian col-
lection. This statue is in syenite, but it looks like
a bronze. In these two figures we have ample
illustration that the earliest sculptors of the land
of Kham, though bound by technicalities that were
not favourable to the development of expression ,
could throw grace, feeling, and almost humour, into
their works.
The Museum is not rich in remains of the time of
the fourth Pharaonic dynasty. Lepsius, however, and
other excavators in the valley of the Nile, furnish us in
their works with copies of the monuments and tombs
of that age, which greatly facilitate our understanding
of the mode of life of primitive Egyptians. It can
have differed little from that of later generations.
A writer on the subject has said " In the tombs
of the pyramid period are represented the same
fowling and fishing scenes ; the rearing of cattle and
wild animals of the desert; the scribes using the
same kind of reed for writing on the papyrus an
inventory of the estate which was to be presented to
the owner; the same boats, though rigged with a
double mast instead of the single one of later times ;
the same mode of preparing for the entertainment of
guests ; the same introduction of music and dancing ;
the same trades, as glass-blowers, cabinet-makers, and
others ; as well as similar agricultural scenes, imple-
ments, and granaries."
Of the fifth dynasty we possess no important
42 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
specimens of sculpture. Under the first window, in
the NORTHERN EGYPTIAN G-ALLERY are examples of
the art of the times of the Pharaohs, from the sixth to
the twelfth. No. 455, coloured, is a very good speci-
men of animal sculpture. It is a seated jackal, the
living emblem of Anubis, who was the "natural" son
of Osiris and Nephthys, hut still the beloved of Isis
the wife of Osiris. Here Anubis is fulfilling his office
of " the good guardian," the opener of the disc of the
sun, of which his father Osiris was the eternal soul.
No. 143 is a piece of richly- coloured carving, in bas-
relief, from the ancient city of Abydos, taken from
the tombstone of a military commander. The three
seated women are his wife Netnub, his mother, and
his nurse, all beautifully executed. In the tablet of
Akarur (131), also from Abydos, the figures are well
designed and chiseled. No. 196 represents Kati-emsaf
and his family ; two of the figures are nude, and the
expression of the group leads us to suppose that they
are "treating each other with freedom of recrimi-
nation." No. 112 is dedicated to Osiris, as the great
judge of the dead, and to Anubis, as the watchdog of
the embalmed body, on behalf of Pepisetheb, an officer
of one of the Pharaohs belonging to the sixth dynasty.
No. 159 is the largest and finest in this group of
sculpture ; it has been rather roughly used, but the
excellent workmanship of the figures is still apparent ;
it is considered to be a very ancient monument, and
contains, as well as a dedication to Osiris, a prayer
for Rutkar, a priest, who sits by his spouse Ata ; a
domestic scene is before them, in which a calf and its
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 43
mother are prominent objects. The slab 162 is of an
early date ; it was erected to the memory of Ameni,
a military officer, and bears reference to several
festivals. These monuments are mostly of calcareous
stone ; and are equal in design and execution to those
of the first period (fourth dynasty). It is not unlikely
that while the sculptors of the eleventh dynasty,
seated on their three-legged stools in a shady spot by
the banks of the flowing Nile, worked leisurely but
carefully at some newly-ordered tombstones, occa-
sionally ejaculating hopes that the beloved Osiris,
the " I know the Gate," would conduct them
through the passage from death to life, when their
time should come, they may have heard of the
arrival of the patriarch Abram, and of the " grievous
famine " in the land of Canaan, which had driven him
and his into the luxuriant country. Abram and
Sarai gazed upon the pyramids and temples, and they
may even have noticed the very tablets on the tombs
that are now before our modern eyes. What
Pharaoh was then ruling in Egypt is not yet certainly
known ; there is, however, hardly any doubt that he
was one of the Hanntefs of the eleventh dynasty,
perhaps that one whose handsomely-decorated coffin
is to be seen in the mummy-room of the Museum.
The period of the twelfth dynasty was also one
of cultivation and prosperity, Amenemha I., the first
of this house, began to build, as a tomb for himself, in
the Arsinoite province, the marvellous Labyrinth,
which was added to by succeeding monarchs. Of this
receptacle for the remains of kings and of sacred
44 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
crocodiles, Herodotus says that if all the walls and
other great works of the Greeks could be put together
in one, they would not equal it, either as regards
the labour or expense bestowed upon its structure.
The upper chambers he saw with his own eyes, and
found to excel all other human productions ; the
passages through the houses, and the varied wind-
ings of the paths across the courts, excited in him
infinite admiration, as he passed from courts to
chambers, and from chambers to colonnades, and from
the colonnades to fresh houses, and again from these
into courts unseen before. The roof was throughout
of stone, like the walls ; and the walls were carved all
over with figures ; every court was surrounded by a
colonnade, and was built of white stones, exquisitely
fitted together. The famous Osirtasen I., the ori-
ginal Sesostris, prototype of Barneses II., succeeded
Amenemha I. His sway not only extended over all
Egypt, but over part of Ethiopia, where he built a
great fortress at Semneh, to protect the frontier of the
Pharaohs. It was in the reign of Osirtasen I. that
Joseph was brought into Egypt and sold to Potiphar,
a captain of the royal guard ; and it was this Pharaoh
who elevated Joseph to the office of shallit, grand
vizier, or regent, over the whole land, after the inter-
pretation of the two dreams. The Egyptian name of
Joseph, Zaphnath-paaneah, must have been recorded
thousands of times ; but from the nature of his
office, it is likely to have been inscribed more fre-
quently on papyrus than on stone. There is every
reason to expect that, as the study of Egyptian
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 45
antiquities becomes more extended, his name will
be discovered.
Of Osirtasen himself, however, we have a few
memorials; the beautiful tablet 572, to which, with
others, attention will be presently drawn, was exe-
cuted during his reign. It should be added, that
under the twelfth dynasty the great reservoir or
lake for the waters of the Nile was excavated at
Moeris, beyond the Sakkarah pyramids. This was a yet
more astonishing work, says the Father of History,
than the wonderful labyrinth; and Diodorus states
that the queens of Egypt derived a part of their pin-
money from its valuable fisheries. The finest speci-
mens of the monumental work of this period to
be seen in the British Museum, and probably in
Europe, are those displayed in the Northern Vesti-
bule. Here, the long glazed case labelled " Sepul-
chral Tablets," contains, chiefly, sculptured and
coloured representations of altars, with offerings upon
them dedicated to Osiris, " The rising and the setting
Sun, and the final judge of all," for the persons
figured or named in the slabs (Nos. 557 to 575).
No. 558 is a very finely- worked bas-relief, the tablet
of Nemki, a chief who lived under the twelfth
dynasty, and whom Joseph may have known. He
stands before his table of offerings first-fruits and
firstlings for the revered Osiris holding his left
hand to his heart. The various offerings, the vase
under the table, the hand to the right, em-
blematic of industry, and the explanatory picture-
words on the top of the stone, are all highly
46 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
finished. Yet this tablet was put up nearly
4,000 years ago, "to the memory of Nemki."
No. 560 is the figure of the architect Herkhen,
seated in a simple but elegant chair. No. 562
is, we think, the most exquisite example of tomb-
sculpture which our collection contains. It is the
figure of Hanntef, who died in the reign of Osirtasen
I., and was also contemporary with Joseph. He
leans forward on a stick, as if expecting some event
it may be the return of his spirit to the deity,
which to the Egyptian was the status omnium bonorum
aggregations perfectus. This bas-relief evinces con-
siderable anatomical skill on the part of the sculptor ;
we observe the protrusion of the muscles of the
chest, caused by throwing the weight of the body on
the staff, and the consequent treatment of the knees,
legs, feet, &c., which is admirable. The hiero-
glyphics on this beautifully - preserved tablet of
Hanntef are cited by Dr. Birch in proof of the
belief of the Egyptians at this period in the doctrine
of the immortality of the soul. " The inscriptions
of the twelfth dynasty," he says, " are filled with
extracts from the Hermetic books or rituals, accord-
ing to the formula? of which, to feed the hungry,
give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, bury the
dead, loyally serve the king, formed the chief duties
of a pious man and faithful subject."
In 565, the women are painted yellow and the
men red ; and we shall find them thus distinguished
in almost all Egyptian paintings. Several colours
are introduced into the tablet of Sebekaau (566), who
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 47
sits at a well -spread table of offerings, his wife stand-
ing before him holding a lotus-flower, the emblem
of the renewal of youth. "Sebek" was a popular
component of proper names after the twelfth dynasty,
probably because the queen Sebek-nefru (Scemiophris)
whose signet-ring will be found in the first Egyp-
tian Eoom was beloved by the people. In 567,
the double outline for the ear, eye, lips, &c., is notice-
able. 568 is the tablet of Nuharsi. The four large
portraits are carefully wrought, and the action of
the figure on the extreme left is good ; on the altar
are various articles of food. 571, the tablet of
Senathar, represents a group of several figures, and
is in excellent preservation.
Crossing to the other side of the vestibule, we
see in No. 101 a tablet elaborately sculptured, to
the memory of a gentleman of the twelfth dynasty,
Nebpu-Osirtasen. He held office in the reigns of
Osirtasen I. and Amenemha III., a proof that the
three Pharaohs who intervened did not hold the
sceptre long. The high rank of the men standing
in this group is denoted by the unusual length of
their robes. Just under this tablet, at the side, is
one of the most elaborately -wrought bas-reliefs in
this series (580). There is delicate finish in the
close-fitting wig of Sebeksen, his girdle, fluted robe,
and armlets; in the long pendent head-dress of his
wife, and the massive necklaces of both ; vigour in the
moulding of his figure, and grace in the quiet erect
bearing of the woman. She holds offerings in her
hand, and other offerings are on the altar. The tablet
48 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
579 is remarkable and interesting, because, being
unfinished, it snows us how the sculptors of the
twelfth dynasty were accustomed to work. Vertical
and horizontal lines in red paint were first drawn
upon the tablet, and the squares thus formed helped
to preserve the canon of proportion. The outlines
of the figures or objects to be represented were then
traced in black, and the fixed number of squares
given to each part. The sculptor then began to work
with his metal tools. This tablet was erected in
memory of Userur, a sculptor; and we may reason-
ably conjecture, from its unfinished state, that it was
his own work, and that death having stopped his
hand before he was able to complete it, his family
determined that the tablet should be put up just
as it had been left. The unfinished portion is at the
bottom. The two male figures on the left are
sketched out in the black outline, and two of
Userur's daughters, who precede them, are also
partially sketched. Traces of the red squares are seen
in the upper row of figures, and red and black lines in
the five rows of hieroglyphics above. 585 is the tablet
of Serannut, a superintendent of the offerings of all
the gods, under the twelfth dynasty. Following this
is the gem of the painted tablets (586). The variety
and mellowness of the colours still thick upon the
bas-relief, and the skill displayed in the carving
and arrangement of the figures are conspicuous
on a mere cursory view of this tablet. It is sacred
to the memory of Atai, son of Sebeksi, a super-
intendent of the shrines of Amenra (the One
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 49
Universal Force). Its date is the fourteenth year
of Osirtasen I. ; Sebeksi was, therefore, contemporary
with Joseph; and the portraits of the ladies here
may help us to imagine Joseph's wife Asenath. In the
upper stage or story Atai is seated with his wife Aura
on the double chair in use among the Egyptians ; they
have a table of offerings before them, groaning, one
might say, under the weight of viands, which are all
minutely represented. A youth places a second bird
upon the table, and a little boy brings his simple but
acceptable offerings of a flower and a very small
bird. These are the sons Hantef and Amenemha.
In the lower story, where the subject is continued,
Atai rests upon a staff, surveying his daughters
Sebeksi and Usersi, two handsome Egyptian girls,
who bear offerings of flowers in their hands, and
wear a somewhat extravagant head - dress. Above
this family group are four rows of hieroglyphics,
coloured light blue, giving a brief history of Atai.
In No. 587, the monument of Amenemha, the
variety of vases is worth notice.
Before quitting this early section of the Egyptian
department, three statues in dark granite and basalt
should be examined. No. 100 is the seated figure,
nearly life-size, of Mentuaa, a military officer of high
rank, or a priest, under the eleventh dynasty, which
held its court at Thebes. The face has been "re-
stored;" the muscles of the breast, arms, and back,
which is unsupported, are expressed ; the chest is
broad ; the hands, one of which holds the folded sash
of office, are placed upon the knees; the dress is
E
50 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the short fluted tunic. This statue, with those of
Betmes and the headless chief, and the tablets just
inspected, all belong to the first period of Egyptian
sculpture, which was more realistic, on a smaller
scale, and less influenced by the religion of the
country than the sculpture of the eighteenth and
succeeding dynasties. No. 777 is the statue of
Ameni, also a functionary of the eleventh dynasty.
He is seated on the ground ; the profile is here, as in
most of the portraits, much more pleasing than the
fall face. No. 462 is a statuette of Amenemha,
a governor of the west of Egypt during the twelfth
dynasty. He is seated upon a throne dedicated to
Osiris, holding the sash of office ; the figure is good.
III. NOBTHEKN GALLBEY.
STATUARY. BAS-RELIEFS. FRESCO PAINTINGS.
Dynasty XVIII.
The monuments we shall next examine will be
chiefly those of the eighteenth and succeeding
dynasties, little being comparatively known of the
dynasties that fill up the interval between the
twelfth and eighteenth. The thirteenth dynasty
fixed its capital at Thebes, but was driven thence
into Ethiopia by a pastoral race which invaded the
country on the north-east. The fourteenth dynasty
was Zoite. The fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth,
were composed of shepherd or Arab kings, called
EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES.
PHARAOH AMENOPIIIS III., STATUE OF PASHT, THE GODDESS OF
"MEMNO*." BETMES, CHASTITY.
An Officer of State imfler Statue No. 63, inscribed with the
(From the Memnonium, at Thebes, the 4th Pharaonic name of SHISHAK.
18th Dynasty.)
Dynasty.
(From a Tomb iiear the
Pyramids of Gizeh.)
(From Karnak, 22nd Dynasty.)
THE TRIAL SCENE (gee page 30).
From the Vignette in the Papyrus of Petharpiia. (Ptolemaic Period.)
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT.
Hykso.s, who introduced horses and chariots into
t. During the time some hundreds of years
of their domination, they cruelly treated the Egyp-
tians, and insulted their religion, hut the general_
condition of the country does not appear to have
suffered very considerably. Amosis, the first king of
the eighteenth dynasty, drove this detested race out
of Egypt, and took possession of both Upper and
Lower Egypt. He was a wise as well as warlike
monarch ; he it was who introduced the system of
registration, bv which every person in the land of the
Pharaohs was required to appear once a year before
the governor of his district, and to prove that he got
an honest livelihood, on pain of death if he failed to
do so. Solon borrowed this law for the Greeks ; and
Herodotus wrote of it with praise. Amr g suc-
ceeded by Amenophis I., who extended the frontier
of Egypt, and enlarged the already extensive temple
at Karnak. The former married Aahmes-nefert-ari,
an Ethiopian, who was known as the " black queen ;"
the latter, the fair lady Sat-en-aha-mes. The full-
length portrait of Aahmes on the fresco from
Gourneh, in the Hay collection, represents a tall,
finely-proportioned, handsome woman. Both queens
are portrayed on the tablet (297) of Judge Amen-men
of Thebes, whose patron was Amenophis I. ( 1 ) As
(!) At the time of the purchase of the Hay collection for the
Museum (November. vras reported that this black queen was
no other than that " Pharaoh's daughter " who adopted Moses. This
could not be. Moses was not born till many rears ater Aahmes-
nefert-ari. not. according to Brugsch, till B.C. 1401, in the
of the reign of Barneses II.
52 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
examples of the artistic skill of this time the reader
should examine Nos. 186, part of the tomb of Pai ;
317, the tablet of Hara, who worships the now deified
Amenophis I. ; 591, Pasheti's altar ; and 594, a
tablet in the shape of an altar of libations. Thothmes
I. and II. reigned between Amenophis I. and the
third Thothmes, whose colossal head we find in
the hall of statuary. So many of the Egyptian
remains in the Museum have been discovered among
the ruins of Thebes, that it may be well that we
should know something about this great city before
proceeding farther.
Four villages, Karnak and Luxor on the east, and
Gourneh and Medinet-Abou (Memnonium?) on the
west of the river Nile, form the site of the " hundred-
gated " Thebes, of which Homer sang. It is said to
have extended, in the time of its splendour, above
twenty-three miles, and to have been able upon any
emergency, to send out against an enemy twenty
thousand fighting men, and two hundred chariots,
from each of its gates. This was the Biblical " No/'
or "No-Ammon," and the Greek " Diospolis ;" so
called because Zeus or Jupiter (who was originally
the great Egyptian god, Ammon, or Amenra) was
worshipped there. Anciently it was the capital of
the whole country ; and more recently, of Upper
Egypt. Belzoni, who excavated the head of
Thothmes III. at Karnak, says that Thebes appeared
to him like " a city of giants, who, after a long
conflict, were all destroyed, leaving the ruins of their
various temples as the only proofs of their former
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 53
existence." Of this enormous city Karnak preserves
the largest and the finest specimens of architecture.
One of its twelve great approaches was an avenue of
guardian sphinxes, upwards of 6,500 feet long; and
its celebrated " Hall of Columns," the wonder of every
visitor, has 144 stupendous supports, some twenty-
six, some even thirty-four feet in circumference. The
hall was roofed with massive slabs of stone ; its width
was about 338 feet, its depth 170 feet. Champollion,
the well-known Egyptologist, speaks of it thus :
" The imagination, which in Europe rises far above
our porticoes, sinks abashed at the foot of the
one hundred and forty columns of the hypostyle
hall of Karnak ;" and Professor Long has computed
that four such churches as St. Martin's-in-the-Fields
might stand side by side in the area of this hall,
without occupying the whole space. But this im-
posing court covers only one-seventh part of the area
enclosed by the walls of the great temple of Karnak,
which was ornamented with obelisks seventy feet
high or more, and with seated and standing statues,
chiefly in granite, from twenty to thirty feet in height.
Thebes was the work of various dynasties and ages.
Even the Ptolemies appear in the list of the later
conquerors who contributed to the magnificence of its
temple ; but its greatest works were owing to the
Pharaohs of the eighteenth dynasty.
We now turn to the long case of sepulchral tablets
and other monuments of the eighteenth, nineteenth,
and twentieth dynasties. In this compartment the
work varies in merit. 556 is a roughly-executed
54 .1 HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
example of the nineteenth dynasty ; but 551, a large
tablet of the previous dynasty, when boldness had
become a characteristic of Egyptian sculpture, shows
skill both of design and engraving. It is sacred to
o o o
the memory of Haremhebi, a royal scribe and
standard-bearer, who prays first to Ea, the hawk-
headed god with a disc or sun on his head, giver of
light for the blessed in the next life ; next to Thoth,
the ibis -headed scribe of the gods, who recorded the
final judgment passed on the dead ; and, thirdly, to
the goddess Ma, who wears in her hair an ostrich
feather, the emblem of truth and justice. The
complete figure of Haremhebi is seen in the door-
jambs (550 552) ; in the latter it is beautifully traced
in outline : he is habited in the curiously-arranged
fluted robe, worn on great occasions. The gods and
goddess have been coloured, the last very carefully,
her dress being red. The figure of the goddess is
simple and pleasing, such as we should expect a
representation of Truth to be in the childhood of art.
The slab contains, besides, twenty-five rows of
hieroglyphics. In 555 the Theban judge Shaem-
bekhen adores Ea, the solar deity, and Athor or
Yenus under the form of a cow ; in the upper part is
the ark of the sun, an important feature in Egyptian
worship. The judge was held in high esteem
by the Egyptians. Justice was administered without
payment and without respect of persons, on principles
of common sense and equity ; and the Pharaoh himself
could officiate as judge with no loss of dignity.
The larger Egyptian statuary must now occupy our
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 55
attention. A lofty gallery, the best in the Museum,
330 feet long, and about forty in breadth, has been
provided for it. This gallery is filled with a collec-
tion, unrivalled as a whole in Europe, of sculpture of
various sizes, executed under various dynasties, begin-
ning with the eighteenth. Let us stand under the
great red granite head of the Pharaoh Thothmes III.,
and take a general survey of what there is to be seen.
Close to us is an outstretched arm of the same colossal
proportions as the head of Thothmes ; here, are
colossal heads and seated figures, wrought in light,
dark, and black stone ; there, red granite lions, and a
huge ram's head. We catch a glimpse of two giant
faces between the columns in the central saloon ;
kneeling, sitting, and standing figures, some with
altars before them, are seen farther down : a monster
scaraba3us or beetle, tapering obelisks, ponderous
sarcophagi, and, last of all, the famous E-osetta stone
fill up the distance. Flanking all these, which present
every shade of sombre colour, are hundreds of smaller
objects, some of which are too far from our present
stand-point to be seen distinctly. Waagen, the
German art- critic, says in reference to this assemblage :
" The ancient Egyptians were certainly a people endowed with a
mighty will', and carrying that will into effect with wonderful energy ;
for, while a hundred other nations have disappeared from the face of
the earth, without leaving behind them even the slightest trace of
their existence, innumerable forms, bearing the impress of incredible
labour, and that in the most durable materials gigantic crystal-
lisations, as it were, of primeval civilisation give us even now a
clear view of the manner of their existence, and after the lapse of
more than 4,000 years stand before us as perfect in preservation as if
the last stroke had been put to them only yesterday !"
56 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM
For the possession of some of these remarkable
monuments the nation is indebted to the generosity
of foreign travellers Burckhardt, Belzoni, Caviglia
for that of others to the liberality of George III., Sir
J. G. Wilkinson (who has given us so much valuable
information about the Egyptians), Sir J. Bo wring, Sir
Henry Ellis, who preceded Mr. Panizzi in the prin-
cipal librarianship of the Museum, Colonel Howard
Yyse, one of the excavators of the great pyramids, and
many others. Numerous specimens have also been
purchased from the collectors, Mr. Salt, Mr. Sams, Sr.
Anastasi, Sr. Athanasi, Mr. Barker, Mr. Hay, and
others, with the funds which the House of Commons,
alive to the importance of securing ancient historical
monuments for the country, has most wisely voted from
year to year for the use of the Museum. For those
given to us by George III., we are in the first place
indebted to the French savants who collected them in
Egypt, and next to the British troops, who fairly won
them by their victory in the memorable battle of
Alexandria, on the 21st of March, 1801, inasmuch as
on the capitulation of that city, a few months after,
the antiquities came into the possession of our army.
The gallery is divided into three apartments,
called respectively, the Northern Gallery, the Central
Saloon, and the Southern Gallery. We avail our-
selves of these divisions in our description; and
beginning with the Northern Gallery, with which
we have been already occupied, turn our attention
to the colossal head by which we have been
standing (No. 15). It was found at Karnak, and is
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 57
part of a statue of the eighteenth dynasty, erected in
honour of one of the greatest kings that ever wore the
the pschent of Egypt. Thothmes III. succeeded
to the Pharaonic power in 1574 B.C. (an absolute date
according to Bunsen), when death put an end to
the regency of his sister or mother-in-law, whom
Thothmes so much disliked that he had her name
erased from the monuments on which it had been
inscribed, and his own substituted. He did not take
the whole power upon himself till 1552 B.C., his
brother Thothmes II. having occupied the throne
with him for twenty-two years. Egyptian records
tell us that he was great both in peace and in war ;
he carried his arms far into Ethiopia, into the Sinaitic
peninsula on the north-east of Egypt, and even
into Syria and Bactria. In the great but ill-fated
Nineveh he is said to have reared a monument to
acquaint posterity with his visit. He extended and
beautified southern Thebes, the seat of his empire, and
added the granite sanctuary to the Karnak palace. In
Lower as well as in Upper Egypt, numerous buildings
of considerable architectural merit were erected by his
command, and others that had fallen into decay were
restored. Very fine obelisks were set up in various
cities during his reign. The well-known " Cleopatra's
Needle," now lying in the mud at Alexandria of
which there is a fragment at the side of the head ot
Thothmes is one of them ; and there are several
still entire. The name of Thothmes III. has been
found on more bricks and votive beetles (scarabsei) than
that of any other Pharaoh, a proof of the extensive
58 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
nature of his building operations, of his popularity,
and of the length of his reign, about forty-seven
years. The head of Thothmes is a good example of
the second period of Egyptian art, in which a large
and massive style almost entirely supplanted the
delicate bas-relief work of a former time. This head
differs in type from that of Eameses II., which we
shall presently examine ; the thick lips, the peculiar
curving and breadth of the nose, and the full cheek,
indicate a Nubian origin, and it is especially inte-
resting on this account, as types of the primitive
Ethiopian race are no longer to be met with.
Thothmes is represented as in early life ; the expression
is calm and benevolent, rather than highly intelligent.
The mutilation of the left ear, the chin, and royal
beard, or beard- case, does not materially detract from
the worth of the sculpture. Such mutilation of
statues was a frequent practice of the Assyrians,
Babylonians, and Persians, who, regarding the beard
as the hallowed token of manhood, delighted to insult
a conquered nation by thus disfiguring its venerated
images. Thus we find Jeremiah prophesying (xliii. 13)
that Nebuchadrezzar, the Babylonian king, should
break the images of Beth-shemesh, in the land of
Egypt ; and this very head of Thothmes may have been
one of those thus broken by the soldiers of the army of
"the hammer of the whole earth." The covering of the
head, called ihepschent, occupies a very large portion
of the composition. This pschent was a combination
of two caps, one on the other the tesJir, the red cap
or crown of Lower Egypt, and the hut, a conical cap
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 59
with a knob, the crown of Upper Egypt and denoted
the Pharaoh's supremacy over both provinces. The
fractured ornament on the front of the teshr, the
under cap, represented a serpent, an emblem of regal
authority. The whole is in red granite, mottled with
white and black, and has a lustrous polish still shining
upon it, which sets off admirably the clear cutting of
this massive work. The left arm, with a portion
of the shoulder belonging to the same statue of
Thothmes, lies close by (55) ; its execution is on a par
with that of the head ; the hand, which is rather
small, probably held a staff. This statue, about
twenty-six feet in height, stood erect, with one foot
slightly in advance, and with the arms at rest by the
sides, against one of the square columns or pilasters
of the granite sanctuary at Thebes (or Karnak).
We observe in connection with this period two
of the curious statues of the " squatting design," also
from Thebes that of the good-looking Prince Anebni
(55 a), and that of Banofre (48). We gather from
the rendering given by Dr. Birch of the blue- coloured
inscription on the former monument, that it was
erected by the orders of the Queen Eegent before
referred to, and by her brother Thothmes III., " As a
royal offering to Amenra, lord of the thrones of the
world ; to Osiris, ruler of eternity ; and to Anubis,
resident in the divine abode, the director of the em-
balming, lord of To-sor, for the sake of obtaining the
gift of an abode, well provided with oxen and geese,
clothes and incense, wax, and all other good and pure
things (all set out on their tables at the end of every
60 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
day) . . .for the royal son and prince Anebni, the
victorious chief, celebrator, or bard of his god, show-
ing his love for his lord by his performances, serving
his lord on his journeys in the north and south," &c.
This is a good example of the usual style of dedi-
catory inscriptions. The offertory for Anebni, if one
THE MILITARY CHIEF BANOFKE.
18t7i Dynasty. Thebes.
may so call it, mentioned on the pedestal, consists of
a vast quantity of flesh, fowl, wine, incense, wax,
clothes, plants, as well as all other gifts, all kinds of
divine incense, and all other good and pure things.
A somewhat similar invocation is on the companion
statue of Banofre, who was a military chief at the
commencement of the eighteenth dynasty ; this statue
is in black basalt, while that of Anebni is in limestone.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 61
We may here observe another statue in the same
attitude (512), that of the officer Nebta, dedicated to
Amenra. In the fragment 103 we see an Egyptian
scribe seated at his work with his ink- slab tied to his
left leg ; he is Amenhept, the chamberlain of a
princess, and evidently a king's favourite, for his
statue was originally placed, by royal command, in
the temple of the greatest of the gods, Amenra.
We might suppose that the " left colossal leg from
the statue of a deity or king/' in red granite, placed
behind the head of Thothmes, belonged to the same
figure ; but there is no evidence to lead to this con-
clusion, and the label is silent as to the place of its
discovery. From the grooving at the side of the leg
we may infer that the foot was firmly put upon the
ground. Near this fragment is a red granite stele,
or memorial pillar, from Karnak, about five feet and a
half high, on which Thothmes III. (eighteenth
dynasty) is represented at both sides with Munt-ra
(the hawk-headed god, Mars), and Athor or Venus
(the female figure with the heifer's horns holding a
disc). They are hand in hand. Thothmes, by the
aid of Munt-ra, obtains victories, for which he is re-
warded by the favours of Athor. This monument has
been much injured, but its fine polish still remains. ( l )
In the statuette 168 the same Pharaoh is seen kneel-
ing on his nine enemies (signified by nine bows), and
attributing his victories to the hawk -headed warrior-
god. The head of this statue bears no resemblance to
(*) Bonomi supposes that these figures of deities were re-cut after
their demolition by the disc worshippers.
62 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE ^BRITISH MUSEUM.
Thothmes III., and it will be at once perceived that it
has been artificially joined on to the rest of the figure.
Few memorials have come down to us of the short
and comparatively unimportant reigns of Amenophis
II. and Thothmes IV., the successors of Thothmes
III. (eighteenth dynasty). The family group (31),
however, is contemporary with Amenophis II. It
represents the priest Atu seated beside his sister,
probably sister- wife, Hanur, a priestess ; they clasp
each other with one arm; their son Neferhebf,
also a priest of the deified Amenophis II., sits between
them on a low stool. Red paint lies thickly on the
priests, and yellow paint upon the priestess. To the
successor of Amenophis II. (Thothmes IY.) is attri-
buted the erection of the small temple between the fore-
paws of the great Sphinx, wherein he is seen adoring
that vigilant monster. From this temple Captain
Caviglia brought and presented to the Museum the
small lions (439 and 441), the head of a sphinx
(464), and the hawk (437). The piece of limestone
(58), is a portion of the beard of the Great Sphinx
itself; and 443 is part of the urseus or sacred serpent,
which ornamented its forehead. In the one we can
just make out the chequer- work or plaits of the beard,
and in the other the thick frog-like throat, and one
eye. Traces of red ochre are visible on these frag-
ments ; the Sphinx having been originally coloured
red and yellow.
The fourth Thothmes' queen was the Mautemua
whose sacred shrine, in the form of a boat or ark,
which originally held a small statue of her, is ex-
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. . 03
hibited in the gallery (43), near the head of the
great Thothmes. She was an Ethiopian, of the
same race as the " Stranger-kings," who ruled
Egypt shortly after the time of Amenophis TIT., and
who were so thoroughly detested by the Egyptian
people, whose gods they forsook, that after they had
been driven away, all the monuments they had
erected in the country were demolished. Just before
Thothmes IV. died, his famous son Memnon, or
Amenophis III., was born, about 1403 B.C., according
to Wilkinson, but much earlier according to some
other chronologists. The birth of this prince forms the
subject of a picture on the walls of the palace at Luxor.
Mautemua was regent of Egypt until her son was old
enough to reign. In consequence of his mother's
origin he was called "The Ethiopian Memnon;" and
although he became one of the most famous of their
kings, he never ceased to be regarded by the Egyptians
as a foreigner. There is a curious proof of this feeling '
in the fact that at his death the Egyptians laid his
body in a tomb at Thebes, apart from the Pharaohs his
ancestors. He achieved great victories in war ; nor did
he neglect the internal affairs of his immense empire.
The monuments of Memnon's greatness are to be
seen to this day, not only in his own country, but in
distant parts of Africa and in Asia. He made con-
siderable additions to the temple at Karnak, and
founded the palace at Luxor ;(*) and the avenue of
( l ) For the sake of convenience the Theban remains (spread over so
large an area) are designated by the names, of the modern villages
where they are discovered.
64 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
sphinxes, the statues of the goddess Pasht, and the
two colossi which this gallery contains, owe their
construction to him. He built small temples on the
island of Elephantine, one of which was dedicated to
Noum, the creator, and ornamented with beautiful
bas-reliefs. A temple of his erection has been dis-
covered at Soleb, in Ethiopia, near the third cataract,
which attests how far his conquests were extended.
In one of the registers of these conquests the prisoners
are reckoned thus: "Living captives, 150 head; chil-
dren, 110 head; negroes, 350 head; negroes, 55 head;
children, 265 head : total living, 930 head ;" and so
on. Some memorials of his reign are worth our
examination in detail.
First we may observe the representations of Pasht,
(" Sekhet ") Bubastis, or Diana. Upwards of thirty
statues, busts, or portions of statues, of this lioness-
headed goddess are to be seen in one division alone of
the gallery. She was a favourite object of worship
among the Egyptians ; perhaps the most brilliant
festival of their year was held in her honour at Bubastis,
in the Delta ; and almost every kind of distinction
was ascribed to her. She seems to have received the
titles that belonged by right to Mut the mother,
" Mistress of the heaven," and " Eegent of the
world." The seated statues of the goddess, which
probably formed the colonnade of some temple, each
represent her in a different character or manifestation.
In No. 60, she is seen, a black figure, seated on a
throne. She almost invariably wears a disc on her
head, fronted by a serpent, typifying her association
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 65
with the sun ; and she grasps in one hand the anM, an
emblem of life. In the erect statues, she holds before
her the lotus -headed sceptre, a symbol of sovereignty.
The two finest representations of Pasht in this
attitude are Nos. 76 and 80, placed at each side of the
door of the Egyptian gallery. There is an expression
of purity and repose in the face and attitude of these,
which well accords with the characteristic attribute of
the goddess. Many of the seated figures, in which
the hands rest on the lap, are also truthful in ex-
pression; and the details the ornaments on the
breast, the collar, and the wrist and ankle ornaments
are, in some instances, worked out with elaborate
finish. Tor specimens of the seated figures, the
reader should see Nos. 57, 518, 16, 63 (engraved in
this work), and 517; and for other examples of the
erect figure, Nos. 41, 45, and 49. The lower part of
a statue of Pasht (95) is in the best style of Egyptian
art. Nearly all the figures, busts, and fragments of
the statues of this goddess are in black granite, and
most of them retain their original polish.
Many statues of Amenophis III. himself are in
existence. The heads, 6, and 4, were discovered
in the rear of the famous " Vocal Memnon," and
are of the same material. No. 4 is an earlier
portrait than No. 6, in which the part of the face
below the eyes is a good deal sunk. This head is
so Ethiopian in type, and so unlike the portraits of
the Pharaohs generally, that it may be concluded to
be a good likeness of Memnon ; especially when it is
considered that while the Egyptian artists usually
66 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
represented their divinities by conventional and in-
variable types, they appear to have endeavoured to
make faithful likenesses of the features of their kings.
The flat round cap worn by Amenophis is the teskr,
or crown of Lower Egypt ; but the conical cap may
have originally surmounted it. No. 30, a bust of
COLUMN OF PHARAOH AMENOPHIS III.
Memnon in early life, is disfigured by mutilations :
he wears a wig and collar. It is in nummulite lime-
stone, and was brought from Thebes. In this, as in
the other colossal heads, a fanciful rim indicates the
eyes and eyebrows. No 64 is a remarkable column,
erected by Memnon. Though smaller in size than
many similar works, it is yet sufficiently impressive
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 67
to enable us to imagine what grandeur and stability
would be imparted to the temples by colonnades or
avenues of these granite pillars ; and what a strange
charm to the flat eastern landscape by the lonely
column which commemorated the victories of some
warlike king. This column, found in a house at
Cairo, is made of four pieces of granite, carved into
the likeness of a bundle of papyrus-reeds tied to-
gether, the buds forming the capital of the pillar.
It is inscribed with beautifully cut hieroglyphics,
and the ovals by which the names of kings were
fenced round, contain that of Amenophis III. and
those of Menephtah and Setnecht, two Pharaohs
who seem to have added their names to it in order
that they might share Memnon's immortality. Stand-
ing on a red granite pedestal by Memnon's column
is a sandstone tablet, from Semneh, recording some
of his Ethiopian conquests.
The large and boldly-executed head (140) in grey
granite, belonged to the cover of a sarcophagus ;
it was found in the Biban-el-Molook quarter of
Thebes. The small statue of Sururu, who held the
post of scribe to Amenophis III. (503) is noticeable
for its fine workmanship, and the metallic appearance
of the granite. The attitude in which Arneferu,
guardian of the temple of Amenra, and his wife Apu,
are grouped, is interesting.
The best seated colossal statue in the collection is
that numbered 21. (An .engraving of it is given at
the beginning of this section.) No. 14 is similar, but
smaller. They are copies of the two enormous statues
F 2
68 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
of Amenopkis III., (the "elder," and the "younger"
or " vocal " Memnon), which for so many generations
have been seated in chairs on the plain of Thebes ;
exciting the wonder of visitors, and the terror of the
people.
'* ' It is believed,' wrote Strabo, of the vocal Memnon, ' that once a
day a noise as of a slight blow issues from the part of the statue
which remains in the seat and on its base. When I was there with
^Elius Gallus, who had numerous friends and soldiers about him, I
heard a noise at the first hour (of the day), but whether proceeding
from the base or from the colossus, or produced on purpose by some
of those standing around the base, I cannot confidently assert; for
from the uncertainty of the cause, I am inclined to believe anything
rather than that stones disposed in that manner could send forth
sound.'"
And Pausanias wrote that this then broken statue
" Daily at sunrise produced a sound, which you
might best compare to the snapping of a harp or
lute- string."
The vocal Memnon was the more northern of the
two seated colossi ; and many persons have supposed
that the sound was caused by the sun's rays falling
upon the statue ; others that the wind sighing
through the nooks and crevices of the stone may have
caused it; while some, thinking it was produced
by trickery, profess to have discovered the cavity
where the Theban priest concealed himself, that he
might strike upon the granite, and produce the
magical note. The seated Memnon in the British
o
Museum (21) was excavated by Belzoni, whose name
one is glad to find inscribed on the everlasting granite.
" The most perfect composure and regularity of
posture," as Miiller the art-critic observes, " charac-
terise this great work, and render it almost the ideal
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 69
expression of Egyptian art." Nos. 1 and 34, two red
granite lions couchant, are equally remarkable with
Memnon's statue, being examples (the best in
Europe) of Egyptian animal sculpture. They once
guarded the gate of a brick-built temple or palace
at Mount Barkal, in Upper Nubia. On the pedestal
of the first there is a dedication by Amenophis III.
to his grandfather. Amenophis caused them to be
made for the city of Soleb ; thence they were taken
by Tirhaka to his Ethiopian capital many hundred
years after ; and it was from this place that Lord
Prudhoe brought them in 1832. The hieroglyphs,
cut in the bib-like manes of the lions, relate the
names and titles of Amenasro, an Ethiopian prince,
and convict him at the same time of desiring to
o
appropriate what did not belong to him, and of
giving his own people credit for what they could not
do. No. 34 was also re-dedicated by Amentuanch, a
successor of Amenophis; and if we may judge from
the obliterated oval, some other prince sought to
acquire an easy fame in the same manner. Waagen
writes of these lions that they are " Perfect models of
architectonic sculpture. The action is true to nature,
and yet at the same time admirably corresponds with
the severe rectilinear architectonic style of Egyptian
art ; all the principal proportions are correct ; the
forms very much simplified, according to a certain
rule ; at the same time, with a fine feeling for what is
most characteristic in nature, everything is retained
which expresses the grandeur of the lion. Add to
this," he continues, "the greatest sharpness and
TO A HANDY- BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
precision in the working of the hard stone, the most
beautiful and durable polish of the surface, and you
have before you the chief elements of that grandeur
of effect which characterises the best specimens of
Egyptian sculpture/'
The last colossal work we have to notice in this
division of the gallery is the Ham's head, in sand-
stone (7). It is about four feet and a half long, and
belonged to one of the crio- sphinxes forming the
avenue to the temple at Karnak of Haremhebi
(Horus), the son and successor of Amenophis III.
(eighteenth dynasty). The character of the Egyptian
being known to us, it is easy to understand that the
brute embodiment of meekness and quiet would seem
to him a not inapt form in which to see and adore
the calm and blessed gods. Ammon, greatest of
gods, is even seen in his metamorphosis as Noum the
creator, hiding his divinity under the ram's head.
Herodotus has related the fable by which the Theban
priests explained this personification of Jupiter.
Hercules once greatly desired to see Jove, but Jove
was unwilling to reveal himself; but as Hercules
persisted in his wish, Jove adopted a device, by which
he was half revealed and half concealed ; having
flayed a ram and cut off its head, he covered himself
with its fleece, and held the head before him, and
thus appeared to Hercules. " And it is for this cause,"
says Herodotus, " that the Thebans do not sacrifice
rams, but consider them sacred animals." Sheep were,
indeed, commonly bred for the sake of their wool by
the Egyptians, but not used for food. Near the
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 71
ram's head are two small figures in alto-rilievo, repre-
senting Haremhebi (Horns), son of Memnon, nnder
the protection of the god Amenra, or perhaps of
Idem (5). From this figure, it is said, the Greeks
and Romans copied their god Priapns. In 75 and
102 may be seen the mutilated life-size statue of
Memnon; he stands before an altar with offerings
from the river; the altar is highly ornamented. "We
may observe here a small bust of an officer of state,
from a seated group, as an excellent example of the
eighteenth dynasty; and a Cynocephalus, or dog-
headed monkey, sacred to Thoth and Chons.
Many valuable tablets and frescoes of various
periods in Egyptian art are exhibited on the walls of
this division of the Egyptian gallery. No. 213
(window compartments 3, 4) is the tablet of Mentu-
hept, who, seated with his wife, receives the offerings
of his family and household (period, twelfth
fifteenth dynasty). No. 148 is the tablet of Neferha,
a superintendent of the builders of the palaces of
Thothmes IY. at Abydos ; he invokes the favour of
Osiris, his wife Isis, and Amenra. On the sand-
stone slab 153, eight deities are sculptured, sitting
four and four, back to back. On the left, Pharaoh
Thothmes III. makes offerings to Amenra, chief of
the gods, to Mut, mistress of the heavens, to Chons,
their son, prince of the heavens, and to beautiful
Athor. On the right, Amenophis I. adores Amenra
(ram-headed)., Noum, the creator (also ram-headed),
his consort Sati, the sunbeam, with the conical crown,
and his wife Anucis, with the head-dress of feathers.
72 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
No. 430 is a fragment from the side of a very an-
cient tomb (of the fourth or sixth dynasty), and re-
presents a procession of servants and the slaughtering
of animals. It is from Sakkarah, whence the French
obtained so many choice specimens of Egyptian art.
155 is the tablet of one Thothmes, who, as gate-
keeper of Memphis, held a dignified office. He is
invoking Osiris and Isis : the family is also seen
performing acts of worship.
In the next recess (7, 8) the tablets are con-
tinued ; most of them are badly executed. Here also
begin the famous Theban fresco-paintings, which
interest visitors and students alike. They are in
stucco ; the figures are drawn with the usual precision,
attention to details, and want of perspective, and
painted in red, black, yellow, and white. Nearly all
of them are from the tomb of Amenemheb, a clerk of
one of the royal granaries, scenes from whose life and
occupations they depict. To such drawings as these
biographies in stucco and paint we owe much of our
knowledge of the arts of the early Egyptians. No. 169
represents an Inspection of Cattle. Short-horned bulls,
chiefly red, white, and black spotted white, appear to
have been brought to the priest, whose foot, or toe,
one of the four drovers kneels and kisses. They are
probably an offering to the gods, or an allotment
for the priests ; or they may have been brought that a
bull with the essential marks might be found among
their number to replace the last sacred bull Apis-
each bull thus worshipped being (if it had not died
before that age) drowned on completing its twenty-
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT
73
fifth year, and another being chosen in its stead.
Below, the cattle are being sorted, and a scribe is
sitting down taking stock. No. 170 is a Scribe of the
Royal Granaries Fowling in the royal preserves near
a bank of rushes (papyri) by the water-side. This
was a favourite sport of Egyptian gentlemen. He
AN EGYPTIAN FOWLING.
stands in a punt made of papyrus, which has been
hauled-to, with a richly- attired lady behind him ; a
little girl sits in the boat, holding firmly on by the
right leg of the scribe, and with the other clutching a
lotus plant. The scribe fells the game attracted by
the call-birds he holds out in his right hand with
the short curved, serpent-headed throw-stick, which
he grasps in his left. A cat is employed instead of a
74 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
dog, and takes a prominent part in the sport ; she has
just caught some birds which the quacking decoy-
duck on the he&d of the punt has lured within her
spring. There is consternation among the feathered
tribe ; butterflies are on the wing ; fishes are darting
off, alarmed by the noise and the skimming shadows.
No. 171 -Inspection of Geese. Some are being counted,
others sorted, and the young ones put in baskets,
probably for the temple uses, as geese, very abundant
in the Nile valley, were consumed in large quantities
by the Egyptian priests. The barely-fledged goslings,
and the mother-goose on the right, enjoy immunity,
and look unconcernedly on, their time not having
come. Eggs are also counted; one clerk, with his
writing-palette under his arm, places his reckoning
on a stand where eggs have been placed in baskets.
Specimens of the baskets and boxes seen in this paint-
ing are exhibited in the first Egyptian room. No. 173
A Scribe of the Itoyal Granaries, seated on an
elaborately-carved chair. This may be the scribe
Amenemheb himself. No. 174 'Bringing of Corn and
Animals. The corn is tied up in bundles ; two hares
are removed by the ears, a young one has been put in
a net, and a gazelle is carried in the arms of one of
the men. No. 175 A Musical Entertainment, in
which several handsome and well-dressed women,
holding the lotus -flower, which it was the custom to
present to each guest on arrival, are listening to the
music of the guitar and double flute. Q No. 176
(*) A mummied figure was handed to guests at a banquet, to remind
them of death and eternity ; the lotus-flower was probably presented
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 75
Chariots and Cultivation of Corn. We might suppose
from this picture that when the "Egyptians were not at
war, they employed their light chariots in the peaceful
arts. They are here used probably to carry away the
corn. Two horses are being pulled up, two mules (?)
are baiting. The scene on the left has been variously
interpreted. It appears to represent a bald-headed
man weeding corn, and in the act of moistening his
left hand to give him a firmer hold of the hoe which
he holds in his right. This was no doubt the most
toilsome of the peasant's labours ; for in no country in
the world is it more easy than in Egypt to raise a
harvest. After the periodical overflow and gradual
retiring of the Nile, the seed was scattered over the
rich black soil of the banks ; light cattle were turned
out to tread the seed in ; harvest-time soon arrived ;
and then the threshing was done by oxen walking over
the strewed field, and treading out the grain from
the ear. No. 177 Fish-pond, containing seven fishes,
seven water -fowl, and six lotus -flowers. Around
the pond are fruit-trees, which have supplied the
basket of the woman, or goddess, in the right-hand
corner. The painting reminds us of the frescoes of
the Chinese. No. 179, 181 Musical Entertain-
ment. In the upper compartment of the former,
the company look at the two female dancers below,
one of whom dances vigorously to the music of an
orchestra of four handsome graceful women, with
in remembrance of Osiris, the Rising and Setting Sun, as that flower
rises out of the water when the sun's rays strike it, and falls back at
sunset.
76 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
elaborate head-dresses and collar ornaments, and ele-
gant dresses. The only instrument used seems to
be the double pipe or flute ; but most likely the three
who seem to be clapping hands are playing small
bronze cymbals, and singing or humming. The
dancing-girls wear scarcely any clothing. Their
dancing probably resembled that of the Egyptian
women who to this day wander about from place to
place following the same art. The chief peculiarity
of the dance consists in their moving, without walking.
The soles of their feet slide along the ground without
being once raised off it ; and at other times the feet
are hesitatingly jerked along, as if tied together.
They move perfectly upright, and keep time by snap-
ping their fingers to the sound of the tambourines.
The company in the picture consists of two ladies,
elegantly dressed, and six or seven gentlemen, who
are enjoying the scent of the freshly- gathered lotus
(the beautiful water-flower which is seen in the hot-
house tanks at Kew). A female attendant, or dancing-
girl, waits upon the company. Two of the chairs are
of handsome construction, and cushioned ; the rest are
like the white-painted substantially-supported speci-
mens in the Museum. In 181, more of the company
is seen. Above, three of the female attendants bring
refreshments for the ladies from the well-stocked side-
board on the left ; while two men-servants wait on the
gentlemen. In the lower compartment are seated
eight ladies, who wear a gorgeous head-dress. A
gentleman, probably the master of the house, sits on
a chair apart, attended by a youth. ~No. 180 repre-
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 77
sents A Table of Offerings. Here are the much-loved
flowers of the land in vases and on graceful stands ;
baskets of fruit, the head and leg of an ox, a goose,
cakes, and other oblations. Of the four Theban
frescoes lately exhibited (July, 1869), one shows us
Egyptian artificers sitting on their favourite low
stools, busily engaged at their benches in the manu-
facture of articles of jewellery chains, necklaces,
collars, &c. Three of the men use the bow for
drilling holes, and one is occupied at a furnace.
Sistra, dishes, boxes or cabinets, vases, &c., appear,
from the paintings, to be amongst the other articles
turned out by the men. The three remaining frescoes
represent Asiatics and negroes bringing tribute to one
of the Pharaohs. They are all pretty well drawn,
and nicely preserved, especially that with the Asiatics.
Mr. Danby Seymour presented them in 1869.
In our examination of these frescoes, we have
passed a slab of the greatest historical importance
the so-called tablet of Abydos. It was one of the
monuments which Pharaoh Eameses II. (nineteenth
dynasty) dedicated to the memory of his ancestors,
and contains a record of the kings of Egypt up to
the nineteenth dynasty. Monuments distinctly de-
claring the succession of the Pharaohs are so rare that
this tablet is almost invaluable. There is nothing
specially interesting in its appearance, only a repeti-'
tion of yellow-coloured trays or ovals, black crouching
figures, birds, insects, crowns, globes, indented lines,
and things that look like skates. The invariable
Egyptian practice of fencing round the names of
78 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
kings by " trays " or " ovals " greatly facilitates the
reading of these and other hieroglyphs. When this
tablet was first seen by Mr. Banks in 1818, on a wall
among the ruins of the ancient This, much of it that
is now broken away was still remaining. A French
consul in Egypt, M. Mimaut, made it his property,
and the British Museum acquired it at the sale of his
collection in 1837, for 500 a trifling sum when we
consider the importance of this record, which, with
Manetho, has formed the groundwork of most of the
later histories of Egypt. Close by is the tablet (138),
on which is engraved, in the hieratic writing of the
Egyptians, a public act relating to the endowment
of the temple of Amenra, in the city of Kark.
No. 803 is a fragment from the side of a tomb
representing priests and scribes with offerings. In
the next window (23 5) are several small jars with
carved heads. These vases, which the Egyptians used
to place at the side of their dead, will be described
when we come to the mummies. No. 303 is the
highly- coloured tablet of Kahu, who lived under the
eighteenth dynasty, and was keeper of the storehouse
in which the offerings made to Ammon were depo-
sited. No. 191 deviates, both in its very high relief
and its treatment of the subject, from the usual style
of the sepulchral monuments. It is the adoration
by Kaha and his family, seen in the lower part of
the tablet, of the nude goddess who stands upon the
lion, and whose name is Ken, the Chiun of Scripture
(a manifestation of Venus) of the god Khem, and
of the strange god Eenpu, to the right ; also of the
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 79
goddess Anaita, below, who wears the conical cap
of Osiris, and holds a battle-axe in an attitude of
menace. No. 194 is a kind of hieroglyphical puzzle,
the inscription, in squares, being readable either hori-
zontally or vertically ; it was placed in a Theban
temple of the goddess Mut, to whom the adorations
are made. No. 149 is a very good tablet of the
nineteenth dynasty period, sacred to the memory
of Baennaa, clerk at one of the royal quarries, and
dedicated to Osiris, Isis, the mother - goddess, and
Nephthys, the sister-goddess.
On the other side of the gallery are more sepul-
chral tablets. We will begin at the window com-
partments 5, 6. No. 206 is a very ancient tablet,
probably more than four thousand years old, out of
place here, owing to want of room. It was put up
for Mentuemmatu, who is painted red the woman,
coloured yellow, is his wife Eensankhu. No. 830 is
the tablet of Sebakaau, who superintended the linen
in one of the palaces of the twelfth dynasty. The
large tablet, 828, is that of Mentusa, a scribe or
secretary of high rank ; we are told that he was born
in the reign of Amenemha I., held office under the
first' Osirtasen, and died during the rule of Amen-
emha II. (twelfth dynasty). No. 145 is a red
granite fragment discovered at Alexandria, near the
base of Pompey's Pillar. The figure of the god
Turn, who gives " the sweet breath of his nostril "
(eternal life) to a monarch of the eighteenth dynasty,
is a good sample of monumental work. 200 is the
over-crowded memorial of the sculptor Anuphept and
80
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE .BRITISH MUSEUM.
his family, which, judging from the execution, is
more likely to have belonged to the fifteenth than
the twelfth dynasty. The finely-sculptured stone,
SEPULCHRAL TABLET OP THE PltlEST AMENHETP.
902, was erected in memory of Amenhetp, who lived
under Thothmes IV. (eighteenth dynasty), and was
a high priest of Anhar, or Onouris that is, of
Typhon in his warlike capacity. Part of the name
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 81
has been erased from the hieroglyphics on this
stone. A very interesting tablet is that of Ruma,
" scribe of the troops " a position answering some-
what to that of adjutant-general among ourselves.
The beautiful temple of Sethos I., the Setheum, at
Abydos, was under his particular charge. At the
head of the stone the jackal-headed Anubis sits on
the mystical gates of the north and the south ;. in
the middle part, Ruma, his wife, and three sons, pre-
sent offerings to the triad, Osiris, Isis, and Horns ;
below, the scribe and his wife receive the offerings
of their family and relatives. The tablet 307 is
that of Mahu, an officer who carried the Pharaoh's
bow in those times his principal weapon. Mahu
wears the double dress, and, with his sister Neferari,
makes presents to Osiris, in order to dispose the
eternal arbiter to temper judgment with mercy, and
to induce him to receive to himself at last the soul
of his devout worshipper. The goddess Nupe, the
protectress of the soul, stands in hjsr sycamore fig-tree
at the bottom, dispensing the bread and water of life.
The large figure in the door-jamb from Memphis
(160) is that of Ptahmes, a royal secretary, in the
act of addressing the gods ; beneath, funeral honours
are being paid to his embalmed body.
HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
IV. CENTRAL SALOON.
COLOSSAL AND OTHER STATUARY.
Dynasty XTX.
THE antiquities in the Central Saloon principally be-
long to the most illustrious period of Egypt's history,
that in which it was ruled over by the great kings of
the nineteenth dynasty. Eameses I. was the first of
this line; to him succeeded his son Seti, or Sethos, I.,
also called Menephtah (the beloved of Ptah), who, it
is supposed, was the famous " Osymandyas," com-
memorated by the Greek writers. Seti seems to
have set himself the task of restoring Egypt to what
it was in the time of Memnon (Amenophis III.).
His conquests extended to Canaan, Syria, Arabia,
distant parts of Asia, Nubia, and the more southern
country. He added considerably to the number and
grandeur of the monuments in his empire. Of these
may be particularised the Hall of Karnak, the Temple
erected in memory of his father (Eameses I.), and
his own splendid tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
Sethos was succeeded by his still more illustrious son,
Eameses II., or Sesostris. Under the united reigns
of these two monarchs Egypt was the chief among
the nations, and reached the height of its internal
prosperity. The story is told that the father of
Eameses commanded that all the boys who were
born in his dominions on the same day as his son
should be carefully brought up and educated with
him ; thus, when Eameses grew to man's estate, he
TllK EUYVTIAS DKPAHTMEXT. S3
'
was surrounded by proved friends, who, as ministers
and military officers, faithfully served him and their
country. Eameses has left substantial monuments
of his triumphs in the scenes of his many and wide-
spread conquests, as well as in Egypt and Ethiopia.
11AMESES II. (SESOSTRIS).
(From one of the colossal statues in Nubia.)
On the walls of the temple erected by him at
Beit-el-Walee, in Nubia, some records of his victories
may be seen, executed in bas-relief. Casts of some of
these will be found in the first Egyptian room. More
large sculptures have endured to our time of his than
of any other reign. Of these the largest are in the
rock temples of Aboo-Simbel or Ibsamboul, in Nubia.
A cast from the head of one of the colossal statues
84 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
of Eameses at this place, may be seen in the Egyptian
vestibule, over the east doorway.
It is recorded that captives taken in battle were
compelled to become brick-makers, builders, and
sculptors ; and they were no doubt largely employed
on the many canals which were excavated during this
reign, and in other forced works. Probably they also
helped in the construction of the fleet, which was un-
usually large for that time. Hameses for some years
reigned jointly with his father ; the whole length of
his reign is reckoned to have been nearly seventy years.
Herodotus relates that even Darius freely acknow-
ledged the superiority of this monarch. Darius desired
to place a statue of himself in front of the colossi of
Eameses at Memphis, but a priest of Ptah resisted him,
saying : " Darius has not equalled the achievements of
Sesostris (Eameses) the Egyptian ; for while Sesostris
subdued quite as many nations as ever Darius has
brought under, he likewise conquered the Scythians,
whom Darius has failed to master; it is not fair,
therefore, that he should erect his statue in front of
the offerings of a king whose deeds he has been
unable to surpass :" and Darius confessed that the
priest's argument was just.
In the reign of Eameses II. (B.C. 1392) Bunsen
places the birth of Moses. We should mention at the
same time that Wilkinson has placed his death in
1451 B.C., in the reign of Amenophis II., which both
Eosellini and Champollion have put down as begun,
the one, in 1729, the other, in 1723, B.C. The
difficulty of dealing with Egyptian chronology will
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 85
be apparent from this one instance. But a scholar
no less profound than Bunsen Brugsch has
also placed the date of the birth of Moses in the
reign of Barneses II. in the sixth year, 1401 B.C.
And on the concurrent testimony of two such men,
we cannot withhold our belief from their statement
that Moses was born in the reign of this Barneses,
and adopted by his daughter, however opinions may
vary as to the actual date B.C. of Barneses II.'s reign.
Moses was probably educated at the principal sacer-
dotal college, where he must have become " learned
in all the wisdom of the Egyptians/' their history,
religion, laws, and literature, and also familiar with
the monuments that enriched the country, many of
which, now in the Museum, his eyes, as well as ours,
may have looked upon. No known portraits of the
princess who nourished Moses for her own son exist ;
but a statue of her young brother, Shaaemuab, is in
the Museum.
At the entrance of the Central Saloon is a small
statue under glass of the Ethiopian prince Pa-ur
(70$) kneeling before an altar with a ram's head
typical of the living soul upon it. Opposite is the
sacred scribe Biaai (46) seated on the ground, holding
in his left hand an ear of corn, and in his right the
symbol of life. The inscription on the breast-plate
tells us that he officiated under Barneses II. The
erect red granite statue (61), placed between the
columns, represents one of the Pharaohs, apparently in
the act of walking, but whether the second Barneses
or his successor, Menephtah, cannot be determined;
SO A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
both names appear one on the shoulder, the other
on the chest, while a third has been erased from the.
belt. The head wears the crown of Upper Egypt ;
the kingly beard has been broken off. Sharpe and
others incline to the belief that this statue really
represents Menephtah. It was during the reign
of this Pharaoh that, in the opinion of the fore-
most Egyptian scholars, Moses returned to Egypt
from Midian to fulfil his divine mission. Bunsen
records his opinion that the exode of the Israelites
took place in the spring of the year 1320 B.C. ; that,
indeed, "it is the only possible time for the exodus,
according to the monuments." And Brugsch says
that this great event in the history of the Jewish
race occurred in one of the last six years of the reign
of Menephtah, between 1327 and 1321 B.C. We
may behold, then, in this statue of the beloved of
Phtah, the Pharaoh out of whose hand the children
of Israel were delivered by such strange and fearful
ways ; the king, at once weak and wilful, who willed,
and willed not, till every house in Egypt was bur-
dened with a corpse ; who, repenting as soon as
he had let them go, pursued the Israelites in their
night, and with his horses, his chariots, and his
horsemen, was drowned in the midst of the Eed
Sea^ 1 ) " Pharaoh" is commonly described as resolute
and inflexible, but in thoughtfully reading the words
(') See Exodus xiv. But the tomb of Menephtah is seen at the
present day in Egypt, in the Biban-el-Molook. This does not, how-
ever, set aside the fact that he was drowned in the Bed Sea. In
Exodus xiv. 30, we read that, " Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon
the sea shore." It is not likely that they were all left there un-
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 87
of Moses we gain the impression of a hard but feeble-
minded man ; one whom only fear could compel to
cease from oppression, but who was easily amenable
to fear. And in the statue before us, these charac-
teristics may be discerned. It certainly contrasts in
this respect with the colossal portrait of Barneses, who
died while Moses kept the flocks of Jethro^ 1 ) It
is not improbable that Moses was known to Sesostris,
as well as to his successor, and that, as the adopted
son of the king's daughter, he held some appointment
in the household of Barneses II., until, having slain
an Egyptian, and the law of the country imperatively
demanding his life, he fled into the land of Midian.
No. 854 is a specimen of wood-carving brought
from the tombs of the kings at Thebes, which have
yielded so many valuable and interesting relics. It
is evidently of the same age as the granite statue,
but much decayed. It represents Seti, or Sethos, I.
There are two other wooden statues, numbered
853 and b, in the Central Saloon, brought from
the Theban tombs. The three carvings may have
belonged to the long series which the Theban
priests showed to Herodotus on his visit to the
inner sanctuary, and also to Hecatseus, when he
came to them to inquire concerning his ancestry. It
is related that Hecataeus would fain have believed
that he was a descendant of the gods, but the priests,
who kept the genealogical records of their houses
buried; and Meriephtah's body was probably found and interred
in the valley of the kings ; if not, the tomb may have been erected
in memoriam.
( ] ) See Exodus ii. 23; and iii. 1.
88 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
with great care, and could trace back their ancestry
for many generations, convinced him, on a reference to
the rolls, that his sixteenth ancestor might have been
a piromis, son of a piromis (gentleman, son of a gentle-
man) ' but was certainly neither god nor hero. The
block in red granite lying behind the carving (854)
is from a colossal Priapic figure. No. 51 represents
one of the treasury clerks of Barneses II. invoking
Osiris, Isis, and Horus, who appear on the shrine he
holds. Behind this sculpture are fragments of large
hieroglyphics, raised and coloured on white and yellow
grounds, from the magnificent sepulchre of Sethos I.,
in the valley at Thebes. No. 107 represents Merau,
a royal scribe, and a military officer under the nine-
teenth dynasty, seated before an altar. The huge
busts of Eameses II. (or the Great), the Sesostris of
the Greeks, now demand our attention. No. 19 be-
longs to the best period of Egyptian colossal art ; it is
at the same time the largest and the finest specimen
of massive sculpture in the British Museum many
critics go so far as to say, in Europe. Sculptured a
thousand years before the Greek Phidias began to
carve himself a lasting name, and above three thou-
sand years before our time, it is yet characterised by
qualities that we have been used to attribute exclusively
to works of Grecian origin, and expresses grandeur,
majesty, and divine composure. Owing to the bad
light in which this head is placed, it is only on a very
fine day that the features can be clearly distinguished ;
they are of a more Asiatic type than those of
Thothmes III., whose bust fronts that of Eameses
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 89
from the northern gallery. The face of Sesostris is
handsome and intelligent, and seems not unlikely to
have been a faithful portrait of the magnanimous king.
We are indebted to an accident for the excellent
preservation of the features : when broken off from
the trunk, the head fell face downwards, and thus lay
safely embedded in the surrounding sand. The en-
throned statue of Amenophis III., already noticed, will
convey an idea of that of Rameses, which was, when
whole, twenty-four feet in height. The bust is about
nine feet high, and weighs from ten to twelve tons ; it
has been wrought out of one piece of granite of two
colours, the lighter, of a reddish tint, being given to
the upper part, as far as the chin, and the darker to
the lower part. It has a head-rest at the back,
running down which are two rows of hieroglyphics ;
these in which the bird and feathers are the most
conspicuous are to the effect that Eameses was a
most illustrious prince, greatly beloved of the gods.
The royal head-dress gives dignity to the face,
but it is very heavy behind ; it is surmounted by a
crown of simple form, decorated with small serpents,
symbols of imperial authority. A portion of the
crown has been broken away, but the royal beard, or
beard-case for the Egyptians shaved off their beards
and wore false ones is uninjured. This colossal
work was removed with difficulty by Belzoni from
one of the court-yards of the " Memnonium," a
"Mausoleum" at Thebes, under the directions of
Mr. Consul-General Salt, and of Burckhardt the well-
known traveller, by both of whom it was presented
90 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
to the nation in 1817. Fourteen poles, four rollers,
four palm-leaf ropes, and some Arab muscle, constituted
the entire motive-power at Belzoni's command; but
with thus little he managed to get the mass to the
river's bank, a distance of more than a mile. It was
then apprehended that the weight of the bust would
sink the Nile boat that was to carry it to Alexandria,
and the national jealousy of some foreign savants
placed other difficulties in the way of our obtaining
this great work ; fears, however, proved unfounded,
difficulties ' were dispelled, and the bust reached
England in safety.
At the side of the sculpture No. 19 is a cast from
the head of one of the colossi of Barneses at Meet-
Eaheeneh, a village not far from the pyramids,
which marks the central portion of the site of
ancient Memphis. Murray's " Handbook for Egypt "
informs us that the total height of the original
statue the face of which is still perfectly preserved
may be estimated at forty-two feet eight inches,
without the pedestal. " It was discovered by
Signor Caviglia and Mr. Sloane, by whom it was
given to the British Museum, on condition of its
being taken to England ; but the fear of the expense
seems to have hitherto prevented its removal. When
the Turks have burnt it for lime it will be regretted."
We should notice in connection with this head, the
red granite fist of one of these colossi, which lies
between the columns in the gallery on the left. Its
wrist is eighty inches round. Close by is the bust of
a woman, probably a queen, wrought in white stone.
THE EGYPTJ AX DEPARTMENT. 91
It is valuable as one of the few colossal busts of
Egyptian women which have as yet been found.
On the opposite side of the Central Saloon is
No. 67, the upper part of a statue of Eameses II., in
the character of the ineffable Osiris, wearing the
pschent over the royal wig. The flail and the crook
symbols of majesty and dominion crossed, and reach-
ing to his shoulders, are the insignia of his office. On
the shoulders and down the back is the hieroglyphic
story of the sculpture. It was found at the island of
Elephantine, near Philse. No. 78 is a ponderous
granite coffin-lid, which once covered the remains of
Setau, a prince of Ethiopia, during the reign of
Sesostris. ~No. 27 is the lower part of a dark granite
statue of Eameses II., kneeling and holding a shrine,
on the top of which is the sacred beetle. No 109 is
a small seated statue of the same, much disfigured,
and having the lower part restored. No. 106 is
another colossal fist in red granite, superior in truth-
fulness of modelling to that of Thothmes III. In
company with this is an inscribed fragment from the
column of Diocletian at Alexandria, better known as
Pompey's Pillar. This beautifully-polished column,
ninety-five feet high, and nine feet in diameter in the
shaft, is the admiration of all who visit the famous
capital of Lower Egypt. Some years ago some English
sailors, fresh ashore, and bent on adventure, determined
to climb it, and actually succeeded in making the first
known ascent, by the aid of a rope, which, fastened to
the end of a kite, they had contrived to throw over
the summit. No. 857 is a red granite lion dedicated
92 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM,
to Eameses II., obtained from Benha-el-asal. It
resembles the Prudhoe lions in treatment, but is very
much mutilated, especially in front. No. 25, one of
the acquisitions of the British army in Egypt, is a
fragment, in black granite, from Abydos, of a kneel-
ing figure of an officer of state. No. 42, Sesostris
supplicating the gods before an altar, is natural in
expression, but not remarkable for technical excellence.
The kneeling posture here made use of was one in
favour with Egyptian sculptors, or rather, with the
priests, who determined the designs of the sculptors,
and probably were their chief employers in works of
this kind. In a similar example, No. 96, Eameses II.,
with a somewhat painful expression on his face, kneels
at an altar for divine libations, which is supported by
a vase. It is in limestone the lower part restored
and was found on a plain at Abydos. The massive
granite sarcophagus, No. 18, is that of the standard-
bearer, Peneterhent, who lived under the nineteenth
dynasty.
V. SOUTHEKN GALLERY.
STATUARY. SARCOPHAGI. WALL SCULPTURE.
Dynasty XIX. to the Roman occupation.
THE entrance to the southern part of the Egyptian
gallery is guarded by two griffins, or gryphons (11
and 13), the fabulous animals which, by the union of
the lion's body with the head of the hawk or eagle,
were held fitly to symbolise the strength and vigilance
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 93
of the warrior god, Muntra, or Mars. These examples
were both found by Belzoni in the great Ibsamboul
temple. The dog-headed baboon (40), standing in ado-
ration to the moon, is from the same place. Between,
the columns here, is placed No. 93, the upper part of
a statue of a queen, wearing the graceful head-dress
of Athor, the goddess of beauty. (It is a curious
fact that the fashion of 1868 availed itself of this
ancient head-dress, by copying from it the pretty
oval trimmings which adorned the front of last year's
bonnets.) The graceful curving of the horns of the
ram (see the large head 7) may have, in the first
instance, suggested this style as the appropriate
decoration of Athor, for that animal was sacred to
her, as " daughter of the sun," as well as to the other
solar deities. On the opposite side are two sacrificial
basins (108 and 28). The former, oblong in shape,
and made of granite, contains a dedication to Amenra
and Ptah on behalf of Neferba, one of the chief
officers of state of Barneses II. (nineteenth dynasty).
A little figure said to be that of this same royal
functionary looks over into the basin. In the front,
two priests in long robes stand before sacred emblems,
each having a crescent-headed rest (ouols) at the nape
of the neck, to indicate that a long-continued prayer
is being engaged in. The latter basin (28) is cir-
cular, in sandstone, and is dedicated to Athor, in her
manifestation as Thoueris, the hippopotamus-headed
goddess, inhabiting the centre of the pure waters, and
the chosen divinity of Theban lawyers ; her head
figures in front of the basin. The small erect statue
94 A HAXDY-UOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
in breccia, shouldering two long standards, emblems of
military dignity, and in the act of marching forward,
represents one of the governors of Memphis, Shaa-
.emuab or uas, the fourth son of Sesostris, and a
standard-bearer in the Egyptian army. It was found
at Asyoot ; the colour of the marble is considered to
resemble the complexion of the Thebans. No. 476
is the square sepulchral shrine, or naos, in limestone,
of Euka, who was an ensign, or a " superintendent
of the standard-bearers," in the Egyptian army during
the nineteenth dynasty. Facing this, and of the
same period (460), is another Afahu, an architect of
public works at southern Thebes, who, painted red,
sits beside his sister, Seba, painted yellow; the de-
dication is to several divinities. No. 36, a larger
example, in limestone, is the shrine of an officer of
high rank, with his wife or sister, probably both.
They are seated in chairs of elegant design ; their
hands are clasped; the robes are long and carefully
fluted. The officer wears sandals, fastened to the
feet by means of a bridge or broad band running
over the instep from the sides of the sole, and by a
cord fixed to the front, drawn between the big toe
and the next, and tied to the instep-piece. The
absence of colossal figures becomes observable in this
part of the gallery, and a decline in the skill of the
Egyptian sculptor begins, we think, to show itself.
On the other side of the gallery is (26) a figure,
in light-brown sandstone, of Seti II. (called, like
Seti I., Menephtah, or the Beloved of Phtah) ; he
sits on an inscribed throne, holding an altar with a
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT 95
ram's head upon it, a propitiation to the Maker
Khnum, or to Amenra. It was discovered by Belzoni
at Karnak. The lower limbs appear much too long,
whether from the sculptor's want of skill, or from
disproportion in the original, cannot be determined.
We cannot well overlook the giant beetle
fourteen feet round in dark greenish granite in the
middle of the gallery (74). As a colossal work it is
considered excellent. It was removed from Egypt
to Constantinople under a Byzantine emperor, and
thence to England by Lord Elgin. This insect was
held sacred by the Egyptians to the Creator or
Unigenitor, on account of some supposed peculiarities
in its structure and habits, and was worshipped in
most parts of Egypt as the emblem of Chepher.
Many images of it, in all sorts of material, and
applied to various purposes, have been found in the
country, and are now seen in modern collections. It
was commonly used in ornamentation ; and, inscribed
with an extract from the ceremonial books, was
frequently placed upon the mummied body.
Several Pharaohs, mostly bearing the name of
Rameses, fill up the interval between the reigns of
Menephtah and Shishak, to whose era the monu-
ments we next examine belong. The daughter of
one of these was married to Solomon, her dowry
being the city of Grezer, which the Pharaoh took from
the Canaanites. Sheshonk I., the Shishak of Scrip-
ture, was the first king of the twenty-second dynasty
(B.C. 990), and an Assyrian by birth.
We read in Scripture that, in the fifth year of
96 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the reign of Behoboam, this same Pharaoh came up
against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots and 60,000
horsemen, besides a numberless host of Lubims,
Sukkiims, and Ethiopians, and " took away the
treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures
of the king's house, 3 ' and the shields of gold which
Solomon made, and which Eehoboam was obliged
to replace by shields of brass. This inroad is
duly recorded on the walls of the great temple of
Karnak.
The Egyptian remains are indeed full of such
confirmations of Biblical history. As Stuart Poole,
the well-known Egyptologist, has said in his " Horse
jEgyptiacse," " The monuments of Egypt in no man-
ner on no point contradict the Bible, but confirm it.
Some have asserted that they disprove that sacred
book ; and others have insinuated that they weaken
its authority. The monuments completely disprove
both these ideas; and their venerable records most
forcibly warn us, not only against the disbelief of
sacred history, but also against distrusting too much
the narratives of ancient profane history, and even
tradition."
The two statues of Pasht from Karnak [630 an ^
517], in dark granite, bear the name of Shishak ;
but they so strikingly resemble those we have
already noticed as executed under the eighteenth
dynasty, that one is inclined to believe that this un-
scrupulous king may have wrongfully affixed his name
to what was really the work of his predecessors.
(*) See Engraving.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 97
Another large statue, ascribed to the same
dynasty, and dedicated by Sheshonk, or Shishak,
high priest of Ameiira, and son of Osorkon I., is that
of Hapi or Hapimoou, in sandstone, from Karnak (8).
Hapimoou, the god of the Nile, was annually invoked
with very imposing ceremonies. Dr. Birch says :
" The ancient name of this river was Hapimoou the Numerous
Waters which may imply the stream inundating the country. The
Nile was represented by the Egyptians as in the present instance,
and androgynous, his form distinguished for its embonpoint, with
the addition of female breasts, to indicate that the river was the
nurse and support of Egypt, which it nourished with its waters,
circulating life and fertility over the plains. . . . The Nile is
represented often, as in this statue, holding an altar, upon which are
the circular and oval cakes of bread, gourds, the head, haunch, ribs.
&c., of a calf. Pendant from this altar, which is grooved with a
spout in front for libations, are lotus-flowers, maize, and water-
fowl, the produce of the river. On his right side, before his leg, arc
flowers of the papyrus, through which the god is walking."
This statue is fairly executed, and the decorations of
the altar will repay a few minutes' close inspection.
The first and second Takeloths were also kings
of the twenty-second dynasty ; in the twenty -third
(B.C. 818) they were followed by more of the Shishak
family. Bocchcris the Wise (B.C. 734) was the most
famous king of the twenty-fourth dynasty, and the
last, for his kingdom was invaded by the Ethiopians,
and, after an unavailing struggle in its defence, ho
was defeated and slain.
We possess a memento of the reign of the Nubian
conqueror of Egypt, Sabacos or Shebek, who founded
the twenty-fifth dynasty, in the slab 135"*, relating to
the god Ptah, and to the contests of Horus and
Typhon in the region of Osiris. Tirhakah, the
H
98 A HANDY-HOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
illustrious Ethiopian (B.C. 714) also belonged to this
dynasty. He successfully resisted the invasions of
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, but was conquered by
Esar-haddon, the son of Sennacherib, and subse-
quently by Assurbanipal. Some bronze plates in-
scribed with the name of Tirhakah are exhibited in
the First Egyptian Koom.
The conquest and spoliation of Egypt by Esar-
haddoii are duly recorded in the Assyrian cuneiform
inscriptions. (') He divided the country into twenty
districts, and gave a king to each. Egypt was sub-
ject to Assyria till B.C. 668, when Tirhakah endea-
voured to regain his kingdom, but was defeated in
a great battle by the brave young Assurbanipal.
At last, however, Tirhakah succeeded in regaining
Upper Egypt, where he soon afterwards died. His
death is thus poetically described in the Assyrian
chronicle of Assurbanipal : " The might of the ser-
vants of Assur, my lord, swept over him, and he went
to his region of night." Urdamane succeeded Tirha-
kah in Upper Egypt, and made war upon the lower
province ; but he was defeated and punished by
Assurbanipal, who, in his revenge, ravaged the whole
country, and Thebes more especially, as the capital
of his enemy. Egypt thus became again entirely
subject to Assyria, and remained so till the time of
Psammetichus I., the restorer of the Egyptian line
of kings, and the founder of the twenty-sixth dynasty.
Thus an interval of 300 years elapsed between the
( ] ) See the interesting paper by Mr. Geo. Smith, in Lepsius's
" ^eitschrift" for Sept. and "Nov., 1868.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. QQ
execution of the statue of the Nile which we last
examined about B.C. 990 and that which we now
turn to, No. Ill on the opposite side (twenty-sixth
dynasty, B.C. 064). It was a time which, beginning
with prosperity and foreign conquest, ended with
domestic invasion and manifold distress ; such a time,
latterly, of disgrace and disaster as, perhaps, Egypt
had never experienced since its first invasion by the
"Shepherd Kings."
This large black granite figure (No. Ill), represents
Uaprehet, or Apries, the " functionary with various
offices," who kneels and holds a small shrine like a
cabinet before him, with a little erect statue of Osiris
in front. It is an example of the wonderful change,
worthy to be called a Renaissance, which came over
the spirit of Egyptian art at this date. This change
was probably due in part to the new vigour which
freedom breathed into the people ; in part also, doubt-
less, to the beneficial knowledge they had acquired
of other styles of art during their subjection to a
foreign yoke.O The inscriptions on the pedestal
are scarcely if at all inferior to those of the best
period for sharp and fine engraving. The statue is
unusually bulky and round of limb ; and, as the
smaller examples of this period exhibit similar
peculiarities, we must suppose that they represent
a fashion then prevalent in Egyptian art. The
statue was obtained from the neighbourhood of the
( J ) The Assyrian king and king-maker, Esar-haddon, caused
statues of himself to be set up in diTerent parts of Egypt on its
subjugation by him.
H 2
100 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Natron lakes, to the north of the great pyramids.
No. 20 is a basalt slab well carved and designed.
It was found between two columns of a temple at
Alexandria. It is worn down at the back, and looks
as if it had been used as a paving-stone. We may
refer to this slab for illustration of the fine ar-
tistic feeling which sprang up at the Kenaissance,
and was peculiar to this, the third period of Egyp-
tian sculpture.
The man here represented making offerings of
conical-shaped cakes to the door-keeper of the gates
of the Egyptian Elysium, is the famous and en-
lightened Psammetichus I. himself, in whose person
the Egyptian line of Saite( 1 ) kings was restored. He
threw off the Assyrian yoke (B.C. 664), and united the
dismembered country; but not without the aid of
mercenaries, supplied by Gyges, King of Lydia.
Assurbanipal says, in one of his cuneiform inscrip-
tions, that he prayed to Assur and Istar his deities,
that for the aid thus given, the dead body of Gryges
might be thrown before his enemies, and his servants
carried into captivity ; and he further says that the
deities heard his prayer, that these things came to
pass, and that the Cimmerian enemy swept the
whole of Lydia. Psammetichus deeply offended his
Egyptian troops by employing and favouring these
foreign auxiliaries, so that when a favourable op-
portunity arrived, 240,000 soldiers immigrated to
Ethiopia. Psammetichus pursued after and came up
with the deserters, and entreated them not to forsake
( J ) So called from their capital, Sa'is, in Lower Egypt.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 101
their country ; but they persisted in their purpose,
unmoved by his appeals.
After this grievous loss of population, Psammeti-
chus I. turned his attention, amongst other things,
to the embellishment and extension of the temples
of Thebes, Memphis, and other cities, and erected
a special edifice for the worship of the bull Apis.
The arts again flourished, and the nation almost en-
joyed afresh the '' good old times" of the eighteenth
and nineteenth dynasties. The Greek foreigners
obtained a firm footing in the country, and were held
in high esteem by Psammetichus. He even went
so far as to have some Egyptian children instructed
in the Greek language ; and allowed Greeks to come
to Egypt to study the various institutions of the
country ; and many of those great changes in the
arts, manners, and customs of the Egyptians, which
afterwards became so conspicuous, may be referred
to Grecian influence. His reign lasted fifty-four years.
Before describing remains of a later date, we
must continue our slight chronological outline.
Psammetichus I. was followed by his son Necho,
the sailor king, who first, it is said, undertook to
explore the African coast. For this purpose he
had some ships or triremes specially fitted out, and
manned with Phoenician seamen. He considerably
improved the commerce of the country, and tried to
re-open the canal between the Nile and the Red
Sea, but without more than a partial success ;
120,000 labourers were lost in the attempt. This
is the Pharaoh-nechoh mentioned in the 2nd of
102 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM,
Kings, who " went up against the king of Assyria,
to the river Euphrates/' slew Josiah, and made
Eliakim king in his stead ; and from whom, shortly
after, ^Nebuchadrezzar took part of his foreign pos-
sessions, confining him to Egypt. Psammetichus
II. succeeded Necho (B.C. 594). In this Pharaoh's
reign came the ambassadors from Elis to consult
about the Olympic games. Some of the temples in
Thebes and Lower Egypt were enlarged by him.
He made war upon the Ethiopians, and died shortly
after, having reigned only six years. Specimens
of the sculpture of his time have descended to
us ; the figures are remarkable for roundness and
bulkiness (see 489, 491). After him came A pries,
the Pharaoh-hophra mentioned by Jeremiah (B.C.
588). According to Herodotus, his reign began
prosperously. He sent an army against Sidon.
and with his powerful fleet was able to encounter
the king of Tyre in a sea-fight ; and, according
to Diodorus, he took Sidon by storm, and reduced
the whole of the Phomician coast. But his suc-
cesses seem to have been fatal to his character,
and he became cruel and tyrannical. His contempo-
rary, Ezekiel, calls him " the great dragon that lieth
in the midst of the rivers." His tyranny estranged
the affection of his subjects, and at Gyrene, whither
he had sent an army on an unsuccessful and, there-
fore, unpopular expedition, the troops broke into open
revolt. He despatched Amasis, his friend, to reason
with the men, and bring them back to their allegi-
ance ; but Amasis, betraying his king, placed himself
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 103
at the head of the troops, and marched against
Apries. An act of excessive cruelty hastened the
king's downfall. Patarbemis, a courtier, was sent
to Amasis to persuade him to lay down his arms.
Amasis refused to listen to the courtier, and on the
return of Patarhemis without Amasis, the king, in
his anger and disappointment, ordered that the nose
and ears of his unfortunate messenger should be cut
off. The Egyptians, hitherto faithful, were disgusted
at this outrage, and many went over at once to the
party of Amasis. King Apries brought out his 30,000
Carian and Ionian mercenaries from Sa'is. A battle
was fought, and he was defeated and taken prisoner.
After a short confinement in his own palace, he was
strangled, and his remains were buried in the royal
temple in his favourite city of Sais. Thus were
fulfilled the words of Jeremiah, in which retribution
is prophesied to come upon Pharaoh-hophra for his
treachery to his Jewish allies. Other accounts, how-
ever, relate that Amasis was set on the throne by
Nebuchadrezzar, after the latter had defeated Apries.
Amasis, not being of the royal blood, was at
first unpopular among the Egyptians ; but he is said
to have overcome their prejudices and gained their
confidence by the following ingenious device. He
converted his golden foot-pan into the image of one
of the gods, which, in course of time, the people wor-
shipped. He then told them the origin of the image,
and remarked : "It had gone with him as with the
foot-pan. If he was a private person formerly, yet
now he had come to be their king, and so lie bade
104 A HAXDY-ROOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
them honour and reverence him ; " and they did so
accordingly. It was the habit of Amasis to transact
all the business that was brought before him in the
early part of the day, and to indulge for the rest
of the day in drinking and feasting with his guests.
For this he was expostulated with ; but, according
to Herodotus, he was ready with an answer. " Bow-
men/' said the Pharaoh, " bend their bows when
they wish to shoot, unbrace them when the shooting
is over. Were they kept always strung they would
break, and fail the archer in time of need. So it is
with men. If they give themselves constantly to
serious work, and never indulge awhile in pastime
or sport, they lose their senses, and become mad or
moody. Knowing this, I divide my life between
pastime and business." Egypt nourished exceedingly
under the rule of this " common man " of great
common sense. Herodotus tells us that in the time
of Amasis there were 20,000 inhabited cities in
Egypt. He made one important conquest, that
of the island of Cyprus ; but his energies were
chiefly given to the internal affairs of his country.
The monuments which he erected were of the most
beautiful description, especially those with which he
enriched Sai's, his favourite city. He built the gate-
way of the Temple of Minerva, at Sais, remarkable
for its extent and height, and presented a large
number of colossal statues and several sphinxes to
the temple, besides immense blocks of stone for
repairs. The monolithic temple of Sais was also his
work. It took 2,000 .men three years to convey
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 105
this single block from the quarry at Elephantine, in
Upper Egypt, to its resting-place a distance of ahout
700 miles. Amasis presented a recumbent mono-
lithic statue 75 feet long to the temple of Phtah at
Memphis; he built the temple of Isis in that city,
and, in addition, placed offerings in numerous temples.
The Greeks were greatly favoured by Amasis; and
amongst other privileges, were allowed to erect a
Hellenium to their gods. The close of his life was
disturbed by the invasion of the Persians. The
sepulchral altar dedicated by him at Sa'is to Osiris,
the judge of the dead, is now in the Egyptian Gral-
lery (94). His daughter, the Queen Tasetenhesi, is
represented in the unfinished statue No. 775.
We have now reached that part of the gallery
which is occupied chiefly by the Sarcophagi the
receptacles for the embalmed bodies of Egypt's
greatest and wealthiest. The black basalt sarco-
phagus, 86, was prepared for Hanata, an officer of
the palace of Apries or Hophra. Hieroglyphics are
inscribed on the edge, and inside is placed a small
kneeling statue of Hanata (134); he holds a small
shrine of Neith, or Minerva, the Mistress of Sai's.
No. 32 is a magnificent sarcophagus : it once held
the remains of the queen of Amasis, who was
the daughter of Psammetichus III. and his con-
sort Nitocris. Her name was Aiikhsenpiraneferhat.
Both the sarcophagus and its cover are in excellent
condition, and are carved over with hieroglyphics
and figures. The carving on the outside of the lid
represents the queen as the goddess Athor (Yenus),
106 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
with the flail, and crook or crosier, of Osiris ; that
on the inside, represents a goddess with arms out-
stretched, and with three discs or planets (symbolising
the heavens, to which the face of the dead would he
turned) marked upon her; that on tLc hottom of the
chest is Athor again, with a bird on her head. This
sarcophagus was discovered in an excavation 130
feet deep, made near Thebes, behind the palace of
Barneses II. In the window 48 and 49 is the
sepulchral tablet of this queen ; she adores the god
Amenra ; her chamberlain, Sheshonk or Shishak,
attends her. The tablet was also found at Thebes.
The black granite sarcophagus, 23, is that of
Hapimen, a royal scribe under the twenty-sixth
dynasty. This ponderous sepulchre was found at
Cairo, where it 'had been used by the Turks as the
basin of a fountain near one of their mosques. It
became a meeting-place for lovers, and was known as
"The Lovers' Fountain," and, at the same time, its
waters were said to be a cure for hapless love. The
edge of the sarcophagus has been used as a grind-
stone, as we see by the grooves and scratches at the
top. The hole in the head received the fountain-
tube. In the carving outside, a pair of eyes overlooks
a kind of fence, a symbol of the omnipercipience
and omnipresence of Glod. The figures are those of
Anubis, whose profile has been altered ; of the -four
guardian spirits of the embalmed body, and of Isis
and Nephthys, who are each rolling a globe along.
Numerous divinities are ranged round the inside,
and at the bottom a goddess with outstretched
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 107
arms receives the dead. The hieroglyphics on the
exterior consist of the full description of Hapimen,
addresses to the deities, and the 77th chapter of
the Eitual, " the Book of the Euler of the Hidden
Place/' in which the deceased announces, in meta-
phorical language, that he has raised himself as a
hawk, coming out of his egg, has brought his heart
out of the hill of the east, and alighted in the cabin;
and requesting, at the entreaty of certain companions
of the gods, that glory may be given to him, rises
and makes himself entirely as a good hawk of gold.
No. 2 is the much less pretentious coffin of Petenesi,
a bard of the twenty- sixth dynasty. It is in ar-
ragonite marble, mummy-shaped, and in good pre-
servation. The hieroglyphics down the front are in
this case also descriptive of the metamorphosis of
the dead into a golden hawk. The date of the small
re-painted sarcophagus opposite this is not known.
At the close of the reign of Amasis, and under
the leadership of Cambyses, the son of Cyrus the
Great, the Persians had reduced Egypt to a province
of Persia. The twenty-seventh dynasty (B.C. 525)
was composed of Persian rulers Cambyses and his
seven successors. Cambyses is reputed to have taken
Pelusium by the unfair stratagem of putting in the
vanguard of his army a number of cats and dogs
(sacred to Pasht and Anubis), which, of course, the
Egyptian soldiers did not dare to kill ; and when he
was established as king over Egypt, to have taken
delight in showing liis contempt for the Egyptian
religion : at the same time he adopted some Egyptian
108 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
manners and customs. Throughout this period the
people made strenuous and repeated efforts (in which
they were assisted by the Greeks) to free themselves
from the Persian yoke, and finally succeeded in ex-
pelling their conquerors. Amyrta3us became Pharaoh
on the expulsion of the Persians, and was the first of
the twenty-eighth dynasty (B.C. 411). In the twenty-
ninth dynasty were Nepherites, Acoris, Psammuthis,
Muthis, and Nepherites II. The first reigned six
years; the second thirteen; the others ruled only
two years and four months in all.
The temples of the gods and the internal affairs
of the country were not entirely neglected during
the unsettled times we have spoken of. The first
king of the thirtieth dynasty was Nectanebes ; his
coffin (No. 10) is the largest in the gallery; his
likeness is given in the small statue with Amenra,
No. 70<z. He had not been long invested
with the royal dignity when the Persians again
attempted to occupy Egypt; but Nectanebes was
well prepared for them, and as they were somewhat
disorganised, they were forced to retreat from the
Nile valley, which they had entered. As soon as
Nectanebes was free from the Persians, he busied
himself with restoring and adding to the monuments
of his country the favourite pastime of the Pharaohs.
The sarcophagus before us proves that the arts as well
as the religious ceremonies of Egypt had undergone
little change in consequence of the Persian occupa-
tion. A host of characters, divinities, genii, animals,
sacred boats, &c., to the number, it is said, of 21,700,
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. - 109
are inscribed upon it ; among them the goddesses
Isis and Nephthys, with outstretched wings, on the
inside, may be noticed as especially well engraved.
This sarcophagus was long supposed to be the tomb of
Alexander the Great. When discovered in the ruin
of the Soma at Alexandria, now the mosque of St.
Athanasius, it was an object of worship among the
ignorant natives as having contained the body of the
great conqueror. The tradition is that Alexander's
body was embalmed and brought in a gold case from
Babylon, B.C. 321, to be laid in the temple of Jupiter
Ammon, but that Ptolemy Lagus conveyed it to
the city which bore Alexander's name. It is not
surprising, therefore, that the sarcophagus, No. 10,
being unusually large, and belonging to Alexandria,
should have been taken for Alexander's tomb. The
matter has been set at rest now by the interpretation
of the hieroglyphics on the coffin. The Mussulmans
of Alexandria converted this tomb . into a bath, and
the twelve large holes in the lower part of the sarco-
phagus were made for the purpose of running off the
water which had been used. The beautiful little
stones, green, yellow, red, of many shapes, seen
on the polished surface of the coffin, show that it is
formed of a composite material, or breccia, such as
porphyry and granite, which was obtained in the
neighbourhood of Thebes. The two obelisks 523-4
were erected by Nectanebes I. before a gate of the
temple of the divine scribe, Thoth ; they both formed
part of the spoil from Egypt already referred to.
They are inscribed with his name and titles. The
110
A HANDY-ROOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
delicately-finished hieroglyphic figures upon the sur-
face of these dark green basalt pillars excite our
admiration, as they did that of Niebuhr when he saw
them at Cairo the pillars were then in fragments,
one being used as the sill of a window in the castle
the birds rank with the finest specimens of monu-
SARCOFHAGUS OF NASKATU (A MEMPH1TE PRIEST).
mental intaglio in the Museum. The obelisk was as
popular with the Egyptians as the tall church spire
is with us. It was generally very lofty, and some-
times composed of one piece of stone ; the largest in
Egypt is that belonging to the great temple of
Karnak, estimated by Wilkinson at a weight of 297
tons. This enormous stone had to be conveyed a
distance of 138 miles from its bed at Syene. in order
THE KUYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. ill
to be set up at Thebes. Opposite the tomb No. 10
is one side of the sarcophagus of Pep-ar, a military
officer of the twenty-sixth dynasty, son of Nekh-
therhebi (66). It is to be regretted that the other
half, which is in the Ashmolean museum at Oxford,
is not presented to the National Museum. Next
to this is No. 3, the light- red granite sarcophagus
of Naskatu, a Memphite priest, who lived probably
under the twenty-seventh dynasty. It was found
in an excavation made at Grizeh, near the tomb
called, after its discoverer, Campbell's Tomb. The
Egyptian belief that the tomb was " the eternal
dwelling " of the earthly body, is exemplified with
extraordinary force by this massive sarcophagus.
On the top the man's head is sculptured, " sealed "
with the beard, to signify that he was one of the
worthy. An unusual number of deities are sculptured
on the sides to do honour to -the deceased priest, who
adores them. Nearly all carry on their heads the
emblems of their divine agencies ; with most of these
the reader will have become familiar, from the de-
scriptions, already given. The dark granite capital,
136, stands next ; it is more Greek than Egyptian in
design. No. 22, facing, is the slab in dark green
basalt, which, with No. 20, already described, was
found between the columns of a temple at Alexandria.
The man bending the knee and holding up a cone,
probably of sacred bread, is Nectanebes (thirtieth
dynasty). The Grecian character of the face appears
to be due to the influence which Greek had now
begun to exert over .Egyptian art. One side of this
112 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
slab has also been worn away. The green basalt
sarcophagus, No. 33, originally intended for the
remains of the man whose name is inscribed on it,
was, as the label tells ns, used instead as the
resting-place of Ankh, a lady of rank.
We now come to a sarcophagus unmistakably
Greek in character No. 17. It was prepared
for Sebaksi, who belonged to the sacerdotal caste,
as is indicated by the emblems he holds in his
crossed hands, the tau, or loop, signifying life ; the
tat, or landmark, signifying stability; the two signs
together may be interpreted as "life -enduring," or
" eternal." The dynasty under which the priest
lived is not given. The mummy-shaped case has
been sculptured with great skill, and it is one of the
best, if not the best preserved specimen in the col-
lection. Coffins of this shape were generally placed
upright in their depositories, the hieroglyphic story
of the dedication to the gods and of the deceased
being so written as to be easily read on the cover in
that position. The style of this sarcophagus is alone
sufficient to convince us that a great change was
coming over the art of Egypt , about this time ; in
fact, the system which had been preserved with such
jealous conservatism through so many centuries was
breaking up in all directions ; and the old forms fell
away from the new life, which was now strong to
create new forms for itself, as the husk falls away
from the unfolding flower.
Nectanebes, of the thirtieth dynasty, was succeeded
by Teos, or Tachos (B.C. 369), who, finding the Persian
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 113
empire in a disturbed state, thought the opportunity
favourable for avenging his country's injuries. He
sought the aid of Agesilaus and his famous Spartan
band of mercenaries in his enterprise, but the Spartans
were bribed with promises of higher pay by the
Nectanebes who had rebelled against Tachos, to
abandon the Persian war for which their assistance
had been requested, and to support Nectanebes in
his rebellion ; Tachos was dethroned, and Nectanebes
(II.) was placed on the throne (B.C. 361.) No 44 is
probably the statue of this JSTectanebes. Agesilaus
having died on his way to Greece, laden with booty,
the Egyptians formed an alliance with the Phoenicians,
who were also bent on destroying the Persian power;
but the Persians under Artaxerxes III. were too strong
for the Phoenicians, who were reduced, with the help
of Mentor, the treacherous Ehodian, and his Greeks ;
and the Greek and Persian allies then proceeded
against Egypt. Nectanebes II. made but a cowardly
defence, and the kingdom of Egypt also was reduced
to a Persian province. After this disastrous event,
many Greeks and Persians settled in the country, and
modified or tried to abolish its customs, after the
wont of conquering races. Artaxerxes , III. (Ochus),
who headed the thirty-first dynasty (B.C. 343), is the
same who caused Apis, the sacred bull of Egypt, to
be roasted and publicly eaten ; he was, not long after,
assassinated by his favourite eunuch. His youngest
son, Arses, succeeded him. Darius followed, and at
his death the great Persian empire and its rule in
Egypt was brought to an end. Alexander the Great
i
114 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
entered, and took possession of the land, unopposed
by the Persian viceroy or satrap, and welcomed by
the Egyptians themselves. Having founded the city
of Alexandria, and conciliated the people by restoring
to them many of their civil and religions institutions,
he departed and went in quest of empires yet un-
conquered. At his death Egypt fell, in the partition
of Alexander's conquests among his generals, to the
lot of Ptolemy Lagus, or Soter. He peopled the new
city of Alexandria with Greeks, Jews, and natives,
and made it his capital. He founded there the
famous Alexandrine library, and the museum, in
which the most eminent professors of the arts and
sciences of the age pursued their studies, supported
out of the public revenues. The reign of the second
Ptolemy (Philadelphus) was so prosperous that it has
been said that he could boast of the possession of
33,339 populous cities. He was the first king 01
Egypt who formed an alliance with the Eoman nation,
destined so soon to supplant the Greek in the dominion
of the world. We are indebted to this Ptolemy for the
Septuagint translation of the Old Testament. The
third Ptolemy (Euergetes), also a patron of learning,
after a successful invasion of Persia, brought back
from thence most of the statues of the gods which
Cambyses had carried off from Egypt.
On the site of a temple erected by Euergetes at
Canopus, and dedicated to Serapis, was found the
large black Syenite slab, No. 852, in this gallery,
an important example of work by a Greek sculptor,
executed in imitation of Egyptian models. It repre-
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 115
sents Mercury wearing the Thessalian hat ; in his
right hand he holds the caduceus, and supports with
his left a lyre formed from a tortoise shell ; a folded
cloak is thrown over his left shoulder.
Ptolemy IV. was the first of a series of weak or
vicious kings, of the Gra3co-Egyptian line. The
history of Egypt at this time becomes mingled with
that of Rome and other nations. The unhappy
country, regarded as a prize for the strongest robbei^
had, indeed, properly speaking, no history of its own
for many generations after this time. The name of
Egypt is prominent in the histories of contemporary
nations, and the success of rival aspirants for power
seems often to have depended on their alliance with,
or possession of, a land so wealthy. But its own
power was gone, and both as the heritage of foreigners,
as afterwards a Roman province, the " greatest " was
"the basest among the kingdoms/' and was "never
exalted any more to rule over the nations."
A remarkable memento of Ptolemy V., the son of
the fourth Ptolemy, is preserved among our antiquities ;
it is that upon which the sacred hawk, perched on a
block of red granite (59*), seems to have riveted
his eyes the famous Rosetta stone (24). We have
already mentioned the importance of this piece of
inscribed basalt as the key to the written language
of Egypt. The hieroglyphics at the top of the stone
consist both of complete pictures or symbols, and of
the partially- drawn pictures which were alphabetically
used in the formation of words ; the middle inscrip-
tion is in the popular or demotic writing ; and at the
i 2
116 A HANDY-BOOK -OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
bottom is the Greek translation, or rather, original,
of the two preceding inscriptions. The hieratic
modification of the hieroglyphic writing is not in-
cluded here, and would have been inappropriate for
such an inscription ; as it was generally reserved for
religious subjects. The three inscriptions have been
damaged, the hieroglyphic more than the demotic, the
demotic a little more than the Greek. To this single
stone, however, we are primarily indebted for the
" Grammaire Demotique " of Brugsch, and for the ex-
cellent and complete work on Egyptian philology
(dictionary, grammar, &c.) which has recently been
given to the world by the learned Dr. Birch of the
British Museum. The subject-matter of the Eosetta
stone inscriptions is also of considerable, though not,
of course, equal interest. It is a decree dated in the
year 196 B.C., when Ptolemy V. (Epiphanes), after a
long minority, began to govern independently. It
sets forth services which the youthful monarch had
already rendered to the state. One of the earliest
acts of his reign was to reduce the taxes, release
prisoners for debt, and stop proceedings in the
courts against those who were unable to pay
their taxes. The revenues of the temples, and the
contributions assigned to the gods by his father, were
charged upon the lands, instead of directly upon the
people, and the donations expected from the priests
were lessened. He dispensed certain sacred classes
from the performance of an annual journey to Alex-
andria, which it appears they had been obliged to
make ; put a stop to the exaction of a sort of " ship-
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. H7
money;" remitted two-thirds of the quantity of linen
clothes collected in the temples for the royal ward-
robe; "restored all things proper to their right order;"
and took particular care that the worship of the gods
should not be neglected. In addition, Ptolemy V.
decreed many other things for the benefit of the
gods, sacred animals, and people of his country. He
moreover adorned the Apeium with magnificent
works, expending gold, silver, and precious stones
upon it ; founded and repaired temples, shrines, and
altars ; in return for all which the gods gave him
health, victory, power, &c., as well as a crown for him-
self and for his children for ever. The priesthood,
desiring to confer honour on Ptolemy and his ancestors,
decreed at this time that a golden image of "the
Avenger of Egypt " that is, Ptolemy V. should be
set up in the most conspicuous part of each temple,
to be served thrice a day by the priests, dressed
in the sacred apparel, and in other respects treated
as one of the gods. It was also decreed that a gilded
statue of wood, and a golden shrine, should be con-
secrated to Ptolemy in each of the temples, and
should be specially honoured in the great ceremonial
called the procession of the shrines, and that there
should be at certain periods festivals in commemora-
tion of the birth and accession of the Beloved of Ptah,
King Ptolemy Theos Epiphanes Eucharistes.
For all the benefits, however, which the Egyptians
received in the early part of his reign, and which
they thus extravagantly acknowledged, they were
actually indebted, not so much to Ptolemy, as to his
118 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
governor Aristomenes, who guided and controlled
the feeble king. When Ptolemy took the reins of
government into his own hands, he began a course of
action diametrically opposed to that which is set
forth in the Eosetta stone. He lost the esteem and
trust of his people ; they became disaffected ; and at
twenty-eight years of age he was killed by a dose of
poison, given to him at the instigation of some of
his ministers whom he had threatened to deprive of
their offices. This invaluable tablet was discovered
in 1799 by a M. Bouchard, an engineer in the Trench
army, whilst digging the foundation of a building
by Fort St. Julien, near the Eosetta mouth of the
Nile. A temple had once stood there ; one of those,
in all probability, in which the Synod assembled at
Memphis had ordered that the decree should be set
up. The Eosetta stone came into English hands,
with the other objects collected by the French in
Egypt, by virtue of one of the articles of the capitu-
lation of Alexandria, in 1801.
In the reign of Ptolemy VI. Eoman influence
became supreme in Egypt. The seventh Ptolemy
(Physkon) was a tyrant, and many Egyptians had
to seek protection and peace in foreign countries.
The succession of Ptolemy VIII. was disputed by
his brother and mother, and a civil war raged through-
out Egypt ere he could obtain recognition as its
sovereign; and in the struggle for power many of
the cities, amongst them "hundred-gated Thebes,"
were reduced to ruins. More of these Greek kings
followed. The eleventh bequeathed Egypt to the
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 119
Eomans. The twelfth, Auletes, by a heavy bribe,
induced Caesar to permit him to reign, and at the
same time displeased his subjects, who had to raise
the purchase-money for Caesar's favour ; and Auletes
was obliged to call in the Eoman power to establish
him on his throne. The thirteenth Ptolemy married
his sister Cleopatra, as desired by his father, and
afterwards murdered Pompey, who had been his
guardian. It was while Ptolemy and Cleopatra were
quarrelling for the undivided power which each de-
sired, that Caesar came to Egypt to quell disturbances
and reconcile the rivals, and, fascinated by the beauty
of Cleopatra, forgot his errand. Afterwards, as is
well known, she married Antony. Augustus made
war upon both, and was victorious at Actium ; and
Cleopatra, whose two brothers had already been slain,
chose rather to die than to survive the loss of Antony
and of her kingdom. With her the last of the
Ptolemaic line perished the Greek dynasty, which
had reigned over Egypt for two hundred and ninety
years. The land of the great Pharaohs became a
Eoman province, and Cornelius Grallus was appointed
as its first governor.
We have many specimens in the Museum of the
art of the Ptolemaic period. The hieroglyphic
carving on the Eosetta stone of the age of Ptolemy
V. is by no means first-rate; it is, in fact, quite
inferior to the very earliest specimens we possess
of such work. In a line with this lies a colossal
foot in light-coloured marble (847), probably executed
and offered to some god in performance of a vow.
120
HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
It was found near a convent at Alexandria; the
workmanship is Greek. (*) No. 90, the cover of a
basalt sarcophagus with a figure, mutilated, lying
full length on the top of it, belongs to this
period; and the sepulchral tablet 837, contem-
porary with it, proves -that the old Egyptian
HEAD OF SPHINX AND SEPULCHKAL VASES.
beliefs had not died out. The departed, with his
earthly body, is brought by Anubis before Osiris
to be judged. Among the larger objects are the two
statues against the columns one representing the
Emperor Caracalla or Severus ; the other, the
emperor, author, and philosopher, M. Aurelius Anto-
ninus (A.D. 161 180). No. 59 is part of a fine
porphyry column which once graced a building in
( A ) This marble is supposed by some to belong to the statue of
Serapis, erected in Alexandria.
THE EUVrTTAX DEPARTMENT. 121
Alexandria ; and 97 is the head of a sphinx, in
dark green basalt, a finely-executed and well-pre-
served specimen of the sculpture of this period. It
resembles the sphinxes of early times only in the
head-dress, which bears in front the ura?us serpent,
emblem of the goddess. Vigilance and cruelty are
blended in the expression. The perplexing riddle
may have been proposed for the last time, and the
sphinx may be awaiting the solution in order to dash
herself upon the rock, and cease from her long watch.
The head stands upon a columnar altar dedicated to
Serapis, the great god of the city of Canopus, near
Alexandria, whose worship was introduced into Rome
by Antoninus Pius, but whose mysteries were cele-
brated in a manner so revolting, that the Senate
forbade their observance.
In the recesses of the walls of this gallery we
have a few more objects to notice. Beginning with
the window compartments 36, 37, it will be necessary
for us to go back historically about a thousand years.
No. 154 is a tablet of the nineteenth dynasty, in
memory of the royal charioteer Unnefer. The follow-
ing tablet, erected to Judge Neferba, gives a repre-
sentation of part of the funeral ceremony, in which
Anubis pays a visit to the embalmed body which
lies on a couch. Part of chapter I. of the " Eitual
of the Dead " is also engraved on the stone. By this,
are specimens of the naoi or shrines referred to in
the Rosetta stone. No. 113 is a small dark granite
group, representing Besnefer, a governor of the south
of Egypt, and Sentmut, a royal nurse, seated side by
122 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM
side, each figure twice represented. No. 110 has
been a pretty group of a priest of Amenra and his
wife Ankhsenhesi. Here are more of the sepulchral
vases, which contained some parts of the bodies of
the deceased ; but the best specimens of these will be
seen lower down (Nos. 866 869). Bakaa, mentioned
in the large tablet 166, was a master of the horse
under Barneses II. No. 164 is the tombstone of
Bakaa's brother. Both are from Thebes.
The bronze statuettes, with traces of gilding on
them, are of unusual interest. Bronzes of this size are
very rare, and these are carefully moulded. No. 873,
representing a goddess or queen, is the best. The
tight-fitting dress, to which is added the usk, or tippet,
displays the symmetrical Egyptian figure ; the hair is
unbecomingly dressed ; the eyes have been glazed.
One might suppose, from her attitude, that she was
beating time to music ; but she seems to have been
holding something in her arms originally ; perhaps if
the figure is intended for Isis the baby Horus. No.
871 is a larger representation of the same ; and 865
is the third bronze, one of the best statuettes we
possess of the crowned Osiris, the god upon whom
Evil vented his fury, who was slain, but who, risen
from the dead, became, in the New Abode, the one
impartial judge of the departed. He is in his usual
posture ; his arms are crossed on his breast.
In the tombstone 826, from Abydos, male and
female mourners follow a deceased person, carried
in a coffin on the shoulders of some youths. The
mourners show their grief by throwing dust upon
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 123
their heads. In the very infancy of their community,
according to tradition, their god Noum, had repre-
sented to them that they were but clay or dust ;
and, therefore, the Egyptians in deep grief, likened
themselves to the dust, from which they came,
in token of their humility before those who had
been born again as the sun. The person in whose
honour this ceremony is performed lived under
the twenty- sixth dynasty ; but the faces of the
mourners have not the Egyptian cast. No. 323, the
tablet of Amenmes, contains adorations to the sis-
trum or musical instrument of Athor. It differs in
style from the preceding sepulchral tablets. In 808,
Unnefer, priest and scribe, adores the mystic standard
of Osiris. The Evil Principle, to be hated, needs but
to be seen in its repulsive realisation here, as Besa,
Baal, or Typhon (463); 498 and 776 also represent
the Spirit of Evil. The memory of the sandal-
maker Tutu, is immortalised by a curious sepulchral
basin (301), on the high back of which adorations
are being paid to Osiris. No. 502 is a sepulchral
altar in the degenerate style of the Ptolemaic or of
the Eoman period. No. 890 is a small bronze figure,
nude, probably of Ptolemy Alexander, having the
attributes of the Genius of Alexandria ; 891 is the
companion bronze Cleopatra Selene, invested, it is
supposed, with the attributes of Tyche, or Fortune.
Both were found at Alexandria. The male figure
is clumsy. Cleopatra is dressed in a long robe,
the petticoat underneath hanging in close folds
about her feet.
124 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
What is meant by our frequent reference to the
" decline of Egyptian art" may be immediately per-
ceived by a comparison of the sepulchral tablets of
the Ptolemaic period with those of the twelfth
dynasty, in the Northern Egyptian Vestibule. The
bust of a Pharaoh of the twenty-eighth dynasty, in
arragonite, was presented to the nation by the Queen,
in 1854. It is good for its age, but gives abundant
evidence of the influence of a new school of art upon
the native sculptors. No. 444* is a sphinx from the
vicinity of the "Great Sphinx' 7 of Thebes. Numerous
trifling works of sculpture executed during the Eoman
dominion in Egypt follow. In 189, the deceased-
husband and wife are introduced by Anubis and
Macedo, " son of Osiris," into the presence of the
Judge and of Isis. In 821, a man is feasting. This
resembles in style the provincial Eoman work, of
which there are numerous examples in the basement
of the Museum.
No. 789 is a remarkable tablet, inasmuch as it
shows us a Eoman emperor paying homage to the
Egyptian deities to Thoth, the scribe of the house
of the gods, the child Horus, Isis (the Eoman
Bellona), and to another divinity. No. 838 is a lime-
stone tablet of one Didymus, inscribed with adora-
tions to Osiris and Isis ; it is valuable on account of
the short bi-lingual inscription in Greek and demotic.
827, above, is part of a Sinaitic inscription from the
Wady Mokatteb in Arabia Petrasa, a precious fragment
but not, as has been supposed, part of the tables of
stone. The tablet 193 was erected in honour of T.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 125
Claudius Balbillus, governor of Egypt in the reign of
Nero (A.D. 56 57), by the inhabitants of the Leto-
politan province near the Pyramids. It bears a long
Greek inscription, and the top is surmounted by the
winged disc of the sun with two pendent serpents.
On the other side of this division of the Egyptian
gallery the sepulchral tablets are numerous ; and in
glancing at the labels upon them we are struck by
the great variety of offices mentioned as held by
the departed. It should be said that many of those
in the royal household were filled by princes of
the blood. Beginning by the window, 34, 35, 349
relates to a scribe of the royal wine-cellar (Baken-
Amen) ; 304 to a clerk of the imperial table (Men-
tuskhem) ; 357 to a royal scribe and military
officer; 261 to a judicial scribe (Pasheti) ; 163
to a scribe of the royal library, a clerk of the rolls
of the palace of Eameses II. (Neferber) ; 81 to a
high priest or pontiff of Amenra (Eui) ; 290 to a
doorkeeper of one of the gateways of the Eamesseum
at Thebes (Akarber) ; 144 to the chief guardian of
the palace or temple of Eameses II. " in the house of
Amenra, the hidden god, influencing all things by the
sun"; 165 to a superintendent of public works in
Egypt (Paur) ; 156 to a superintendent of the queen's
stable ; 132 to a superintendent of the cattle of
Eameses II. (Hara) ; 288 to a keeper of records,
papyri, or rolls of a palace or temple at Abydos ; and
388 to a priest and sacred scribe of the Ptolemaic
period. On the small pyramid 468, Ea in his boat,
with his symbolical hawk, is adored by Neferbes, one
126 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
of the " wise counsellors " of (the) Pharaoh, and
by his family ; on that numbered 477 a male figure,
in a small niche, is making adoration ; and on the
third pyramid, 479, homage is given to the sun, in
the form of a beetle, and also to Ea, in the sacred
boat, and to Isis, Nephthys, and the god of the west.
The worship of the hippopotamus -headed goddess,
Thoueris, will be seen on the tablet of Amenmes, 283.
We gather from the representation on this tablet that
besides being the associate of Typhon, Thoueris was
supposed to have some office in relation to the de-
parted soul. The slabs 537 540, &c., contain some
boldly-cut hieroglyphics. No. 802 is the finely-
chiseled bust of a priestess in black granite ; she
holds the sistrum, or lyre, ornamented on the
handle with a head of Athor. No. 552 is the lower
part of the sarcophagus of Naskat, a royal scribe and
priest who lived under the thirtieth dynasty, from
Memphis. The surface is remarkably smooth and
well polished, and the narrow line of hieroglyphics
running down the front, while it tells the history of
the deceased, also forms a simple decoration. No.
5120 is the lower part of the statue of Grutefankh,
a priest and sacred scribe, seated on an inscribed
pedestal. In the tablet of Harkabh (336) there is a
figure in very high relief of Osiris Onnophris, the
" kind," or " beneficent " Osiris ; on one side is Isis
with the disc and horns, on the other Nephthys, her
sister, "the daughter of Seb." Nos. 331 and 337 are
specimens of the less expensive tablets, sketched out
in colours but not engraved, that were sometimes
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 127
used. No. 28 is a basin dedicated to Athor, as
Thoueris the water-goddess.
We come next to several sepulchral altars. They
differ in shape ; in some there are deeply-cut gutters
for the libations of wine and oil, which were poured
out to the gods on these stone altars. No. 553 is
a very ancient specimen, upwards of thirty- eight
centuries old. No. 509, of the Ptolemaic period,
is graceful in design. No. 135, in the shape of
a tank, or bath, with steps, was found in the
temple of Berenice, and must, therefore, belong to a
late age. On 800, one of the largest altars, the
goddess Athor, in the form of a cow, walks among
the papyri and other water plants. Following these
are several slabs, with inscriptions of the greatest
historical value in Ethiopic-demotic characters, in
Coptic, in Cufic & very pretty form of writing and
in Greek. No. 147 is a tombstone of the Ptolemaic
era. It was erected in memory of a priestess of the
name of Ta-aiemhept : various divinities are carved
upon it. No. 874 is a bust of Harpocrates (Horus,
the child), statues of whom were placed at the en-
trances of Roman temples, because, being represented
finger on lip, he was supposed to be the god of silence,
and, therefore, a fit guardian of the sacred way. No.
778 is a sun-dial from Alexandria, found at the base
of Cleopatra's Needle, already mentioned. Here, in
the last recess in the Egyptian gallery, are several
specimens of the work executed during the Roman
dominion. A glance at these specimens is quite
sufficient to convince us that we are viewing examples,
128 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
not of Egyptian art, but of Roman. We leave them,
therefore, for the upstairs rooms, in which the ethno-
graphical collections of the Egyptians are exhibited,
the objects, namely, which illustrate more particularly
the manners and customs of the people.
We return to the north of the gallery, and as we
mount the staircase we see displayed in frames on its
walls specimens of the sacred literature of Egypt,
the inscribed papyri, or, as they were called by
Isaiah, "paper reeds." These present a multitude
of characters, in three groups the hieroglyphic,
hieratic, and demotic. Most of them contain figures
of deities, animals, &c., sketched in colours, which
form vignettes to chapters of the hermetic books
or " Eitual of the Dead," for the brief description
of which the reader is referred to the first section
of " The Egyptian Department/'
VI. EGYPTIAN BOOMS: UPPER FLOOR,
MUMMIES. SARCOPHAGI. SMALLER ANTIQUITIES.
Dynasty IV. to the Roman occupation.
At the top of the staircase is the Egyptian Ante-
Eoom, on the walls of which are placed casts from
sculptured and coloured bas-reliefs, painted in imita-
tion of the originals. One, from the great Temple
at Karnak, represents Seti (Menephtah) I. (nineteenth
dynasty), vanquishing his enemies the Tahennu ;
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 129
others, from the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings,
depict this Pharaoh and some of his successors in
the act of adoring the principal gods of their country.
The last series are from the fallen obelisk at Karnak,
and they give us a good idea of the vast proportions
of this monument.
Passing through the ante-room, we enter the First
Egyptian Room. Over the cases are some coloured
casts from the bas-reliefs at Beit-el- Walee, in Nubia,
illustrating the conquests of Rameses II. over the
Ethiopians and his northern enemies, and the bringing
of presents to the victors.
First in this room is the collection of Egyptian
f/ods and goddesses a numerous company. With the
names and offices of most of these divinities the
reader is already familiar. The figures made of wood
and stone (generally in the upper row of the cases),
were found chiefly in tombs and temples ; those in
the second row, of bronze and silver, were princi-
pally votive, and were found under the pavements of
temples, or in the walls ; while the small figures in
the third row, in gold, porcelain, and other materials,
were worn as amulets, employed in private worship,
or attached to the mummies of the dead. In the
lowest row are the larger figures, in various mate-
rials. " Here are : Amenra, a handsome statuette
in silver (6), with gold-plated plumes, collar, and
tunic ; Khem, the generator ; Khnum, the creative
spirit, and his wife, Sati, the sunbeam ; Mut, the
wife of Amenra ; Neith, or Minerva ; Ptah, or Vul-
can ; Chons, or Hercules ; Athor, or Venus ; cat-
j
130 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
headed Pasht, or Diana ; ibis -headed Thoth, or
Mercury ; Ma, the goddess of justice and truth ;
Xeferatum ; Muntra, or Mars ; the crocodile-headed
Sebak ; Osiris, Isis, and Horus ; Nephthys ; Anubis,
jackal-headed ; Imouth, or ^Esculapius ; Typhon ;
Thoueris, hippopotamus-headed ; the four guardian
spirits of the embalmed viscera ; and a few other
less important divinities. Last come representations,
mostly in miniature, of the sacred animals ; and a
few of the symbols or emblems used by the Egyp-
tians. The tat (the Nilometer, a land or water-
mark), was typical of stability ; the tarn, or gom, of
strength ; the tau (crux ansatd), or loop-tie, of life ;
the lotus-flower, of divinity, &c. ; the heart, of good-
ness ; a blue ceiling, of the heavens ; eyes, of the
all-discerning power ; and a crown, of royalty.
The illustrations of the social life of the Egyptians
are especially interesting. Portions of buildings and
furniture are exhibited in cases 14 19 ; but in
general the works of the Egyptian architect, or
" scribe of the buildings," are poorly represented.
This section is much in need of models of Egyptian
buildings, such as temples, palaces, and dwelling-
houses. There is an elevation of a house in lime-
stone, but it conveys the idea more of a tower
than a house, and it can only illustrate a second-rate
dwelling. Those of the wealthy classes of Egypt,
though not lofty, were spacious and many-roomed,
with porticoes and colonnades, courts, shaded by
avenues of trees, and nearly every other contrivance
for giving a free passage to air, which the hot
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 131
climate rendered necessary for comfort. The more
substantial portions of the houses were built of
bricks made of mud and straw dried, not baked.
(Some of the bricks made for the pyramids, and
stamped with the names of Pharaohs and priests,
will be seen in cases 61, 62.) The exterior was
stuccoed, and painted in bright lively colours. Sam-
ples of stucco work, and of the tools for smoothing,
decorating, and colouring it, are placed in case 39.
As the poorer Egyptians lived almost entirely, in the
open air, a house of simple construction sufficed for
them ; they used it generally as a store, passing the
night on the roof. They sometimes lived in huts or
cabins, of which we have a model. Granaries, as
might be inferred from the frequent allusions to them
in the Bible and on Egyptian monuments, were
scattered over every part of the Nile valley grain
being the staple of the country. There is a small
wooden model of one of the commoner sort, in which
a woman is seen busily kneading dough in the court-
yard, while the storekeeper, or fellah, takes his siesta
in a box at one end of a gallery over the store-
rooms ; a strong fastening keeps the door of the
granary. Specimens of Egyptian hinges and sockets,
and of keys probably of a late date, however are
exhibited here, with fragments of iron fittings, porce-
lain tiles, cramps, &c. Some articles of furniture are
also exhibited here. The tables in use were small,
and simply made ; there is one example from Thebes,
supported by two legs at one end, and by one at the
other. There are also several chairs, stools (some-
j 2
132 A HAXJJY-BVOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
times three-legged), and other seats, all rather low,
some skilfully designed and carved, and some of
ebony inlaid -with ivory. Many display an intimate
knowledge of the strength gained by right balancing
and adjustment of weight, and all are elegant in
shape. The double chair, reserved for husband and
wife, was also in common use, but the Museum does
not possess an example. Near these articles may
be noticed the supposed cubit -measure, found in
the pylon of King Haremhebi (Horus), eighteenth
dynasty, at Karnak. On the top shelf are specimens,
which look like the heads of crutches, of the ids
or ouols (head-rest) in wood and arragonite. For
representations of other articles of furniture the
sculptures should be consulted.
Among the articles of attire, cosmetics, &c., may
be noticed first a lady's wig ; it is so fresh and glossy,
and the small curls and pendent plaits are so crisp
and regular, that it would be easier to believe it
manufactured by a fashionable hairdresser of to-day
than by a Theban wig-maker some thousands of years
ago. The ladies depicted on the frescoes in the
Egyptian gallery wear their own (or borrowed) hair
in a similar fashion. The wig was found in a tomb
behind the small temple of Isis at Thebes ; at the
side is the reed basket that held it. False hair was
worn, with occasional exceptions, by men and women
alike the custom originating in a love of cleanliness.
Plutarch says that while the seventy days of mourn-
ing for the loss of friends, or for the death of a
king, lasted, the men allowed their hair and beard
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 133
to grow ; and that the women cut their hair off
when misfortune overtook them. Then we may ob-
serve the following : A tunic and a workman's apron;
a net- worked cap for the hair ; a broad band or belt ;
a basket for holding clothes ; numerous small oint-
ment vases and bottles for holding stibium, or kohl,
a metallic colour (antimony) applied to the eye-lids
and brows for the purpose of heightening the bril-
liancy of the eyes (for which the young ladies of our
period substitute bella-donna) ; styles, or thick club-
headed pins of bone, &c., for laying on this anciently
popular, but noxious beautifier; combs, some coarse
and some fine-toothed ; tweezers ; hair-pins in metal,
bone, and ivory, of different forms, but none corre-
sponding to the two-pronged hair-pins of the present
day ; hair-studs ; bronze mirrors, circular and pear-
shaped, some with ornamented handles, one, from the
Hay collection, representing the god Besa, another,
made of a tooth of a hippopotamus. The reflecting
power of the mirrors was obtained by high polish of
the metal. There are also several sandals of palm-
leaves, some having the toe-pieces curved over
a style peculiar to the eighteenth and nineteenth
dynasties ; the original fastenings still remain on a
few. There are many sandals of leather.
The Museum is particularly rich in the vases and
drinking -cups of ancient Egypt. The cases 22 32
(except 27) are filled with specimens of various sizes,
in arragonite or oriental alabaster, porcelain, glass
(opaque as well as transparent, and displaying the
beautiful prismatic colours imparted by decom-
134
A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
position), steatite, earthenware, terra-cotta, &c., and of
nearly every possible shape, from the rude and
elementary, to the graceful and elaborate. On a
dwarf arragonite table or stand is arranged a set of
small handsome vases, which once belonged to an
important functionary of Abydos, named Atau. On
EGYPTIAN VASES AND STAND.
(In arragonite.)
some of the vessels are the names of Pharaohs of very
early date ; one bears the name of Hunnas or Unas, of
the fifth dynasty. Others belonged to the Pharaohs
Nephercheres, Thothmes III., Amenophis II., Se-
sostris, and Necho II., and to the queen Amounartis,
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 135
and the princesses Hatasu and Noubemtech. The
very small shallow specimens may have been used as
spoons ; some contained perfumes, ointment, or cos-
metics ; and liquid offerings for the gods probably
filled at one time the little boxes and bowls of steatite.
The bottles with triangular and globular bottoms, and
long necks, are very primitive examples of the art of
glass-blowing, an art which was known before the time
of Pharaoh Osirtasen, the contemporary of Joseph ; the
opaque vases were found at Memphis ; and among the
glazed cups, jars, bowls, and the bottles in black ware,
are a few curious double-bottles, and a vase and a
bottle combined in one. There will be found, be-
sides, specimens of the coarser pottery used by the
Egyptians for domestic purposes, such as pans, jars,
jugs, dishes, bowls, &c.
In cases 33 35 are the bronze vessels, most of
which doubtless belonged to the service of the
temples ; some have handles, like buckets, and are
engraved with hieroglyphics and figures of deities ; one
has a camel's-head spout ; there is also the gilded
model of a vase inscribed with the name of Eameses
II. A model in bronze of a set of vessels, perhaps
cooking utensils, placed on a stand, is inscribed with
the name of Atau, the functionary of Abydos men-
tioned above. Under these are arranged
Food and food products Egyptian bread, a cake
of bruised barley, and bread cakes. The Egyptian
baker liked to fashion his loaves in a great variety
of ways, and one of these cakes is made in the
shape of a crocodile's head. There are samples
136 A HANDY-BOOE OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
of grain. Here are also samples of Egyptian
wheat, barley, and lentil-seed. Wheaten bread was
eaten by the rich, barley-bread by the poor ; and
lentils, with radishes, onions, and other kindred
vegetables, formed a large proportion of the ordi-
nary food of the latter. The wine-like beer, called
zythus, was also made from barley. Grapes, the
juice of which was freely indulged in by the wealthier
classes ; pomegranates, figs, lotus-flowers, &c. ; and
two trussed ducks on a stand with cakes of bread,
most likely intended as an offering for the dead,
fill up the shelf. Beneath are agricultural imple-
ments made of iron ; a hoe or hand-plough ; the hab,
a sickle with a handle, and a sickle-blade ; and a
yoke, much used by Egyptian workpeople in carry-
ing small burdens. Here are also some cord made
of palm-fibres, and some pieces of rope-ladder, one
of which was taken from the tomb of the illustrious
Sethos I. (the father of Sesostris) at Thebes.
The offensive and defensive weapons of the great
Egyptian nation of a nation which was without a
rival during the period of the eighteenth and nine-
teenth dynasties, when its standing army was half a
million strong were, as we should expect, of consider-
able variety, and in many instances of artistic and
intrinsic value. The specimens in the Museum, how-
ever, are but few and small, and are nearly all
contained in the cases 36 and 37 ; it must not be
supposed, therefore, that they convey any adequate
idea of the extensive armoury of the Egyptians.
Bronze was the metal chiefly used for weapons of
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT.
137
warfare. First we may observe the war-axe with an
open-work bronze blade, representing a horseman ;
then another, with a flat blade fastened to its handle
by means of a strap ; and a third, having a semi-
circular bronze blade, with two scallops at the back,
riveted into a hollow tube of silver, which once held
a wooden handle; also daggers with hilts of ivory and
silver, and one with a handle of gold. Among the
objects purchased from Mr. Hay is a dagger with a
EGYPTIAN ARMS.
long cream-coloured flint blade, with bits of the sheath
adhering to it. Here are, besides, javelin and spear-
heads of bronze, iron, and flint ; knives in metal and
stone ; " home-made " clubs of hard wood, some with
flat heads, and one, a very formidable weapon, with
numerous wooden spikes or teeth let into the top ;
staves ; pointed sticks ; bows and arrows, and arrow-
heads the bow was a deadly weapon in the hands of
the Egyptian ; the large stone blade of a hatchet ;
armlets ; a cuirass and helmet in one, formed of
138 A HANDY -BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the " plate-armour " of the crocodile ; and heads of
standards and sceptres.
Of hunting or fishing implements there are fish-
hooks ; bronze heads of fishing spears, employed in
crocodile-hunts on the Nile; and throw- or fowling-
sticks, the use of which has already been learned from
one of the frescoes in the Egyptian gallery. There
are also some portions of the river boats used in
fishing. In case 38 is a casting net, from Thebes.
The artistic and writing implements of the Egyptians
are contained in case 39. Artists will observe that we
have not greatly improved on the palettes or writing-
slabs of the time of "Ptahmes, superintendent.^
scribes." To most of these are attached little jars or
paint-pots, projecting from the base ; some have small
shallow wells for holding the paints. One is inscribed
with a memorandum of the colours for which the
wells were provided. Then there are baskets for
paints and brushes, stones and mullers for grinding
and pounding paint. The scribe proper (skhai) used
the wooden palette, called the pes, about a foot long
and three inches wide, with wells for paints, or red and
black ink, and grooves for holding the pens or writing-
reeds (kash), the points of which were protected
by a sliding-lid ; some of these are dedicated to the
gods, while others bear the names of the owners, and
of the Pharaohs under whom they lived, or by whom
they were patronised. We have also in this case, one
of the ink-pots carried about by the scribes, in bronze,
with the chain for fastening it to the left thigh ; small
rolls of papyri prepared for writing, and boards pre-
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 139
pared for painting ; bronze knives, used by painters ;
a mason's paint-box, of rough workmanship ; stamps
and seals ; pieces of paints, and some fragments
showing the sort of colouring used in the decoration
of the royal tombs at Thebes.
In 'cases 40 and 41 will be seen some small boxes
which were once, perhaps, ornaments in the boudoirs
of Egyptian ladies ; they are made of papyrus-leaves,
wood veneered with ivory, ebony inlaid with porcelain
and ivory, and common wood painted (many of these
are very ancient) ; some fragments of a sycamore box,
marked with the name of Pepisethes, of the sixth
dynasty ; and one with the name of Tekar, a sailor
of a sacred boat, written upon it. Many of the boxes
have sliding covers, and one is in the shape of a
gourd. Following these is a collection of spoons in
ivory and wood, circular, oval, shell and shovel-
shaped ; some are fashioned like the lotus-flower ;
one is double-bowled, holding wax ; many have
carved handles, one representing Horus standing on
a lotus-flower, supporting the mouthpiece on his head.
Several of the spoons are in the shape of fishes. An
ivory box, probably the treasure of some young
Egyptian lady, is very curious ; it is carved in the
form of a duck, swimming ; on its back, the cover,
are two ducklings, to which the mother gives a fish
she has just caught. Two wooden spoons in the Hay
collection deserve notice. One is a fox seizing the
shell, and the other represents a nude female floating
and holding a water-fowl, which forms the bowl of the
spoon. From the absence of table-knives and forks
140 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
in this section, we may infer that the Egyptians,
like other eastern nations, ate with their fingers.
Under the above-mentioned objects are arranged
plasterers' smoothers, brushes, fragments of painted
stucco, and stamps one bearing the name of the
Pharaoh Amenophis III.
In cases 42 and 43 are the tools, which are chiefly
in bronze, most of the iron ones having apparently
been destroyed by rust. Among them are chisels
(one very large, in the shape of a wedge), a drill-
bow and drills, bradawls, adzes, knives, a saw, nails,
and rivets, much- worn wooden mallets, a cowhorn
flask for oil ; also, handles, blades, and models of
tools (some engraved with the name of Pharaoh
Thothmes III.), workmen's baskets, &c. Then there
are articles in bone from a tomb near Memphis,
fragments of wood-carvings, moulds, scoriae and ore
from mines of the old empire, pieces of ivory, &c. ;
more baskets, and some stands, trays, and mats, for
the table or for the ground, on which the Egyptian
usually sat to take his meals. Specimens of the
larger palm-leaf baskets anciently carried to market
will be seen in the next cases, 44 and 45.
In these cases are also contained a few specimens
of musical instruments : remains of harps and viols,
flutes, reed-pipes, cymbals, sistra, and bells. But,
it must be confessed, these orchestral fragments do
not seem to have ever been capable of producing
any but plaintive and somewhat harsh sounds. Sir
Gr. Wilkinson has made some interesting researches
respecting these and other musical instruments of
THE EGYPTIAN DEPART ME XT. 141
the Egyptians. We bring together what he has
said :
" Sometimes the harp was played alone, or as an accompaniment
to the voice; and a band of seven or more choristers frequently sang
to it a favourite air, beating time with their hands between each
stanza, which is still usual in Egypt. The harps varied greatly in
form, size, and the number of strings, ranging from four to twenty-
two. The oldest sculptures in which harps are represented are in a
tomb near the pyramids of Gizeh upwards of four thousand years
old. Even in the reign of Amosis, the first king of the eighteenth
dynasty about 1570 B.C., nine hundred years before Terpaiider's
time the ordinary musicians of Egypt used harps of fourteen, and
lyres of seventeen, strings, which were of catgut. The flute and the
pipe were of equal antiquity with the harp; the former was of great
length, the player being obliged in some cases to extend his arms
below his waist to touch the holes ; it was made of reed, of wood,
of bone, or of ivory, and, from its hieroglyphic name (sebi), we may
suppose that it was originally the leg-bone of some animal ; the
latter the pipe was seldom used at concerts. The double pipe
consisted of two tubes, one played by the right, the other by the left
hand the latter giving a deep sound for the bass, the right a sharp
tone for the tenor. The cymbals were of mixed metal, apparently
brass, or a compound of brass and silver, and of a form exactly
resembling those of modern times, though smaller ; from them have
been borrowed the very small cymbals played with the finger and
thumb, which supply the place of castanets in the alineh dance [before
mentioned.] The Egyptians also played cylindrical maces or clappers,
which were used with the flute during pilgrimages and processions
to the shrine of a god, accompanied by choristers who chanted hymns
in his honour. In addition to these was the tambourine, a favourite
instrument in religious ceremonies and at private banquets. It was
played by men and women, but more usually by the latter, who often
danced and sang to its sound ; and it was used as an accompaniment
to other instruments. There were tambourines of three different
kinds one circular, like our own ; another square, or oblong ; the
third consisted of two squares separated by a bar all of which were
beaten by the hand. The sistrum was the sacred instrument par
excellence. Some pretend that it was used to frighten away Typhon
(the evil one) ; and the rattling noise of its movable bars was some-
times increased by the addition of several loose rings. It had
generally three, rarely four, bars; and the whole instrument was
from eight to sixteen or eighteen inches in length, entirely of brass
or bronze. It was so great a privilege to hold the sacred sistrum
in the temple, that it was given to queens and to those noble ladies
who had the distinguished title of ' women of Amun,' and were
14.2 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
devoted to the service of the deity. In their military bands the
Egyptians had a trumpet and drum. It was not considered unbe-
coming the gravity and dignity of a priest to admit musicians into
his house, or to take pleasure in witnessing the dance ; and, seated
with their wives and families in the midst of their friends, the highest
functionaries of the sacerdotal order enjoyed the lively scene. The
Egyptians considered music of the greatest consequence, from its
beneficial effects upon the mind of youth. Those who played at
the houses of the rich, as well as the wandering musicians of
the streets, were of the lower classes, and made this employment the
means of obtaining their livelihood; and in many instances both
the players and the singers were blind. When hired to attend at
a private entertainment, the musicians either stood in the centre or
at one side of the festive chamber, and some sat cross-legged on the
ground, like the Turks and other eastern people of the present day.
They were usually accompanied on these occasions by dancers, either
men or women, sometimes both, whose art consisted in assuming all
the graceful or ludicrous postures which could obtain the applause or
tend to the amusement of the assembled guests. Some of their songs
as that called the ' Maneros ' were of a plaintive character, but
not so the generality of those introduced at their festive meetings.
The common people had certain jocose songs, containing appropriate
and laughable remarks on the bystanders, which were accompanied
with mimicry and extravagant gestures."
Following the illustrations of their music (in cases
44 and 45), are some specimens of Egyptian games-
draughtsmen, dice, and what are conjectured to have
heen the small counters used in their favourite game
of " odd and even." They seem to have played at
draughts on the chequered board in the earliest
times, hut dice were apparently introduced under the
Greeks or Eomans. Acrobatic feats, in which the
performers were as agile as our modern rope-dancers,
were also a favourite amusement, and often diversified
an Egyptian entertainment. Here are also some of
the toys which the little ones of Egypt delighted in ;
dolls which might have been broken yesterday, but
which in reality were fondled and pulled to pieces
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 143
by " children " thousands of years ago. The dolls
are of wood, mostly flat, with rounded ends, and
painted; one of them "the Ethiopian/' or "Mog-
gie," a black-headed doll, having eyes inlaid with
ivory, and hair ornamented with clay beads was
no doubt a plaything for a rich man's child ;
while the far grander one, carved in relief, in imita-
tion of the human form, may have been dressed and
nursed day by day by some little princess of an early
Pharaonic house. The same fate appears to have
befallen the dolls of the times of Abraham and Moses
as those of modern times ; many of those in this case
are headless, although their construction was strong
and simple. Some more dolls will be found in the
Hay collection. Egyptian children had other play-
things besides these, but only a few of them are re-
presented here fish-toys, fruit-toys, porcelain eggs,
and balls made of palm-leaves covered with leather.
Cloth and the Implements of Spinning fill the lower
shelves of cases 44, 45. First of all are the spinning
and weaving implements, which are peculiarly inte-
resting to a cotton-spinning and cloth-weaving nation
like our own. The primitive hackle for dressing flax,
spindles, reels, knitting-needles, sewing-needles, &c.,
are here exhibited, with samples of thread, linen,
and linen cloths. From these were made vestures
of fine linen, for the manufacture of which the Egyp-
tians were celebrated throughout the ancient world.
Indeed, though our machinery is far superior to
theirs, it is not at all certain that even we produce
really better linen-cloth than they did. Some of
U1TI7B
144 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the samples are so finely wrought as to look like silk.
A piece of bandage (which has lately been subjected
to a process of bleaching) exemplifies the degree of
perfection to which the Egyptians had arrived in the
art of "working in fine flax," referred to by Isaiah.
In some of the cloth, coloured thread is interwoven
as a border or selvedge ; there is a very strong stuff
made of coarse thread ; some of the cloth is fringed ;
and there is one piece with Egyptian characters
worked upon it.
Now we come to that part of the exhibition which
interests the generality of visitors more than any
other the Sepulchral Section. It cannot be from
mere morbid curiosity that so many persons loiter
over this painful display of the mummied dead;
rather, one would suppose, are they brought to a
sudden standstill by wondering thoughts about that
world -future to us which has so long been present
to the souls of these departed ones. The thought
of the invisible world was one from which the in-
habitant of Egypt could hardly ever escape. The
mummy was everywhere ; it was purposely intro-
duced at the festivities of the rich, and images of it
were handed from one to another of the guests,
together with the lotus-flower, in order that both
death and immortality might be remembered at those
times when both are most easily forgotten, and when
the earthly life seems all in all. All over the Nile
valley were scattered the vast and enduring dwellings
provided for the dead, which still further gave rise
to and kept the thought of death before the mind.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 145
And that deep religious feeling in which these
customs originated was no doubt itself increased and
strengthened by being thus constantly and universally
expressed. On the floor of this room, and in the
cases 46 50, are specimens of mummies from diffe-
rent parts of Egypt, from the earliest period to that
of the Eoman occupation ; also, portions of the
human body, and hair of men and women. The
oldest mummy known to the civilised world is con-
tained in case 46 ; it is supposed to be that of
Pharaoh Mycerinus (Menkare), of the fourth dynasty,
the builder of the third great Pyramid at Grizeh,
with whose coffin it was found by Colonel Vyse, in
1837. What is left of the coffin lies close by; it is
unquestionably a very early piece of Egyptian work ;
wooden pegs instead of nails kept it together. Hiero-
glyphics are still seen on a portion of the lid and
on the footpiece ; these, and especially the oval con-
taining the name of Mycerinus, have been preserved
with a freshness which is only to be accounted for by
the extreme dryness of the climate of Egypt. At
the bottom of cases 48, 49, in a box, is Dr. Grran-
ville's complete specimen of a female mummy, pre-
pared with wax, &c., " to illustrate the original pro-
cess of mummification." An outline of the process
is given by Herodotus, which may be accepted as
correct, since he gathered his information from the
embalmers themselves, about 460 B.C. We condense
his description :
" There are a set of men in Egypt who practise the art of embalm-
ing, and make it their proper business. These persons, when n body
146 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
is brought to them, show the bearers various models of corpses, made
in wood, and painted so as to resemble nature. The most perfect is
said to be after the manner of him whom I do not think it religious
to name in connection with such a matter. [He of course refers to
Osiris, the great judge of the dead.] The second sort is inferior
to the first, and less costly ; the third is the cheapest of all. All this
the embalmers explain, and then ask in which way it is wished that
the corpse should be prepared. The bearers tell them, and, having
concluded their bargain, take their departure ; while the embalmers,
left to themselves, proceed to their task. According to the most
perfect process of embalming, the brain is first extracted, and then
the viscera are removed through an opening cut with a sharp stone
in the left side ; the body is then well washed internally with palm
wine, and again frequently with an infusion of pounded aromatics, and
after wards filled with the purest bruised myrrh, with cassia, and
every other sort of spicery except frankincense. Then the body is
placed in natrum for seventy days, and covered entirely over. After
the expiration of that space of time (which must not be exceeded), the
body is washed, and wrapped round, from head to foot, with bandages
of fine linen cloth, smeared over with gum, which is used generally
by the Egyptians in the place of glue ; and in this state it is given
back to the relations, who enclose it in a wooden case which they
have had made for the purpose, shaped into the figure of a man.
Then, fastening the case, they place it in a sepulchral chamber,
upright against the wall. Such is the most costly way of embalming
the dead.
" By the second process, cedar oil is poured into the body, which
is laid in natrum, and, so powerful are these two solvents, that, at the
end of the prescribed time, the whole of the body, except the bones
and skin, has been destroyed by their action. It is returned in this
condition to the relatives, without any further trouble being bestowed
upon it.
" The third method of embalming, which is practised in the case
of the poorer classes, is to extract the viscera with a clyster, and
let the body lie in natrum the seventy days ; after which, it is at once
given to those who 'come to fetch it away."
The parts removed from the body were generally
put into four vases/ 1 ) each under the care of one of the
four genii of the dead human-headed Amset, baboon-
headed Hapi, jackal -headed Soumautf, and hawk-
headed Kebhsnauf. We have already seen several
( J ) See the illustration at page 120.
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 147
specimens of these ; the covers or stoppers are carved
into representations of the heads of the genii, to whom
they were dedicated. When the viscera were not so
distributed, but kept in one enclosure, small figures
of the genii were also placed there, or else by the side
of the coffins. The object of all this care of the
body and its various parts was to preserve them as
nearly complete and intact as possible, ready to re-
ceive the soul a second time. It is not to be sup-
posed, however, that these vases were used when
Jacob and Joseph were embalmed (Gen. 1.).
The bandages wrapped round the mummies were
of great length ; Mr. Pettigrew found cloth weighing
as much as thirty-five pounds and a half on one body.
The ancient Egyptians made a curious practical use of
their mummies that of giving them as security for
loans of money, &c. A mummy was naturally con-
sidered the best possible security, because to neglect
to redeem the body of an ancestor in due course was
execrable in the extreme ; and no one who had failed to
do so dared show his face after having incurred so great
a disgrace. The Bedouins of the pyramids and tombs
now turn the bandages sometimes 700 yards long of
the mummies, to account ; they contrive clothing for
themselves out of them, and dispose of what is over
to those who want the bandages for various manu-
factures, paper for groceries being one of them ! The
poorer classes, it should be mentioned, were, after the
cheap process of embalming described above, placed in
caves (according to Belzoni), " excavated in a rude
manner, the bodies being piled up in layers/' The
148 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
linen and canvas wrappings of the great and the
wealthy were richly decorated, as we see from the
specimens in the Museum ; portraits of the deceased
were frequently painted on them, often on a gilt
ground, as well as scenes from the " Ritual of the
Dead," which began with the hymns recited on the
descent of the mummy into the tomb, and con-
cluded with the formula respecting the final deposit
of the coffin. In addition to these decorations, collars
and covers of bead and bugle-work (see the specimens
in cases 63, 64, and in the second Egyptian Boom,
74 76) were hung about the mummies ; scarabsei,
engraven with extracts from the Bitual, were placed
upon their hearts ; figures were deposited at their
side; and, as in other countries, the most cherished
possessions of the deceased were sometimes placed
there also.
Two cases of wood frequently covered the swathed
body before it was deposited in the sarcophagus or
tomb. It was almost invariably carried thither in one
of the sepulchral boats ; and as soon as the inquisition
concerning the conduct of the deceased had been
satisfactorily brought to an end, was laid in its final
resting-place.
In case 65, standing out on the floor, will be
observed the mummy of Pefaakhons Ankhhunnefer,
an auditor of one of the king's palaces, who lived
probably in the age of Josiah (the decoration repre-
sents Osiris, with other divinities, and the four guar-
dian spirits) ; and the mummy of the priest Penamoun,
with figured collar and breast-plates. Case 67 con-
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 149
tains the mummy of the Theban priestess Katbti,
whose face is beautifully ornamented : the fingers of
her modelled hands are laden with imitation rings ;
in the breast-plate, Anubis is represented ; a scara-
bseus and a sepulchral figure are placed on the body ;
and beneath lie trays holding her tresses. Case 103
contains the coffin of Mentuhetp, who lived under
an early dynasty, coloured with numerous figures of
animal-divinities, emblems, &c. Case 68 contains the
mummy of the incense-bearer Har, which shows the
large quantity of bandages used ; case 69, the embalmed
body of Harnetatf, high priest of Amenra at Thebes
during the Ptolemaic period, having a blue covering,
richly ornamented in gilt, with divinities, scenes
from the book of ceremonies, and figures of Asiatic
captives, &c.; his elaborately- decorated coffin in cedar-
wood is placed in case 27. Case 70 contains the inner
coffin of Pharaoh Hanntef, of the eleventh dynasty,
about 4,000 years ago (an excellently - sculptured
tablet bearing this name has already been noticed
562) ; also the mummy of Haremhebai, on the outer
covering of which are several divinities, coloured and
gilt. In case 73 is the embalmed body, in its coffin,
of Khonsafankh, a functionary of the temple of the
adored Mother (Mut), with a decorated cover, done
over with pitch to ensure greater durability; above
this is a sample of the mummy of the Roman period,
ornamented with figures of the " strange gods " of
Egypt. In case 104 is the coffin of Amam, of the
eleventh or twelfth dynasty, with finely-carved hiero-
glyphics, &c., mostly coloured ; in case 74, the
150 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
mummy and coffin of the sacred musician Ankhhape,
on the former of which is placed a pair of small
bronze cymbals ; it belongs to the Eoman period.
Case 76 contains the mummy of Mautemmen, once
a priestess of the supreme god Amenra, in close-
fitting bandages ; the present height of the figure
is five feet seven inches ; all the features are most
distinctly traceable ; the arms rest at the sides. At
the bottom of this case is the mummy of Cleopatra,
of the family of Soter, an archon of Thebes in the
reign of Trajan ; this mummy indicates the decline
of the embalmer's art. In case 77 is the coffin of
the same lady; the judgment scene is carved and
painted on it ; inside the semi-circular lid is a paint-
ing of the Greek zodiac it was a not uncommon
practice to ornament coffin lids with such illustrations
of the heavenly bodies. In case 90 is the coffin of
Soter, the father of Cleopatra. By the specimen in
case 71 we see that even the mummy yields to decay
after a great length of time. In case 75 the inferior
processes adopted in the Grseco-Egyptian era for the
preservation of the bodies of the dead will be re-
marked. The mummy-case of Ataineb, a foreigner,
with the judgment scene, and the four Amenti, or
guardian spirits, painted on it, is placed upright in
case 38. In some instances portions of bodies were
embalmed and put into small hollow wooden figures
of gods (Ptah and Osiris being the favourites), or
into the hollow pedestals upon which these figures
were placed. Examples of this practice will be found
in cases 24 27 in the Second Eoom. Not only
THE EHYPT1AX DEPARTMENT. 151
human beings, but animals, when they had been
devoted to the gods, were embalmed by the Egyp-
tians, and we shall find cases 52 63 filled with the
mummies of animals. The heads and principal bones
only of the sacred bull and ram, and some others,
were embalmed, but frequently the whole body was
preserved. Here are specimens of both methods :
the ox, the baboon, the dog (one is a very fine speci-
men, with traces of gilding), the jackal, cat, ram,
gazelle, hawk, ibis with ibis eggs, fishes, snakes, and
young crocodiles.
But we must now leave these manifestations of the
" Strange delusion that would thus maintain
The fleshly form, till cycles shall pass by,
And, in the series of the eternal chain,
The spirit come to seek its old abode again,"
and examine the ornaments with which the Egyptians
sought to gratify their vanity or their love of beauty.
Specimens, chiefly found with the mummies, are ex-
hibited in cases 81 83, 87 89. Ear-rings, mostly
with pendants or drops attached, finger and other
rings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, and anklets, were
all commonly worn. The rich had ornaments of
precious metals and stones, while the poor had to be
content with ornaments made of the inferior metals,
and of shells, porcelain, and common stones. Occa-
sionally the gold rings of the rich and the stone rings
of the poor were very massive : the former frequently
had a signet. A variety of small objects were some-
times strung together to make a necklace (of which
there are three or four specimens here), and often
152 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
only beads and bugles had to suffice. Emblems of
deities, &c., now and then formed pendants to the
ear-rings ; one in the collection used to remind some
Egyptian lady of the necessity of living " a good life."
The ear-rings and the bracelets were also occasionally
massive.
The large and the small scarabaei, or beetle-shaped
amulets, made of carnelian, amethyst, basalt, porcelain,
&c., are laid out in the cases 94 96. These also
were chiefly used for personal adornment; gods and
goddesses, sacred animals, names of queens and of
kings, inscriptions, and symbols, are engraved on the
base of these portable charms. On some are the names
of the builders of the three great pyramids : Cheops
(JSTo. 3,929fl), Chephren, (3,929/5), and Mycerinus
(3,923 25). The names of several other Pharaohs
occur on these amulets : No. 4,095 mentions that 102
lions were killed by Amenophis III. in the first ten
years of his reign; and 4,096 records this Pharaoh's
marriage with Taia, and tells us that his dominions
extended to Mesopotamia on the north, and to Kalu
on the south. Some of the mottoes on these amulets
or charms are interpreted, " Life," " Truth," " Good-
iiess," " Good fortune," " All good things," Good
life," "All life as desired," and "A happy year."
They were evidently very much like the every- day
friendly wishes put at the head of our letters or on
our " Christmas cards ;" and the charms were worn-
only with greater faith in their inherent virtues as the
cross, heart, and anchor, are worn to-day by English
girls. Most of the scarabs in cases 100 102 were
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 153
found on the hearts of mummies and in the folds of
their bandages ; many are inscribed with the 30th
chapter of the "Ritual of the Dead." There are
many amulets besides these in the shape of hearts,
symbolic eyes, fingers, head-rests, vases, lotus-scep-
tres, levels, plumes, the latus fish, victims bound
for the sacrifice, silver bandlets, solar discs, spangles,
emblems of life and stability, and figures of deities
and the genii. They are in many substances : basalt,
marble, jasper, sienite, steatite, hematite, and even
leather; and some are gilded.
In the Second Egyptian Room we find more of
the remains from the tombs of Egypt. In cases 1 11
are tablets ; models of coffins ; boxes for sepulchral
figures deposited with the dead ; and specimens of the
figures themselves most of them coloured, and en-
graved with religious formulae, and the names of the
persons for whom they were made. These mummy-
shaped figures, which we have several times referred
to, are principally small, and are made of alabaster,
stone, porcelain (chiefly blue), terra-cotta, and wood.
They are executed with different degrees of elabora-
tion. In cases 12, 13, and 20 23, are more of the
sepulchral vases, with covers representing the four
genii. These vases, with models and fragments,
are in arragonite, limestone, terra-cotta, pottery, and
wood. In three or four small glass jars is exhibited
the residuum found in these receptacles mere clotted
ashes, some perfectly white, some a dark brown,
with shreds of bandages. Cases 14 19 contain
examples of coffin-work of the best style, and outer
154 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
coverings of mummies ; a sepulchral sledge-like box,
made for the vases of one Nebi, of Thebes ; and
portraits of Grseco-Eoman women, painted on panel
from mummy-bandages. In cases 24 30 are the
hollow wooden figures of deities with pedestals, above
referred to, for holding embalmed portions of bodies,
extracts, on papyrus, from the " Eitual of the Dead/'
and other objects. They principally represent Ptah-
Socharis-Osiris " he who inhabits the centre of the
catacombs" the superintendent or director of the
tombs; many of them are richly ornamented. The
detached wooden plumes belonged to carvings of this
kind. In cases 31 and 32 are sepulchral terra-cotta
cones of various dynasties, inscribed on the bases with
the names and ranks of different persons, and with
hieroglyphic texts. Mr. Ehind found many of them
about the entrances of tombs which he opened, and
in rows inside ; and he supposes they were used for
ornamentation, and served the purpose of an en-
tablature or frieze ; they are generally from ten to
fifteen inches long, tapering from a base three or four
inches in diameter. By these are exhibited some
Grseco-Egyptian vases one, an alabaster hydria, or
water-vessel, from Alexandria, is particularly fine
terra-cotta lamps of about the fourth century A.D., and
paterae, the vessels used at public feasts and sacri-
fices. We must just glance at some of the objects
in the detached cases in this room.
In the compartments numbered 65 67 are frag-
ments of calcareous stone, with hieroglyphic and
hieratic inscriptions addresses, names of workmen,
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 155
accounts, and memoranda ; and a writing dated in
the nineteenth dynasty, copied from the instructions
in rhetoric of the Theban Eashakhepersnab Ankh a
composition of the twelfth dynasty. By this is an
outline sketch on a board, representing Thothmes
III. or IV. seated, the Egyptian canon of propor-
tions being marked in squares upon the board. In
71 73 are fragments, in the hieratic and demotic
characters, of papyri, letters, addresses, registers, a
list of articles belonging to two women, an account of
things supplied to a boat's crew, and one (5,631) is
part of a statement or deposition relating to a robbery
from the royal treasury. In 68 70 are more per-
sonal ornaments pectoral or breast-plates, in por-
celain, stone, &c., necklaces of porcelain bugles and
beads, and glass ornaments, and also some enamelled
tiles. In 74 76 are scaraba3i, network for mummies,
and beadwork in various pretty designs ; one piece of
this work bears the name and titles of the priest Ea-ta.
In 75, 76, are more of the emblematic eyes, papyrus
sceptres, models of the pschent or regal crown, porce-
lain and variously-coloured bugles, beads, drops, and
other ornaments. In 101 are models of the sepulchral
boats employed in carrying mummies to the tomb, and
boxes for holding vases for the tombs. In 89 91
and 95 97 are the Egyptian objects from the fa-
mous Blacas collection divinities, sacred animals, and
emblems. Among these may be specially mentioned
a large bronze cat, very finely executed; a case, in
bronze, for a snake ; and a bronze figure of Muntra
(Mars), of late workmanship ; also the arm and hand
156 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRTTI8H MUSEUM.
of a mummy, still retaining a gold finger-ring. The
rest of the cases contain miscellaneous objects. In
82 94 are wax figures of the four genii, wax hearts,
sandals found in tombs, and fragments from the outer
coverings of mummies. In 98 100 are bandages
taken from mummies ; a piece of linen cut into the
likeness of a dog-headed baboon ; wooden mummy-
labels, used by the embalmers for distinguishing the
various subjects of their craft while under their
hands, and afterwards to mark the resting-place of
the mummies, if the relations could afford to raise
no other memorial over them. Also small terra-cotta
busts and figures, fragments of vases, many of them
containing receipts of tax-gatherers, and wax writing-
tablets with a small style and signet, and various
articles of the Eomano-Egyptian period.
We may also notice in this room (cases 77 79,
83 85) the unique collection, recently acquired by
the Museum, of bronze tablets, with inscriptions in
Himyaritic. For most of these the nation is in-
debted to Colonel Coghlan; for a few, to Colonel
Playfair. They come from the southern district of
Arabia, and are in a large and very clear character.
The ancient Himyaritic, an early form of Arabic, is
allied to the Ethiopic and Hebrew. It takes its name
from the Himyarites, or Homeritse, inhabitants of the
kingdom of Himyar. The inscriptions, which date
from about B.C. 100 to A.D. 525, consist chiefly of
addresses to the gods, the name of the supreme god
of the people, Almakah, occurring on most of them.
Near these tablets are some pieces of vases, with Coptic
THE EGYPTIAN DEPARTMENT. 157
and Greek inscriptions, some small entire vases, terra-
cotta lamps, bronze weights, an engraved shell from a
sepulchre near Eachel's tomb at Bethlehem-Judah,
and some vases from another tomb at the same spot ;
small beads (some of which are opal-like from age),
and other small objects from Tyre ; and numerous
finely-engraved Gnostic amulets charms which were
once supposed to avert evil from the persons of the
early Gnostic heretics. Here are also several speci-
mens of the so-called Samian ware ; and on the tops
of the cases are some large Egyptian vases, rolls of
papyri, &c.
We have now glanced at the more interesting
vestiges of Egyptian civilisation which are preserved
in our national museum. The importance attaching
to these remains is slowly becoming recognised, under-
stood, and appreciated ; but the vein of historical
wealth which the Egyptian antiquities contain is as
yet far from exhausted, and is large enough to employ
and reward the industry of those who may work in
it for many years to come.
Next, by the precedence of age, come the Assyrian
antiquities.
J58
CHAPTER III.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT.
I. THE KINGS OF ASSYRIA.
ASSYRIA proper, one of the first peopled provinces of
central Asia, was bounded by the Tigris, the frontier
of Mesopotamia, on the west, and was divided by a
chain of mountains from Media, on the east; to the
south lay Babylon or Chalda3a ; to the north Armenia.
These provinces were at first independent states, but
Assyria gradually gained ascendency over those imme-
diately adjacent; and at one time they were all com-
prehended in the Assyrian empire ; and not only these,
but others even more remote, were under its sway.
The antiquities which have been derived, therefore,
from the countries now under Turkish rule, called
Kurdestan (Assyria), Algezira (Mesopotamia), and
Irak (Chaldsea), and from Persia (Media), are included
under the general title of " Assyrian remains." This
description is usually strictly accurate, as the great
majority of the antiquities in possession of the Museum
belong to the period of Assyrian ascendency, and
were found near the Assyrian capital. Few remains
have as yet been discovered at any distance from
the following places: 1. Nimroud, supposed to be
the Calah mentioned in Genesis x. 11, on the banks
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 159
of the Tigris, about twenty miles below the modern
Mosul. 2. Kkorsabad, a site about ten miles to the
north-east of Mosul. 3. Kouyunjik, still indicated by
local tradition as the site of Nineveh, nearly opposite
Mosul, on the Tigris. Many inscriptions have been
already deciphered on these remains, and now furnish
us with much valuable material towards Assyrian
history. Some of the leading facts they relate are
subjoined. We need hardly remind the reader that
they should be read in connection with those refer-
ences to Babylon, Nineveh, and Media, which occur
so frequently in Jewish history and prophecy. There
is not space, unfortunately, to dwell, on those refer-
ences here. They begin with the narration, in the
tenth and eleventh chapters of Genesis, of the settle-
ment of the primeval tribes after the Deluge. The
Bible is, then, almost silent concerning the Assyrian
nation until the time of Jonah, who prophesied
against Nineveh, B.C. 820. From that time till the
downfall of Babylon (B.C. 538) the history of the
Jews cannot be told without a constant mention of
their Assyrian or Babylonian invaders. The meagre
abstract our limits compel us to make will, we fear, be
defective in interest. It has, however, been thought
worth placing before the reader; first, because it
gives some idea of the contents of those cuneiform
inscriptions which surround us in the Assyrian
department ; and, next, because it is the transcript
of a record of events written in the very lifetime of
the people by whom they were experienced. For
this reason it will be found to differ in many points
IfiO A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
from the histories received as authentic before the
time of Hawlinson and Layard. Strictly speaking,
indeed, Assyrian history can scarcely be said to have
existed till now ; all our knowledge, apart from the
Biblical references, having been founded on a col-
lection of traditions made by one or two Greek
authors who lived long after the Assyrian empire
had been overthrown. Due allowance must, we
suppose, be made for the exaggerations of vain-glory ;
nevertheless, the Assyrian record, while so often dis-
agreeing with secular tradition, appears to be almost
invariably confirmed by Scripture. A Biblical map
of Asia will bo useful, and almost indispensable
for reference. The geography of Assyria and the
surrounding nations is perplexing, as we are accus-
tomed to associate with ancient history the names of
states and cities which were in use among the Greeks
and Eomans, and which are modern compared with
such old Assyrian names as Accad, Erech, &c. The
dates here given are those which appear to be
authorised by the most recent discoveries of the
gentlemen who are now engaged in the study of the
original Assyrian records in the British Museum.
The Babylonian and Assyrian states seem to have
been long almost evenly balanced, and to have main-
tained a constant rivalry, sometimes friendly, and
sometimes the reverse. Nor does it appear from
these records that the independence of Babylon was
for long, if ever, entirely lost. It seems, when in
subjection to Assyria, to have been so rather as a
dependent than an enslaved nation. Its line of kings
THE J.WA'/.l.V DEPARTMENT. [()!
rims alongside with that of the Assyrians. And when
the Assyrian empire, properly so called, at last fell by
the treachery of one of its own generals, a Baby-
lonian, he revived a kingdom not long extinct, and it
became for a few generations the foremost in the
world. It would be surprising, indeed, if of two
^states, apparently identical in origin, and equally
favoured by circumstances, the one had suddenly or
speedily extinguished the other.
Beginning at the infancy of the Assyrian king-
dom, we learn that the earliest rulers of Assyria were
priests of Assur, and subject to Baby Ionia, f 1 ) Ismi-
dakan reigned about B.C. 1850 ; Sarnsi-rul I., who
reigned about B.C. 1820, erected the temple of Anu
and Vul. In B.C. 1500, Assur-bilu-nisi-su was reign-
ing ; he entered into a treaty with Kara-issib-das,
king of Babylonia. Buzur-assur (B.C. 1475) con-
tinued the alliance with Burna-buryas, the successor
of Kara-issib-das, which their predecessors had begun.
The daughter of Assur- upallit (B.C. 1450) married the
king of Babylonia, her son Kara-kardas eventually
reigning over that country. Bil-nirari reigned B.C.
1375 ; Budil, his son, B.C. 1350 ; Vul-nirari I., son of
Budil, B.C. 1325. Shalmaneser I. (Shallim-inanu-
uzur in Assyrian), son of Vul-nirari (B.C. 1300), was
the builder of Calah (Genesis x. 11). His son,
( l ) Mr. George Smith, to whom we are chiefly indebted for the par-
ticulars here given, has found among the clay tablets in the Museum
a fragment referring to the origin of Assyria, which, though much
mutilated, there is no doubt that his patient skill will ultimately de-
cipher. A few kings, whose dates have not been ascertained, are
omitted from the above list.
162 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Tiglath-ninip I. (B.C. 1271), was called "tlie con-
queror of Babylonia." Bil-kudur-uzur (B.C. 1240)
was slain in an invasion of the Babylonians. Ninip-
pal-zara (B.C. 1220) defeated the Babylonian king at
the city of Assur. Assur-dayan I., his son (B.C. 1195),
invaded Babylonia in the reign of Zagare-sum-iddin,
took the towns of Zaba, Irriya, Agarsal, &c., and %
carried the spoil to Assyria. He was succeeded by
his son, Mutaggil-nabu, B.C. 1170. Assur-ristilim,
son of the preceding (B.C. 1145), repulsed two in-
vasions by Nebuchadrezzar I., king of Babylonia.
He is probably the Chushan-rish-athaim, king of
Mesopotamia, whom the children of Israel served
eight years (Judges iii. 8). Tiglath-Pileser I.
(Tukulti-pal-zara in Assyrian) (B.C. 1120) was called
the " powerful king, king of the people of various
tongues," and by other sounding titles, in honour of
his greatness. In the first five years of his reign he
subjugated forty-two countries, and took captive their
kings. He says in his celebrated inscription, " I
brought them under one government ; I took hostages
from them, and I imposed on them tribute and
offerings." He was also a great hunter, and was said
to have killed 920 lions in his expeditions, besides wild
bulls, strong and fierce, and wild buffaloes. In his
reign, however, the king of Babylonia, Maruduk-
iddin-akbi, took the city of Hekali, and carried off the
gods Yul and Sala, which remained in Babylon's
possession until, after 418 years, Sennacherib regained
them. Assur-bil-kala, son of Tiglath (B.C. 1095),
made peace with Maruduk-sapik-ziri, king of Baby-
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 163
Ionia. Samsi-vul II., also son of Tiglath (B.C. 1075),
rebuilt the temple of Assuritu, at Nineveh. Assur-
rabu-amar (? B.C. 1030) was defeated in a war with
the king of Syria, and lost the countries conquered by
Shalmaneser I. and Tiglath. Irba-vul began to
reign in B.C. 990 ; Assur-iddin-akhi, B.C. 965 ; and
Assur-dayan II., his successor, in B.C. 940.
In the reign of Vul-nirari II., son of the pre-
ceding (B.C. 911), begin the records of the Eponymes,
the annual magistrates or archons of Assyria. The
list of these officers is an important contribution to
Assyrian history and chronology; it is too lengthy,
however, to be included here. Tiglath-ninip II.
(B.C. 889) succeeded, and was followed by Assur-
iiazir-pal (B.C. 883 859), who defeated Nabu-bal-
iddin, king of Babylon. He was famous for his
conquests, his hunting expeditions, and his love of
building, and of the fine arts ; and ranks among the
most illustrious of Assyrian monarchs. He and his
successor Assur-bani-pal, divide between them the
popularity of the name of " Sardanapalus ;" but
though magnificence surrounded both, the inscriptions
prove that neither was of the effeminate nature
attributed to Sardanapalus by Greek and Roman
writers. Shalmaneser II. (B.C. 858 823) was con-
temporary with Ahab of Jezreel, Jehu, and Benhadad
and Hazael, kings of Syria. The wars with the king
of Egypt, Benhadad, Ahab, and others, appear to
have begun in the prefecture of Dayan-assur, B.C.
854; Jehu paid tribute in that of Val-lat (?)-ani
B.C. 842. In the eighth and ninth years of his
L 2
164 .1 U ANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
reign Shalmaneser marched into Babylonia, to help
Maraduk-bani (?) the king, against Maruduk-bil-usati,
his brother. He had a host of 102,000 fighting men
constantly under arms. Samsi-vul III. (B.C. 823
811) invaded Chaldsea, and besieged the Babylonians,
whose king was Maruduk-balat-su-ikbi ; 18,000 of the
besieged were killed, and 3,000 made prisoners ; and
in a battle which followed, 5,000 more were slain, and
2,000 captured. Yul-nirari III. reigned from B.C.
810 782. The power of the Assyrians had become
very great at this period. Shalmaneser III. reigned
from B.C. 781 772 ; towards the close of his reign, in
773, he laid siege to Damascus. In the reign of his
successor, Assur- dayan III. (B.C. 771 754), on the
14th and 15th of June, 763 B.C., Bur-sagale being
prefect of Guzana or Gozan (see 2 Kings xvii. 6), it is
recorded that an eclipse of the sun occurred ; and the
truth of the statement has lately been verified by our
astronomer Mr. Hind. About the same time there
was a revolt in the city of Assur. Assur-nirari ( : )
reigned B.C. 753 746. In the latter year there was
a revolt in the city of Calah. The history of
Tiglath Pileser II., which Mr. George Smith has
lately succeeded in deciphering, is, briefly, as fol-
lows : The Assyrian form of his name was Tukulti-
pal-zara ; he ascended the throne on the 13th day
of the second month, Airu, B.C. 745, in which
( J ) Mr. Smith has reason to think that this name should be
Vul-nirari, the substitution of Assur for Yul being very common in
the Assyrian inscriptions ; and that this is the Biblical Pul who took
tribute from Menahem. No notice of his expedition against Samaria
has, however, been yet found in the cuneiform records.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 165
year one of the Babylonian kings (? Nabonassar)
sent him ten talents of gold and a thousand of
silver. In that year also, and in B.C. 731, he
carried his arms into Babylonia. In the general
accounts of the second Tiglath's campaigns, his two
invasions of Babylon are collectively treated. It is
stated that he captured the city of Bit-silani, cruci-
fying Nabu-usappan, the Chaldsean, before the gate ;
and that he took the city of Sarapani, and made
prisoners of 50,500 of the inhabitants. From the
cities of Tarbazu and Yaballa he carried away into
captivity 30,000 of the people ; and from Bit-sahal,
50,400. He also besieged Dugab in his capital
Sape. Balasu and Nadini submitted to him, and
paid tribute ; and Maruduk-Bal-iddin (2 Kings xx.)
made a journey to Sapiya, in B.C. 731, to do homage,
and to . present him with tribute. Tiglath took
possession of Babylonia, and adopted its gods into his
pantheon. He assumed the titles of " King of Babil
(Babylon), and king of Sumir and Akkad," districts
of Babylonia; and the conquered region is described as
watered by the four rivers, Euphrates, Tigris, Surappi,
and Ukni, and extending to the Persian Gulf. He
placed Assyrian governors over the people, and rebuilt
the city Tel-kamri, making it a royal residence. In
B.C. 744, Tiglath overran the country of Muzir, on
the east of Assyria, carrying off gold, silver, clothing,
animals, and many of the inhabitants ; and he set his
throne in the capital, Kinali, in the midst of the
palace of Tutamu, the king. About B.C. 743 he
was engaged in suppressing a conspiracy formed
166 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
against him by several northern princes, among whom
was Sarduri of Ararat, whose city, Turuspa, was be-
sieged by the Assyrians. They do not appear to have
taken it, but they laid waste the country during
thirty-five days' journey, and added some of the
Armenian provinces to Assyria. For the next five
years Tiglath was engaged in a war with the Syrians,
on his western border ; the city of Arpad was besieged
for three years, B.C. 742 740. Mr. Smith thinks it
probable that it was after this, in B.C. 739 738, that
Tiglath advanced on Hamath. He was marching
into Syria to collect his tribute, when he heard that
the people of Hamath, then governed by Eni-il,
refused to submit, and were supported by Azariah
(Azriyau, or Azurizau in the Assyrian tongue), the
mighty king of Judah, whose army numbered over
300,000 men (2 Chronicles xxvi.). The allied armies
were struck with fear, however, when they heard of
the advance of the Assyrian forces, which descended
on the cities of Hamath, and wasted them with fire
and sword. Tiglath and Azariah met, the army of
the latter was surrounded, and a great number of his
men were taken prisoners. Nineteen districts of
Hamath, " beside the sea of the setting sun " (the
Mediterranean), were subdued in this war. Among
the subject rulers of Syria enumerated in the annals,
are Hystaspes of Kummukha, Rezin (Bazanu) of
Syria, Menahem (Minikhimmi) of Samaria, Hiram of
Tyre, Eni-il of Hamath, and Zabibi, queen of the
Arabs. Azariah, though defeated, did not submit. "At
this time, about B.C. 738, it is difficult to believe,"
THE AXXYRIAX DEPARTMENT. 167
says Mr. Smith, " that Menahem was on the throne
of Samaria, but his name occurs in two copies of the
tribute list, and the same difficulty must be felt with
reference to the name of Azariah, who only survived
Menahem, according to the Book of Kings, for three
years." During the absence of Tiglath in Syria,
another part of his army made war upon the Aramaean
and other tribes on the borders of the Euphrates.
On his return, the Assyrian king was occupied for
about three years in wars with some northern princes.
From B.C. 734 to 732 occurred the great Syrian
campaign against Damascus and the Philistines.
Unfortunately, the commencement of this war is
entirely lost in the Assyrian annals, only the name of
Eezin, who headed it, being preserved. But our Bible
record supplies this deficiency. When Ahaz, king of
Judah, was assailed by Eezin and Pekah, he sent
messengers and a present to Tiglath (2 Kings xvi.)
to gain his assistance. The Assyrian king responded, ( : )
a war followed ; and cuneiform inscriptions relate that
the Syrians were defeated in a decisive battle, and
that Eezin had to fly for his life. He took refuge in
one of his cities, probably Damascus, but the name
is obliterated. Here he was besieged and slain, and
many of the Syrian leaders were crucified. The
Assyrian soldiers cut down the plantations round
about the city, and left not one standing, although
they were so extensive that the trees are said to be
" without number." The dominions of Eezin appear
(*) The kings who attended Tiglath when Ahaz went to Damascus
to meet him (2 Kings xvi. 10) are mentioned in the cuneiform annals.
168 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
to have been desolated, for Tiglath says, " 581 cities
. . . of sixteen districts of Garimirisu (Syria) like
a storm I swept." The death of Rezin was noticed
in an inscription found by Sir H. Eawlinson, which
has been lost. The Assyrians next descended on the
Philistines, captured the city of Graza, and carried off
the spoil and the gods of the place. Eukiptu of
Askelon submitted to their yoke. After this Tiglath
marched against Samsi, queen of the Arabs ; he
captured 70(?)000 of her people, 30,000 camels, and
20,000 oxen, besides other spoil, and the national
gods. The queen herself fled, but she was overtaken,
and compelled to rule her kingdom under the direction
of an Assyrian governor. Some of the Sabean tribes
were next subdued, and an Arab named Idi-bihil was
appointed overseer over the land of Egypt. The
year B.C. 731 was spent in Babylonia. The last
Syrian campaign which appears to have been con-
ducted by the generals of Tiglath took place shortly
after, probably in B.C. 730. Vassarmi of Tabal was
deposed ; tribute was exacted from Metenna of Tyre,
and an advance was made into the land of Israel, where
Pekah had been succeeded by \ ]} MfTT- Mfl ^ >> f~
HUSIE, HOSHEA (2 Kings xvii.). In the passage
in the cuneiform tablet in which this fact is
mentioned, Tiglath Pileser claims to have set Hoshea
on the throne. The part describing the fate of
Pekah is lost; the reading is as follows: "Pekah,
king of them . . and Hoshea (to the kingdom)
over them I established." Mr. Smith is of opinion
that the Biblical and Assyrian accounts may be
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 169
reconciled by supposing that after Hoshea had
usurped the throne he had to be confirmed in the
kingdom by Tiglath Pileser, who was lord paramount.
This king built the magnificent palace at Calah
(Kalchi), which was afterwards pulled down by
Esarhaddon. Shalmaneser IV. reigned from B.C. 727
723. This reign is unhappily memorable in Jewish
history as the era of the dispersion of the ten tribes.
" In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria
took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria,
and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river
of Grozan, and in the cities of the Medes " (2 Kings
xvii.). Sargina (Sargon), B.C. 722 705, is thought
to have been an usurper. He made many raids into
neighbouring countries, and defeated the allied armies
of the Philistines and the Egyptians near Gaza; he
also invaded the country of the Arabs and AramaBans.
He made war with Ashdod( T ) in 711 B.C., and in the
following year he captured Babylon, and took prisoner
Maruduk-bal-iddin, called by Isaiah, Merodach-bala-
dan. Merodach afterwards escaped, and, as Berodach-
baladan, we find him, in the second of Kings xx. 12,
sending a present to Hezekiah ; "for he had heard
that Hezekiah had been sick/' At Khorsabad, Sargina
built a splendid palace. Sennacherib, son of Sargina,
reigned from B.C. 705, twelfth day of the fifth month,
(*) Palestine and the surrounding districts were divided, after the
death of Solomon, into twelve kingdoms Israel, Judah, Ammon,
Moab, Gaza, Ekron, Askelon, Ashdod, Edom, Tyre and Sidon, Arvad,
and Gebal. Their rulers are frequently alluded to in the Assyrian
inscriptions from B.C. 850 650 as the " Twelve Kings of the
Hittites," &c.
170 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
to 681. A magnificent palace was built by him at
Nineveh. He wrote his name Tsin-(or Sin-) akhi-irba,
sometimes Assur- akhi-irba, which means " Tsin or
Sin (the Moon-god), or Assur (the great god), has
multiplied (his) brethren." We gather from the Old
Testament narrations (2 Kings xviii. xix., and Isaiah
xxxvi. xxxvii.), and from the many relics of him and
his times in the Museum, that he was one of, if not
the most illustrious of Assyria's kings. His expedi-
tion against Hezekiah is fully mentioned in his famous
hexagonal cylinder in the Museum ; and there are
interesting pictures in the bas-reliefs of his siege of
Lachish, and of the defeat of Merodach-baladan, who
made an attempt, assisted by the Susianians, to re-
take Babylon. One of his small terra-cotta tablets
mentions the recovery by him of a signet- seal which
had been captured by the king of Babylon 600 years
previously. He defeated many of the Aramaean tribes,
taking 200,000 into captivity, and subjected Phoenicia,
some neighbouring cities, and the Egyptians and
Ethiopians, to his sway. In the fourteenth year of
Hezekiah's reign, he made war upon Judah, on behalf
of his injured ally, Padi, king of Philistia ; and, in the
words of Scripture (2 Kings xviii.), " came up against
all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them." Heze-
kiah acknowledged that he had offended, and paid a
heavy tribute (verse 14, et seq.}. Sennacherib says in
his annals, that, " Because Hezekiah, king of Judah,
would not submit to my yoke, I came up against him,
and by force of arms and by the might of my power, I
took forty-six of his strong fenced cities ; and of the
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 171
smaller towns which were scattered about I took and
plundered a countless number. And from these places
I captured and carried off as spoil 200,150 people, old
and young, male and female, together with horses and
mares, asses and camels, oxen and sheep, a countless
multitude. And Hezekiah himself I shut up in Jeru-
salem, his capital city, like a bird in a cage, building
towers round the city to hem him in, and raising
banks of earth against the gates, so as to prevent
escape." Upon this, Hezekiah sent out to Sen-
nacherib " thirty talents of gold, and eight hundred
talents of silver, and divers treasures, a rich immense
booty," as a token of his submission " to (Sen-
nacherib's) power." Such is the Assyrian monarch's
own account of his invasion of Judah.
In 700 B.C. Assur-nadin was made king of
Babylon. Soon after followed the events recorded in
the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of the second
book of Kings. Hezekiah refused to continue the
payment of tribute, and Jerusalem was threatened
with destruction by the host sent by Sennacherib from
Lachish, under the Assyrian generals. The Assyrian
army, however, returned for a time to Sennacherib,
who was then at Libnah, preparing to attack the
Egyptians and Ethiopians. Some time after, Sen-
nacherib again sent messengers to Hezekiah, with the
letter " which he took into the Lord's house ;" and
in answer to which Isaiah was commissioned to
prophesy the speedy departure of the Assyrian king.
A large portion of his army was lost, smitten in the
night by the angel of the Lord ; and Sennacherib
172 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
returned to Nineveh. Some years elapsed between
his return and his assassination by his sons, and he
appears to have spent the interval in the adornment
of his capital.
Esarhaddon, or Assur-akh-iddin, as the inscrip-
tions give the name, reigned from B.C. 681 668. In
the earlier years of his reign, he endeavoured to recover
the countries which had been lost during the latter
years of his father Sennacherib. His campaigns were
in Phoenicia, Armenia, Cilicia, Chaldsea, Edom or
Iduma3a, and the countries called Bazu and Bikni.
He sent the captains of his host into Judsea to punish
the rebellious Manasseh, who was taken among the
thorns, bound with fetters, and carried to Babylon,
but was afterwards allowed to return to Jerusalem
(2 Chronicles xxxiii. 11, 12). Esarhaddon invaded
Egypt about B.C. 672, when Tirhakah (Tarqu) of
Ethiopia, held sway, conquered it as far as the
southern boundary of the Thebaid, drove the king
into Ethiopia, and placed the country under the
government of twenty kings, Niku (Neco), king of
Mimpi (Memphis), being at the head of them. The
Assyrians were masters of Egypt till B.C. 668, when
Tirhakah took advantage of Esarhaddon's illness,
seized upon Upper Egypt, and fixed his capital at
Memphis, whence he made war upon and regained the
rest of the country. Besides constructing and repair-
ing numerous temples and other buildings, Esarhaddon
erected extensive palaces at Calah, Nineveh, and
Babylon. The palace at Nineveh (Kouyunjik), in
the mound of Nebbi Yunus (the supposed tomb of
THE A Wlil AX DEPARTMENT. 173
the prophet Jonah), has as yet been only tentatively
excavated, owing to the disinclination of the Turks
to allow the mound to be disturbed. Esarhaddon
says in his cuneiform inscriptions that twenty-two
kings supplied him with materials for this palace.
There is no question whatever that the palace is where
it is said to be, as Mr. Layard himself- has obtained
a few fragments from the mound with the name of
Esarhaddon upon them. Esarhaddon did not recover
from his illness, and on the l:2th of the month
Ayar, in the year B.C. (J68, he proclaimed his son
Assur-bani-pal (the son formed by Assur) joint ruler
with himself. In the Museum there is a clay
fragment of a letter written by Assur-bani-pal (" Sar-
danapalus "), the king of Assyria, to his father
Esarhaddon, king of Babylon. The young monarch
was at Nineveh when the news arrived of Tirhakah's
conquest of Egypt, and vyith the news came a request
for assistance from the As syro- Egyptian kings.
Assur-bani-pal collected his army, and marched on
Egypt. A great battle was fought, the Ethiopian
forces were worsted, Tirhakah fled, the country was
again placed under the rule of the twenty kings, and
Assur-bani-pal returned to Nineveh with an immense
booty. But i?ne indefatigable Tirhakah, aided by
Neco and other conspirators, gave Assur-bani-pal a
great deal of trouble after this. Urdamane, who
succeeded Tirhakah, invaded lower Egypt, and
wrested it from the Assyrian rulers. Assur-bani-pal
thereupon made another expedition to Egypt, en-
gaged and defeated the army of the Ethiopian, and
174 A HANDY- BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
despoiled his capital, Thebes, of everything of value.
The country having been completely subdued, and
the kings re-appointed, Assur-bani-pal returned to
Nineveh. In this expedition he took the oppor-
tunity of punishing Baal, king of Tyre, who had
not kept up the payment of his tribute, and about
this time he married a Cilician princess. He was the
Assyrian king to whom Gryges, king of Lydia,
influenced by a dream, acknowledged his submission.
Later, however, Gryges rebelled, and assisted Psam-
metichus to throw off the Assyrian yoke in Egypt.
Assur-bani-pal was then engaged in a fierce war with
the Susianians. Several other tributaries turned the
occasion to account and renounced their allegiance,
and Egypt slipped out of the hands of the Assyrians.
The Susianians, and their allies the Babylonians under
Saiil-mugina, Assur-bani-pal's brother, were beaten,
though not thoroughly. They afterwards made several
struggles to regain their independence, but in the end
were subdued. The treasures were taken from Susa,
the capital, including the statue of Nana, which had
been carried off 1635 years previously. Assur-bani-pal
carried his arms into several countries besides those
above mentioned, amongst them Minni, a mountain
district to the north-west of Assyria and Arabia. The
cruelties which Assur-bani-pal practised, even upon
kings and princes, were of the most revolting descrip-
tion, and have stained the memory of an otherwise
great king. His courage was remarkable, both on
the field of battle and in the sanguinary lion hunt ;
he was a man of vigorous mind, and of taste and
THE ASSYRJAX DEPARTMENT. 175
cultivation for his age. Assur-emid-iln, the supposed
Saracus, began to reign in the latter half of the
seventh century B.C. Not much is known of
this monarch. In his reign the Medes, headed by
Cyaxares, made war upon the Assyrians ; their first
attack was repulsed, but success attended the second,
and they besieged Nineveh, as had been prophesied.
A descent of the Scythians, however, released the
Assyrians from their Median foes, who hastened to the
defence of their own country. The Scythian hordes
subsequently came on in wave after wave, and one
after another the great Asiatic monarchies fell a prey
to their rapacity. Assyria suffered like the rest, and
when the cloud had passed over, the light was not the
brightness of former days. The Medes, when freed
from the Scythian occupation, renewed their contest
with Assyria, aided by the Susianians. Nabopolassar,
the father of Nebuchadrezzar, and one of the generals
of Saracus, treacherously went over to the Medes. The
Assyrian king held out to the last; and when further
resistance was hopeless, he shut himself up in his
palace, set fire to it, and perished in the flames. And
thus ended the great Assyrian monarchy.
We must now go back a little in order to notice
the CHALD^EAN KINGS, or kings of lower, or south-
western Babylonia, in the primitive city of which,
Ur (Mugheir), Abram was born and brought up
(Genesis xi. 31). The Chaldaeans, a very ancient
people, were originally allied to the Ethiopians,
but became in course of time a very mixed race.
They were great mathematicians, the fathers of
176 A HAXDr-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSKUM.
astronomical science, and worshippers of the sun, the
moon, and the five planets. They were once masters
of Assyria, but the Assyrian king, Sargon, ultimately
conquered them, and Sennacherib " blotted them
out." The first Chaldsean monarch of whom we
have any record is TJrukht 1 ) (? B.C. 2070). He was a
great builder, and some of the bricks which were
made by his order, and stamped with his name, are in
the Museum (Assyrian side-room). We have also the
royal signet cylinder of his son Ilgi( 1 ) (? B.C. 2050),
besides bricks made in his reign ; and there are bricks
of the time of Chedor, or Kudur-Mabuk, of the
Elamite dynasty. This king was not improbably
Chedorlaomer (Kudur-Lagamar), " the great con-
queror," and, according to the bricks from Mugheir
(Ur), the capturer of Syria, who is known to have
been an Elamite king. He is supposed to have been
the same that Abram slaughtered near Dan (Genesis
xiv.), and the first of his line.(~) There are also in
the Museum bricks, &c., containing the names and
inscriptions of other Chaldaean kings. The Arab
( 1 ) It should be 'noted that these names have not yet been found
in full. " Urukh " and " Ilgi " are represented in the discovered in-
scriptions by ideograms.
( 2 ) The Chedor-Laomer of the Book of Genesis (xiv.) is be-
lieved by Mr. George Smith to be the same Elamite king as
Chedor-Mabuk or Kudur-Mabug (Kudur, "mother of God").
" Laoiner," the Hebrew form of " Lagamar," was another name of
the goddess Mabug or Bagamal, and it was the constant practice of
the Babylonians and Assyrians to adopt the titles and monograms of
their favourite deities instead of their own proper names. Some
tablets in the Museum state that Assur-bani-pal, the Assyrian king
who began his reign in B.C. ^68,. recovered from the city of Shushan.
in one of his Elamite expeditions, a statue of the goddess Naiia,
which had been carried off by the Elamites from the temple of
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 177
invasion, which occurred ahout B.C. 1500, put an end
to this race of monarchs, and the Assyrian king
Tiglath-Ninip (B.C. 1271) took the country from
the Arabs.
Most of the earlier BABYLONIAN KINGS mentioned
in the tablets in the Museum have been referred to
already in our notes on the Assyrian kings. So
closely is the history of the Babylonians interwoven
in the records with the history of the Assyrians, that
it is difficult to separate the one from the other.
These monarchs have been alluded to down to the
time of Nebuchadrezzar II., son of the rebel Nabo-
polassar. Nebuchadrezzar, or Nabu-kudurri-uzur
(" Nebo protects landmarks "), the greatest of the
Babylonian kings, reigned from B.C. 604 561. His
war with the Egyptians, his siege and destruction
of Jerusalem, and his carrying away captive Jehoia-
chim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, princes of the royal
house, and thousands of the children of Israel, are
related in the Old Testament (2 Kings xxiv. xxv.,
2 Chronicles xxxvi., the Books of Daniel, Jeremiah,
and Ezekiel). Nebuchadrezzar did much besides
for his own people ; he excavated a sea-like reservoir
and numerous canals, which were much needed for
the comfort and prosperity of the country. He
made the " hanging garden " of Babylon to please
Bit-anna, in the city of Uruk, in Akkad (Babylonia), and set up in
Shushan 1635 years previously (in B.C. 2303). And the only known
Elamite conquest of Babylonia was that in the time of Chedorlaomer,
the contemporary of Abram, whose date is now placed about B.C. 2290.
The name of Amarphal (Gen. xiv.) has since been found in the cunei-
form writings, associated with that of Kudur-mabug.
M
178 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the beautiful Median princess, his wife. He says
in his " standard inscription," that he completed
the great double wall of Babylon, and otherwise
made strong its defences ; he calls the city " the
delight of his eyes/ 7 and hopes it may " last for
ever." Mr. George Rawlinson says that this wall,
according to the lowest estimate, must have contained
more than 500,000,000 square feet of solid masonry,
and must have required three or four times that
number of bricks. Evil-Merodach, son of Nebuchad-
rezzar, reigned from B.C. 561 559. In 2 Kings
xxv. it is said that he lifted up the head of Jehoiachin,
king of Judah, out of prison, and treated the deposed
monarch with kindness. Neriglissar (Nergal-sar-
uzur), referred to in Jeremiah xxxix., reigned three
years, B.C. 559 556. Nabonidas (Nabon-nidochus),
B.C. 555, added considerably to the defences of
Babylon. In his reign Cyrus, the Persian king,
besieged the city ; and Nabonidas was defeated outside
the walls of Babylon. His son Belshazzar, however,
kept Cyrus at bay till the night of the impious feast,
when the words " Mene, mene, tekel upharsin " were
written by the Hand on the wall of the banqueting-
palace, when Cyrus effected an entry into the city,
and the Babylonian empire fell.
The names of the PERSIAN KINGS who succeeded
to the dominion of the East are also occasionally
found upon some of the objects in the Assyrian and
Babylonian collection in the British Museum ; among
them are those of Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius, Hystaspes,
Xerxes, and Artaxerxes, the Ahasuerus of the Book
is .
ASSYRIAN PICTURES BY ASSYRIAN ARTISTS.
(From the Bas-reliefs.)
ASSYRIAN DEITIES BESTOWING THE FEUIT OF THE TREE OF LIFE ON
ASSUR-NAZIR-PAL, KING OF ASSYRIA (B.C. 883859).
THE ASSYRIAN ARMY BESIEGING A CITY.
A LION-HUNT BY SARDANAPALUS (ASSUR-BANI-PAL), KING OF ASSYRIA.
(B.C. 668647.)
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 179
of Esther. The records of the Elamite, Ninevite,
and Babylonian dynasties also contain contemporary
references to hundreds of Asiatic kings.
II. THE STORY OF THE SLABS.
It might be not only useless, but misleading to
the reader, if we were to describe the Assyrian
remains piece by piece, according to their present
numbering and position, as the Antiquities are being
re-arranged, and the places of some of the collections
will probably be shifted. The department contains
great human-headed bulls and lions with outstretched
wings, obelisks and monoliths, and some few sculp-
tures " in the round ; " specimens of arms, imple-
ments, pottery and glass, images in burnt clay, ivory
carvings, examples of bronze work, seals, gems, and a
few miscellaneous objects of Assyrian manufacture.
But the most valuable and interesting portions of the
collection are the clay tablets, cylinders, and bricks,
inscribed in the cuneiform character with the re-
cords of Assyria, and the rows of stone or gypsum
slabs, or fragments of slabs, on which very many
historical scenes are sculptured in low relief, and
which also bear cuneiform inscriptions explanatory
of the carvings. On these slabs are represented
winged men and women, hybrid monsters with heads
of brutes and bodies of men, plants or trees trained
along trellis-work, the likenesses of stately kings and
ISO A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
portly eunuchs, hunting scenes, battles, scenes in
the camp, sieges, triumphal and other processions,
mechanical operations, and religious rites.
Since a detailed description of these scenes is
unadvisable, we propose instead to bind together the
various and fragmentary narrations which are given
by the words and pictures on each bas-relief into an
account, as complete as we can make it, of some
phases of Assyrian life. Hence we have called this
section the " Story of the Slabs," for until the slabs
had been discovered, studied, and deciphered, but
little of Assyrian life was known. Eeferences will
be given below to the slabs, &c., from which our
descriptions are taken.
The hardy and intelligent Assyrians founded
their chief city( x ) in a region peculiarly favoured by
nature. The climate was beautiful, the soil not only
exceedingly fertile but especially adapted for brick-
making, and noble rivers, the Tigris and the Zabus,
encircled the plain. When the greatness of Nineveh
was at its height, it is said to have been sixty miles
round, and Mr. Layard is of opinion that the four
quarters of the great city are now indicated by the
four mounds Kouyunjik, nearly opposite Mosul ;
Kltorsdbadl and Karamless, in its vicinity, villages
about ten miles to the north of Mosul ; and Nimroud,
twenty miles to the south. Others, however, con-
sider that Kouyunjik alone indisputably represents
ancient ^Nineveh, and that the other mounds cover
the sites of distinct cities. Is it not possible that
(') Genesis x. 11.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 181
these places may have been for hundreds of years as
distinct from Nineveh as Sydenham or Croydon from
London, and yet may have been swallowed up by
the capital city in the end, as our country towns
are being absorbed by the metropolis ? The city
wall, says Diodorus, was a hundred feet high, and
so broad that three chariots could run abreast upon
it; it was guarded by 1,500 towers, which rose 200
feet above the wall.
Let us see now what is to be learned from the
excavations about
NINEVEH IN TIME OF WAR. The appearance of
the city and the surrounding country is suggestive
of peace, plenty, and high civilisation. The
palace of the now reigning king rises among the
mansions of the nobles, and the unpretending
dwellings of the people, conspicuous by the grandeur
of its elevated architecture. Small pillared temples
and the ruins of palaces once magnificent are also
seen here and there. ( x ) The shining waters of the
Tigris, of the Greater and Lesser Zab,( 2 ) and of
numerous canals, make their way round and about
the city and its suburbs. The city is surrounded by
gently undulating hills, dotted with clumps of firs,
fields of corn and oleaginous sesamum, and meadow
lands intersected by avenues of trees. Fruit trees are
cultivated in great numbers the date-palm, fig, olive,
pomegranate, and vine ; and the far-famed hanging-
(*) Excavations, bas-reliefs.
( 2 ) The Greater Zab is the river that was crossed by the Greeks
in the Retreat of the Ten Thousand.
182 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
gardens ( l ) are in the neighbourhood. There are large
and beautiful parks, thickly planted with forest trees
of every kind, where lions, bulls, asses, deer, goats,
boars, hares, partridges, and other animals are kept
for the royal sport. ( 2 )
But for the moment, sports and peaceful labours
are suspended, for a war is at hand, and Nineveh is
up in arms. " The chariots rage in the streets, they
justle one against another in the broad ways : they run
like the lightnings " ( 3 ) all is commotion. But what
disturbs the peace of the Assyrians, if peace they
ever enjoy? It may be that the great and pious
king Tiglath Pileser I. is about to undertake a
campaign against the Moschians, the Hittites, or the
Babylonians. The first and mighty Assur-nazir-pal
may be preparing to make war upon the Susianians,
the Kirkhi, the Laki, the Shushites, or the Syrians.
Tiglath II., Shalmaneser IV., or Sargon, may be
about to cross into the Holy Land, or the mighty
Sennacherib may be making ready for an expedition
against his Elamite neighbours, or against the king
of Judah. It may be that Esarhaddon is about to
punish the Edomites, to descend on Tirhakah, king
of Egypt, or to send the captain of his host to bring
Manasseh into subjection. Sardanapalus (i.e., Assur-
banipal) may be collecting his forces to re-conquer the
land of the Pharaohs, or to exact tribute from a king
of Tyre ; or it may be, indeed, that Saracus, in the
(*) Slab 94, Assyrian basement room.
( 2 ) Excavations, bas-reliefs.
( 3 ) Nahum ii. 4.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 183
suddenly declining days of Nineveh, is on the eve of
making an effort to stem the tide of the Scythian
hordes, or to repulse the treacherous Medes and
Susianians, who are surrounding the great city. ( ] )
(For in whatever age, or under whatever king, war
was waged, its course followed a settled custom, and
little variation is to be observed in the manner of
preparing for or conducting it.) The royal cuneiform
proclamation or decree is framed with the assistance
of the nobles, ( 2 ) inscribed on clay tablets by the
copyists, and posted on the walls and in the public
thoroughfares of the capital. The people run to and
fro, and horsemen and charioteers are seen in all
directions. Let us turn to the crowded centre of the
city. The royal palace, erected on an extensive plat-
form of brick- work, stands majestically before us the
lower part one mass of sculptured bas-reliefs, divided
off at the numerous entrances by colossal winged
bulls and lions, and the upper part supported by
numbers of small columns. It is approached by
spacious courtyards paved with sculptured slabs, of
which the honeysuckle, fir-cone, rosette, and the lotus
flower and bud are the principal ornaments. ( 3 ) Passing
through a portal guarded by one of the colossal bulls,
we find ourselves surrounded by the sculptured records
of the empire. Battles, sieges, triumphs, the exploits
of the chase, and the ceremonies of religion, are de-
picted on the walls sculptured in alabaster, and
(*) Various inscriptions ; Old Testament accounts.
( 2 ) See Jonah iii. 7.
( 3 ) Excavations, slabs, pavements in Assyrian basement room.
184 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
painted in gorgeous colours. Over the sculptures
is more painting ; the ceiling above is gorgeously
painted, or inlaid with ivory and precious woods.
The beams are of cedar, and gold leaf and plates
of gold and silver are used with profusion in the
decorations, f 1 )
The king himself is, like most Assyrians, tall,
muscular, handsome, and of lofty bearing. The
broad low forehead, large piercing eyes, and prominent
nose, remind us that he belongs to the Semitic race ;
the mouth and chin are covered by moustache and
long square-cut beard, plaited and curled symme-
trically, and growing almost straight across the cheek.
The long wavy hair falls on his shoulders in a cluster
of small curls. His person is adorned with massive
ear-rings, armlets, and bracelets, and he wears a tall
cap or tiara, nearly conical, with a spike rising from
the flattened crown, both cap and spike being
jewelled; two streamers hang from the back of the
tiara. He is dressed in a long tight-fitting robe,
reaching to his ankles, over which is thrown a loose
short-sleeved garment, open, and rounded at the
sides ; small handsome patterns are embroidered on
the material ; the upper garment has a deep fringe,
and the lower, a row of tassels, which look like
knotted skeins of raw silk. ( 2 ) The sandals have backs,
or heel-pieces, of leather. He carries in a broad belt
(>) Layard.
( 2 ) Respecting the colour of the robes we have no information,
bat many mineral colours were known to the Assyrians, and Ezekiel
speaks of the blue clothes, broidered work, and chests of rich apparel
of the merchants of Asshur, &c. (xxvii. 23, 24), and of captains and
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 185
two or three daggers with carved handles, and a long
sword, on the hilt and scabbard of which lions are re-
presented fighting. " Of stout heart and high looks/'
and " fair in his greatness," ( l ) the king proceeds to a
temple adjoining his palace, perhaps "the house of
Nisroch his god," ( 2 ) to invoke divine aid in the cam-
paign he is about to commence, and to pray that the
dead body of his foe, "may be thrown before his
enemies, and his servants carried into captivity."
Having thrown over his breast a circlet of the symbols
of the great gods, namely, a pair of horns, a horned
cap, the sun, moon, and stars, he draws near to the
spot where the sacred tree, " the tree of life," is de-
picted. It grows like honeysuckle upon trellis-work,
the chief support of which issues out from between a
pair of rams' horns, an ancient emblem of the source
of life. Over this tree is a representation of Assur,
the lord supreme of all the Assyrian gods ; he is
hovering, bird-like, in a small winged circle, and
carrying the deadliest weapon of the Assyrians, the
bow and arrow. ( 3 ) Representations of other gods cover
the walls of the temple. One has flapping wings,
and the head of a hawk or eagle, and is probably
rulers " clothed most gorgeously " (xxiii. 12). Among their neigh-
bours, the Babylonians, scarlet was highly appreciated. See Dan.
v. 7, 16, 29.
( l ) Isaiah x. 12 ; Ezek. xxxi. 7. For representations of Assyrian
kings see the slabs numbered 2, 2124, 26, 39, 40 (Nimroud gallery) ;
27 29, and 40 (Assyrian basement room) ; the statue marked " Sar-
danapalus I." (Assur-nazir-pal); and the monoliths (Nimroud central
saloon), &c.
( 2 ) 2 Kings xix. 37. KB. The name " Nisroch " has not yet been
identified by any of the cuneiform decipherers.
( 3 ) See the bas-reliefs 39, 40, 2, Nimroud gallery.
186 A' HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Nisroch. His dress somewhat resembles that of
the king. In his left hand he holds a basket of
the fruit from the tree of life, and in his right, one
of the fruits in the shape of a pine or fir-cone. In
the figurative Oriental modes of speech, the monarch
is said to insure the protection and favour of the gods
by eating of this fruit. C 1 ) The chief of the other
Assyrian gods enshrined in the temple are these :
Ann, with his companion Anuta : Bel, the father
of the gods, with Beltis, the great goddess, " mother
of the gods:" Hoa, with his spouse Dav-kina : Sin,
the moon god, the lord of spirits, with " the great
lady:" Shamas, the sun god, "the establisher of
heaven and earth," with Gula : Vul, the god of
thunder and lightning, "who causes the tempest
to rage over hostile lands," and who is seen with
a flaming sword in each hand driving out the Evil
One, here pictured as a hideous griffin, rearing on
its hind legs, and snarling and clutching at Vul : ( 3 )
Shala, the wife of Yul, goddess of the air : Nin,
the Assyrian Hercules, " the champion who subdues
evil spirits and enemies," under the form of a huge
bull, man-headed and winged, ( 3 ) and his consort,
" the queen of the land." There are also before
the king : Dagon, the tutelary deity of the Philis-
(*) For pictures of the tree of life, see slabs Nos. 2, 37a and b,
386, 39, and 40, Mmroud gallery. It is supposed that some cere-
mony really took place -when the king went to and returned from
battle, in which the priest, representing Assur, gave the king to eat
of the sacred fruit, &c.
( 2 ) See slabs Nos. 28, 29, Nimroud gallery.
( 3 ) The figures of the great Nin stand in the Assyrian transept
and the Nimroud central saloon.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 187
tines/ 1 ) the god of rivers and seas ; he carries a
fish behind him, hanging from his head down his
back ; he also holds the basket of fruit and the
cone : Merodach, with his wife Zir-banit : Nergal,
in the form of a colossal man-headed lion with out-
stretched wings, " the god of war and the chase, "( 2 )
with his wife Laz : Nebo, the god of knowledge
and learning, who is standing with hands laid one
in the other ; he wears a robe reaching to the ground,
and a full round cap with horns :( 3 ) and Istar, the
goddess of love and pleasure. The Evil One,
under another form, is again represented this time
he is lion -headed, ass -eared, human -bodied, and
eagle-clawed. He is seen with a naked dagger, and
a threatening aspect, kept in subjection by good
genii armed with spears. ( 4 ) Farther on, the myrmi-
dons of Satan, "the warring spirits," are depicted as
wrangling among themselves/ 5 ) Arks of the gods
are also placed in the temple, and tablets, inscribed
with the names of gods and goddesses, with recitals
of the titles and succession of the kings, with enu-
merations of stars and planets, and with various
prayers. The king, attended by priests in their
(') Familiar to us all from Judges xvi. and 1 Samuel v. See the
full-length picture of Dagon, in the slab 30, Nimroud gallery.
( 2 ) Nergal is well represented in the central transept and the
Nimroud central saloon.
( 3 ) There are two statues of Nebo in the ISTimroud central saloon.
The inscription on each states that it is an offering to the god on
behalf of the king and his consort.
( 4 ) See the slabs in Assyrian basement room, 17, 18, 7982,
98, and that numbered 60 iri the Kouyunjik gallery.
( 5 ) Pictured in slab 82, Assyrian basement room.
188 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
sacrificial robes, worships before Assur, in accordance
with the prescribed ceremonies.^) The solemnity
ended, he vows that immediately on his return
from the campaign he will consecrate new temples
for the service of the gods, will sacrifice victims
before them, and will otherwise show his gratitude
for the divine favours ; and then quits the temple.
Shortly afterwards, the king proceeds to the
plain where his army is drawn up for inspection.
His chariot is drawn by three of the finest horses,
richly caparisoned. A charioteer holds the bunch of
reins and a short whip, and a favourite eunuch takes
charge of the royal bow, the mace, and long spears.
The chariot is a square box-like car, open at the
back, but protected there by a convex massive shield,
with sharp teeth ; it runs upon two large and broad
wheels, skilfully and strongly constructed, and placed
at the extremity of the floor. There are no springs,
but a strong pole with a long elliptical yoke
above. In each ornamental panel are two small
hatchets, and from one panel hang two quivers full
of arrows. ( 2 ) A staff of nobles, and eunuchs, in
chariots and on horseback, form the king's escort.
The army is composed of foot-soldiers, apparently
innumerable, horsemen, and those who fight in
chariots. Among the infantry are seen the troops
( x ) See slab 123, Assyrian basement room, and slabs 27, 32, Nim-
roud gallery. For further particulars respecting Assyrian deities,
see works and papers of Rawlinson, and Rev. Gr. Hawlinson, Layard,
Norris, Hincks, Oppert, and G. Smith. See also the engraving,
page 178.
( 2 ) There are numerous representations in the bas-reliefs of the
king in his chariot, accompanied by a eunuch and a charioteer.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 189
exacted from foreign tributaries. As a rule the
soldiers are hardy and fine-looking, but the foreign
soldiers are sometimes inferior. They are well-armed,
with weapons varying according to their rank and
nation. The offensive weapons are the long bow,
with bronze, iron, and flint-headed arrows, the sling,
the long and short spear and sword, the dagger,
knife, and axe, and the mace or club with a heavy
ball at the top.( x ) For defence, they carry the shield,
circular, convex, square, and oblong, or oblong rounded
at the top, and of various sizes. Many of the shields,
particularly the last-mentioned, are tall enough to
completely hide their owners from the enemy. Some
are made of wicker-work, and occasionally have a
rounded plate of metal on the centre ; ( 3 ) others of
bronze and iron are often highly ornamented. The
long basket-like shields fastened together by twos
and twos, can be used as. boats for crossing rivers, as
well as for attacking the enemy afloat.( 3 ) Some of the
officers and men wear mail ; they are those who take
the front at sieges, and carry on the mining opera-
tions. Helmets are worn by all, almost without ex-
ception. They are spade -shaped, generally plain at
(*) In the cases 44, 64, and in those in the basement room, many of
the weapons and implements of warfare used by the Assyrians and
Babylonians are exhibited ; they are in bronze, iron, stone, and flint,
and consist of swords, daggers, knives, spear-heads, arrow-heads,
hatchets, adzes, hammers, chisels, saws, hooks, picks, mace- heads
some of which are inscribed with the name of Khammurabi, an
early Chaldeean king lumps of chain-armour, plates, scabbards,
fetters, &c.
( 2 ) Specimens of the bronze circular shield with iron handle will
be seen in the Assyrian side room.
( 3 ) See slabs in the Kouyunjik gallery, 4 8, 10.
190 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the top, but sometimes crested. Some of the helmets
have mailed ear-pieces, and flaps reaching to the
shoulders. ( l ) The chariot- soldiers, horsemen, foot-
archers, spearmen, slingers, &c., are formed in regi-
ments, which are severally inspected by the king. In
the rear are the huge battering-rams, some projecting
a single, some a double ram, sharp or blunt-pointed.
They run on four and six wheels, and are mostly
covered with wicker-work ; here and there bronze and
iron plates are added. They have turrets pierced
with small windows, and opening at the back. A
few have high towers, by which the assailants can be
brought up to a level with the walls of the enemy's
cities or fortresses. ( 2 ) We fancy we discern among
these the stone-throwing balis t a. ( 3 ) The rams are
being actively supplied with arms, and with large
ladles for throwing water on the firebrands which
the besieged will doubtless cast upon the rams. Ordi-
nary ladders, and blocks for constructing flooring for
the far-famed banks that are heaped up against the
enemy's defences, ( 4 ) are visible. Other implements
for scaling, mining, and demolishing cities, are also
seen on two-wheeled trucks or carts in the rear ; ( 5 )
together with the baggage, tents, tent furniture, small
boats, provisions, and other requisites for the expe-
( 1 ) See the helmets in the Assyrian side room. In case 44 are
specimens of helmet-crests.
( 2 ) In most of the sculptured sieges the battering ram appears ; see,
in Nimroud gallery, slabs 5a, 1 36, 156.
( 3 ) Mentioned in 2 Chron. xxvi. 15.
( 4 ) See Isaiah xxxvii. 33.
\?} See previous note, page 181*.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 191
dition. The stationary population of Nineveh have
flocked out to witness the departure. The Assyrian
musicians play aloud on the double-pipes, drums,
cymbals, stringed and other instruments ; ( x ) and
there is no attempt to restrain the almost melancholy
accompaniment of Semitic and Turanian song, and
the hand-clapping of the women and children.
The signal for departure is at length given ; and
with shouts that echo on the high and broad walls
of Nineveh, the army begins its march. As it
proceeds, the air is rent for miles around by "the
noise of (the) whip, and the noise of the rattling of
the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the
jumping chariots," ( 2 ) the clang of arms and armour,
the tinkling of horse- bells and trappings, the lumber-
ing noise of baggage-carts, the strains of the bands,
the shouting of commanding officers, the hoarse
murmur from the ranks, and the cries of animals.
With the standard of Assur gleaming in the sun-
light, and "the bright sword and glittering spear"
uplifted, the Assyrian host passes rapidly through
fertile and beautiful countries, from which it receives
(') Musical instruments, see JSTimroud gallery, slabs 36, 46, and
lltt, 13a ; Kouyunjik gallery, 48 50 ; Assyrian basement room, 12,
14, 124a, b.
2 JSahum iii. 2.
Assyrian Bas-reliefs in the British Museum (as labelled there], illus-
trative of Battles, Sieges, fyc., described in the text above.
In the NIMROUD GALLERY. Mmroud Collection. (Monuments
of " Sardanapalus I., or Great," i.e., Assur-izir-pal [Assur-idanni, or
nazir-pal], B.C. 883859) 5a, King besieging a City 56, 66, Assur-
izir-pal receiving Prisoners and Spoil 6a, Fugitives swimming to
a Fortress. 7(t, 8tt, !), 10, King and his Army in Battle with an
Of
192 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
supplies of food and animals. A broad part of a
river is reached, too broad and deep to be forded.
The boats and galleys are brought up, the king's
chariot, tent furniture, &c., are placed on them,
and the king, still standing in his car, with his
eunuch and charioteer, is the first to cross. The
officers crowd the remaining galleys, and the men
swim across, some assisting themselves by hanging to
the inflated skins of sheep or oxen. The horses also
struggle across, half supported by ropes tied to their
halters, which the men in the water or the boats hold
up. The enemy's territory is at length entered, and
an outpost on the banks of a stream is surprised. The
enemy's men rush to their boats, kept in readiness,
and some hide themselves in the tall reeds by the
water's edge. The Assyrians shower stones and
arrows among them, beat up the reeds, and spear all
whom they discover. Rafts are hastily constructed,
on which the boats of the enemy are pursued and
overtaken ; nearly all the fugitives are slain, and their
bodies cast into the river. Those who ask for quarter
are conveyed to shore, bound, and taken to the
camp, with the booty found upon them. The
Assyrian army proceeds on its expedition, and
presently comes in sight of the towers and battle-
ments of a fortified city. The walls are thickly
lined with men, who string their bows, and make
Enemy 7&, 8&, 9&, Assur-izir-pal and his Army crossing a River.
10&, 11&, 12&, Capitulation of a City and reception of Prisoners by
Assur-izir-pal (portion drawn after the original) 11 a, 12a, 13a,
Triumphal return of the King from Battle to the Camp 14a, 15a,
King in Battle before a besieged City 13&, 14&, 156, Siege of a City
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 193
ready for battle. The heavy arched or square-
headed gates are firmly closed, and the moat is filled
with water to overflowing. The enemy make a sally
upon their invaders, which is bravely met. The
Assyrian bowmen return the flying arrows with three-"
fold rapidity, the slingers hurl stones and bronze and
iron bullets from their slings ; and the spearmen attack
the foremost of the enemy's ranks. The king, who
has been launching quiverful after quiverful of arrows
from his car, now heads the chariots and horsemen,
and leads them into the thickest of the fight his
staff, recognised by the glittering standards of Assur,
which it defiantly carries, keeping close up with
him. The charioteer guides the car to the spot of
greatest danger and honour. Arrows darken the air ;
and the spear, the sword, the dagger, and the knife,
are fiercely used. The enemy's slain and wounded
begin to lie thick upon the field, and birds of prey
are already hovering over the bodies of the dead.
The king's native courage is heightened by his
belief that the deified Assur goes before his path,
smiting the enemy on all sides, and warding off evil
from his descendant. Now and then, however, one of
the chariot-horses falls, but it is quickly replaced.
After a short and fierce struggle, the sortie is repulsed.
The enemy's soldiers turn, and flee to the city gates ;
but many perish by the Assyrian spears and arrows
by Assur-izir-pal 16a, Assur-izir-pal traversing a mountainous
Country 166, Horsemen flying before the Assyrians. In the
NIMROTJD CENTRAL SALOON. (Monuments from palaces at Nimroud,
believed to be the city of Calah mentioned in Genesis x. 11, 12.
Eeign of Tiglath Pileser II., B.C. 745 728). Horseman pursuing an
194 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
ere they can reach a place of safety. Many try to
save themselves by swimming, some using air-blown
skins ; and others take to flight on horses or in
chariots, drawn for the' most part by mules. The
latter are speedily overtaken, and the swimmers are
often seen to sink, struck by the Assyrian arrows.
The Assyrians now get near to the fortified walls,
with difficulty, trees having been felled and strewn
in their way. A few of the captured chiefs are im-
paled, and set up on high poles before the walls
of the city, to strike terror into the hearts of the
enemy. The siege has begun in earnest. Showers
of arrows and slung missiles fall upon the heads
of the besieged, who in return pour down arrows,
big stones, blocks of wood, firebrands, and other
missiles, upon their assailants. The Assyrian slingers
stand close under the walls, whirling volleys of
stones and bullets ; the bowmen, screened by the
tall shields carried by their comrades, are near them
on their bended knees, shooting their darts upwards ;
the horsemen and warriors in chariots are close
upon the infantry, and are also discharging arrows.
The larger battering-rams are now run up, and from
the high towers attached to them the Assyrians,
brought on a level with the besieged, let fly their
deadly shafts straight at the men who crowd the
battlements, and many fall over into the ditch
Enemy Siege of a City Horseman vanquishing an Enemy Evacu-
ation of a captured City Triumphal Procession of a King Tiglath-
Pileser and Attendant Female with Camels Siege of a City (three
slabs) Horsemen pursuing an Enemy Royal Attendant with
Captives Cattle with their Driver Evacuation of a Captured City.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 195
beneath. The long ladders are got out, and placed
against the walls, and Assyrian spearmen climb and
attack the foe, while others mount with lighted
torches to set fire to what they can. Meanwhile
banks of stones, earth, and trees, have been hastily
thrown up against the defences, and covered with flat
pieces of wood bound together ; up these the lighter
engines are forced, and as soon as they are blocked,
the men inside heave the sharp-pointed and broad-
headed rams against the walls. Under cover of the
rams, and of large shields, archers and long- spearmen
steal up the banks, and deal sudden death to numbers
of the beleaguered.
As the siege advances, Assyrian troops cross the
moat on inflated skins, and mine the walls ; large
pieces of brick and stone are picked and hewn out,
while several buttresses are brought down to the
ground. Now the besieged put out all their strength,
and shower down heavy stones, bricks, ponderous
blocks of wood, firebrands, and everything else within
reach, amid a storm of shouts and curses. The rams
are forced with more violence than ever against the
walls, and the besieged strain all their power to
silence them. Blazing torches are cast down upon
them, and huge grappling irons are let over the
battlements to catch the rams, and overturn the
engines. But the Assyrians are prepared. Men
In the KOUYTJNJIK GALLERY (2 43, and 59, Monuments from Sen-
nacherib's Palace at Kouyunjik [Nineveh], 705 681 B.C.; 45 50.
Monuments from the same Palace, executed under Assurbanipal,
or Sardanapalus. the grandson of Sennacherib, B.C. 668). 2, Armed
Galley in motion 3, Combat by a River-side 4-8, Battle in a Marsh
N '2
196 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
make their appearance at the turrets of the rams,
and ladle out water upon the flaming brands, while
others, running out with stout hooks, catch hold of
the grappling irons, throw their weight upon them,
and drag them out of the hands of the men above,
thus giving the rams full play again. (See engrav-
ing, page 178.)
The siege has now assumed its fiercest aspect ;
both the besiegers and the besieged are enveloped in
clouds of missiles, and the former call upon the great
god Assur to give them aid that their arms may
prevail. The enemy's soldiers drop thickly into the
moat, those that are only wounded being quickly
put to death. The towering rams are brought close
to the walls, and from these, as from the ladders, hand
to hand combats take place. Ere long the gates,
against which the greatest force has been directed,
give way with a deafening noise. An entry is effected,
and the Assyrians rush shouting in, wounding and
slaying all they meet. The captains of the besieged
appear on the ramparts holding up their hands for a
parley; women also appear there tearing their hair,
and putting up their hands in supplication; but their
signals of entreaty are unheeded. The best part of
the Assyrian army is already within the city walls,
venting its fury upon the soldiers and inhabitants,
women in some instances not being spared. The
with, reception and registration of Prisoners and Spoil 9, Slingers
discharging Stones 10, Archers behind Screens 11, 12, Warriors
leading Horses 13, Part of a Military Procession 14, Procession of
led Horses 15-17, Procession of Prisoners, with collection and regis-
tration of Spoil 18, 19, Part of a Military Procession 20-22, Soldiers
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 197
garrison-camps are entered, and in some of them are
witnessed the . horrors of the siege men lying dead
from starvation. Their bodies are burned by the
invaders. Large numbers of the Assyrians rush to
the fortifications, whence, panic-struck, the besieged
are precipitately flying. Pew of them obtain quarter;
and those who do are bound and roughly dealt with.
Then begins the work of plunder and demolition.
The fortresses are dismantled, the principal buildings
of the city are ransacked and robbed of every ser-
viceable article, even down to the bedsteads and stools.
The cattle are driven to the Assyrian camps, oxen
and asses being selected from them to carry away
the spoil. Numerous prisoners are made ; the men,
bound by the wrists, elbows, and ankles, are loaded
with plunder ; and the women without children are
made to carry the lighter articles ; the delicate women
are permitted to ride in the carts and on the backs
of asses and mules. The prisoners and captives are
led out in file to the camp of justice, which has been
extemporised in a shady spot by the city walls. The
Assyrian king himself presides ; he stands in his
chariot, which is supported by two eunuchs instead
of by horses. Other eunuchs stand behind the car,
holding the long-handled sun- shade over the king's
head, and flapping off the flies with long feathers.
The Assyrian warriors, including eunuchs, are drawn
advancing to the Siege 23-26, Siege of a City on a Hill 27-29,
Warriors receiving the Prisoners and Spoil after the reduction of a
City 30, Archers and Slingers 31, Horsemen in flight 32, Horse-
men in pursuit 33, Man with Staff or Spear: 34-40, Horses led by
Grooms, with attendant 41-43, Servitors bearing Food for Banquet
198 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
up on each, side of the royal chariot. The captive
monarch, his princes and officers, still bound and
fettered, are brought one by one before the king.
He hears, with impatience, what each has to plead,
now and then throwing up his hands in surprise
or rage, but speedily pronouncing judgment. The
captive monarch is to be beheaded, and he is forth-
with led away by a stalwart Assyrian, who executes
the sentence, using his short sword for the purpose.
One of the princes, promising to pay tribute to
Assyria, is released ; the other princes are to be led
away into captivity. The officers are cruelly dealt
with, since nothing is to be gained by clemency to
these unhappy men. Some are to have their tongues
out-rooted ; some their beards and hair torn out ;
some are to be flayed alive ; some stabbed ; some
beheaded ; some to receive their death-blow on the
head from a heavy mace ; and others are to be
tortured or put to death according to other prescribed
methods. In every case, the sentence of death or
punishment is carried out immediately, and within
a very short distance of the throne of judgment.
Many of the prisoners approach the king in a suppli-
cating attitude, but he is inexorable. The women
are not ill-used ; indeed, they are kindly treated.
They are chosen, with the best men of the enemy's
army, and many of the best artisans, to go into
(41 is an attendant bearing dried locusts) 45-47, Army of Sardana-
palus in Battle with the Susians 48-50, Triumph of Sardanapalus
over the Susians 59, Siege of a City on a Kiver, and reception
by Sennacherib of Prisoners and Spoil. In the ASSYRIAN BASEMENT
ROOM. Kouyunjik collection continued (1 32 Monuments of Sen-
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 199
captivity ; the rest of the prisoners will be permitted
to return to their city bv-and-by.
The king now gives directions for the collection
and registration of the spoil. Eegiments are detached
for the purpose ; and some return to the fortifications,
and cut off the heads from all the bodies of the killed
or wounded they can find (many have been already
devoured by birds of prey), and at the same time
gather together the best of the weapons, &c. The
bodies of the slain are either cast into the water, or
left to the fowls of the air ; burial is given to none.
The heads, weapons, &c., are conveyed to the Assyrian
camp, in order that an accurate account may be taken,
for insertion in the annals of the king's reign. A
body of horse and foot soldiers is appointed to guard
the spoil during the registration. The royal scribes
(eunuchs) come up in pairs to take the account. One
bears the soft clay tablet, on which he stamps the
inventory with a sharp square-edged instrument ; the
other holds a strip of skin, on which he checks the
list of his colleague. As the soldiers place the
plunder before the scribes, they call out in their
Semitic tongue the name or description of each object.
" One fine bronze vase a cedar table a quiver with-
out a flaw two heads of the vile enemy an ivory-
decorated chair plate from the false gods' temple
a water-jug with a spout a couch two gold stands
nacherib ; 54 120c, Monuments of Sardanapulus [Assurbanipal] )
1-7, Assyrian Scribes counting Human Heads, and Warriors cooking
their Food at a Fire 8, Assyrians leading Horses 9, Assyrian
Guard 10, 11, Assyrian Archers 12, Musicians 13, Royal At-
tendants with Maces 14, Captives playing on Lyres 15, Assyrian
200 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
a low stool two elephants' tusks a bronze bowl
bows, one score a small inlaid cabinet two skins
of wine a lady's basket of trinkets four bags of gold
daggers, swords, and knives, one dozen a silver
goblet spears, fifty a pair of chairs two bundles
of arrows half a dozen vases a bedstead" and so
on. All the cattle are likewise counted.
The spoil having been reckoned, the soldiers
kindle large wood fires, kill the animals they require,
and cook their meal. Meanwhile, a banquet is being
prepared for the king, his nobles, and officers, in the
royal camp. The provisions comprise deer, sheep,
hares, birds, and other animals ; with fruits and wine.
At the same time the king, aided by his privileged
advisers, determines the fate of the captured city, the
amount of tribute to be levied on the reinstated
princes, and other matters. In a pavilion attached to
the royal tent, the king's chargers are fed and rubbed
down, while music is played, and the demons of war
are charmed off the spot. The Assyrian temple of
Janus is for the moment closed. ( l ) The banquet is
( l ) The fortified camp in which the cooking is going on, in slabs
lla 13a, in the Nimroud gallery, partly referred to above, has,
taken in connection with the pavilion, the "demons," &c., been fancied
to represent the Assyrian astrolabe for taking observations of the
stars. Mr. H. Melville, of dotting Hill, writes in 1868, that he
" traversed upwards of fifteen thousand miles expressly to bring the
re-discovered knowledge before the Grand (Masonic) Lodge of
England.". But the Grand Lodge has hitherto paid no attention to
the subject.
Warriors 16, Assyrians pursuing their Enemies in a hilly Country
19, 20, Assyrians collecting Prisoners and Trophies 21, 22,
Assyrians assaulting the Walls of Lachish 23-26, Assyrians
capturing Lachish, carrying off Spoil and torturing Prisoners
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 201
given within the fortified camps, and is enlivened by
the music of the Assyrian military bands. When it
is over, the king retires to his couch, a luxury he has
enjoyed all through the campaign.
The affairs of the conquered nation having been
provisionally settled, and Assyrian governors and garri-
sons having been placed in the principal fortresses, the
army sets forth on its homeward march. The spoil
is placed upon carts drawn by oxen, mules, and asses,
and the cattle are driven in flocks. The few weapons
that are fit for another war are collected and placed
on the baggage carts, and the rams that have not
been injured beyond repair are brought away from
the fortifications ; the others are left under the walls.
The king, with his chariots and horsemen, leads the
march. They pass without opposition through foreign
countries, whose sovereigns pay homage and offer
presents and tribute to the victorious king. At last
the lofty towers of Nineveh are descried, and ere
another sun has set, the mighty host re-enters the
city in triumph, its captives bringing up the rear.
The walls ring with the joyous shouts of the in-
habitants. The excitement extends to the women,
who come forth to look at the spoil, to view the
captive women, to seek their sons and husbands, to
mourn for the dead, and rejoice with the living.
The king proceeds first to his palace, and thence to
27-29, Sennacherib on his Throne receiving Prisoners from Lachish
30-32, Chariot and Horsemen, with fortified Camp 54-62, Capture of
a City in Susiana, and reception of Prisoners and Spoil by Assur-
bani-pal 83, 84, Warriors in Foreign Costume 85, 86, Assyrians
pursuing an Enemy 87, Assyrians capturing and burning a Camp ;
202 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRI1ISH MUSEUM.
the temple adjoining, where he returns thanks to the
gods for safety and victory. The priests offer sacri-
fices of corn, flowers, and the flesh of the stag and
ibex ; ( 1 ) special adorations are paid to Assur, to
the sacred tree, and to the god of war ; and the king
receives the gift of the cone and the consecrated
wine. ( 2 ) Before he leaves the temple, he commands
that it shall be adorned with the spoil of the enemy's
holy places, and that the figure of Nergal, the great
god of battle the winged human-headed bull shall
be carved for the decoration of the new temples which
he had vowed to erect if victorious. He then returns
to his palace, where his queen receives him.
A feast is made in celebration of the victory. The
most spacious and beautiful of the sculptured halls in
the palace is the banqueting-hall. Dishes of various
meats, among which the dried locust may be observed,
are interspersed on the tables with fruits of all kinds,
placed, for the most part, in gold and silver stands of
elegant workmanship ; and wine is poured out in
capacious goblets, many of which have been brought
from the enemy's tern pies. ( 3 ) At this feast the king
is surrounded by his thousand lords and counsellors.
( 1 ) See the slabs 17, 18, 27, 31, 32, and others, Nimroud galley.
( 2 ) See slabs 2123, Nimroud gallery.
( 3 ) See Daniel v. 2, 3. There was very little difference between the
customs of the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Assyrians storming a City, and taking Negro Prisoners 89, 90,
Sardanapalus receiving Prisoners and Spoil from a captured
City 91-94, Foreign Army passing an Assyrian City, containing
temples, viaducts, &c 95, Execution of the King of Susiana llOc,
Execution of Captives 120a, b, Assyrians destroying a City 120c,
Prisoners feeding.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 203
We now follow the king to the garden, where
the queen, whom Eastern custom has excluded from
the banquet, has awaited him. He reclines on a
couch, placed under the shade of a bower of vine,
refreshing himself with draughts of wine and with
the perfume of flowers. The handsome queen, seated
near the foot of the couch, is sipping wine, and
talking over the incidents of the war with her lord.
The favourite eunuchs, or hareem-likZer, are in attend-
ance with fly-flaps and table-napkins. Fruits and
sweetmeats are served; while soft music is played
among the trees. ( : )
Passing over an interval, during which some of
the colossal sculptures have been completed, we next
meet with the king in the act of superintending the
removal of these sculptures from the quarry to the
site of the new temple. The king, standing in his
chariot, directs the operations from the brow of a
hill.( 3 ) First, the smaller implements necessary for
the transport of large sculptures ropes, rollers, poles,
shovels, picks, hatchets, long saws, &c. are brought
to the scene of action by Assyrian workmen and some
of the newly-made prisoners ; while the more un-
wieldy portion of the tackle is floated to the spot,
generally on rafts, along the river running hard by.
The colossal bulls are placed on sledges, to each ot
which four gangs of captives are harnessed, by
shoulder-loops fastened to long thick ropes. Over-
(*) See slab 121, Assyrian basement room" Sardanapalus and
his Queen feasting in a Garden."
( 2 ) See the sculptured slabs, 51 56, Kouyunjik gallery.
204 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
seers convey the royal commands, sometimes through
speaking trumpets, to the workmen. A long lever
is applied to the slanting back of the sledges, which
run upon rollers thrown down in their course, and
so by slow degrees the sacred images reach their
destination. While these operations are going on,
captives in the distance may be perceived, according
to the picture-slabs, busily constructing mounds for
the foundation or platform of the new temple.
But leaving this scene, let us follow the Assyrian
monarch to his favourite pastime
THE CHASE. The bull, the wild ass, the stag, the
gazelle, the wild boar, and the hare, are occasionally
hunted, but most frequently the lion alone is thought
worthy of the king's pursuit. Within the walls of
Nineveh there is " the dwelling of the lions, and the
feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion, the
old lion, walks, and the lion's whelp, and none make
them afraid. 'X 1 ) From the mouths of their dens
may often be heard the cries of unhappy captives
and criminals, as "the lion tears in pieces enough
for his whelps, and strangles for his lionesses, fills
his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin. "( 2 )
Due notice having been given to the nobles, and
preparation made for the approaching hunt, a large
strong cage is taken to the mouth of the lion's den.
A youth crouches in a box attached to the top of the
cage ; presently a lion, attracted by the bait provided
for him, enters the cage ; when he is fairly in, the
youth above leans forward, lets down the sliding-door,
(') See Nahum ii. 11. ( 2 ) Nahum ii. 12.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 205
and imprisons him. By this manoeuvre, which is
repeated at the mouths of several dens, a sufficient
number of lions are entrapped. A message is then
sent to the king, and the animals are drawn to an
open space in the royal park, or paradise. Large
bodies of archers and spearmen take their stand, in
double rows, a good distance apart, to render assist-
ance if required, and to prevent the lions' escape;
and dogs held in leashes are kept ready to let loose
upon the- wounded, when the hunt, or rather the
battue, has commenced. ( l )
At the palace gates, soldiers with spears and
shields, and attendants with maces, are in waiting on
the king as he mounts his chariot. Horses are led
up by grooms for the other chariots, and for the
chamberlains and equerries in attendance. The king
is accompanied by a favourite eunuch who adjusts
the well-stocked quivers at the sides of the chariot,
and puts in the long spears and by one other lord.
As they drive swiftly along, he tries his bow, and
eases his swords and daggers in their sheaths. He
wears no long robe on this occasion, but a tight-fitting
tunic cut off slanting from the knees, and beautifully
embroidered with a small floral pattern. The king-
is saluted as he comes on the ground. He gives
a signal, and instantly some of the young men in
( l ) Assyrian 'Bas-reliefs in the British Museum, illustrative of the Royal
Hunt, $'c., described in the text above.
In the NIMROUD GALLERY, 3a, King hunting the Bull 3&, Eeturn
from the Bull-hunt 4a, King hunting the Lion 4&, Eeturn from
the Lion-hunt 36, Lion-hunt. In the ASSYRIAN BASEMENT EOOM,
206 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the boxes that have been described, lean forward, and
draw up the cage doors. Crouching, and cautiously,
the lions steal out, but as soon as they perceive the
huntsmen, they try to make their escape. The king
singles out one of the most ferocious, and, taking
careful, quick aim, sends an arrow deep into his side.
Arrows are discharged in rapid succession at the
escaping lions, and several, mortally wounded, roll
over in death convulsions. One, furious with the
wounds he has received, makes a spring for the board
of the royal car, but he is soon despatched by the
long spears of the eunuch and the noble, while the king
shoots on in front, quite unconscious of what is taking
place behind him. (See engraving, page 178.) In
one instance, a large lion, infuriated by the arrow
that has pierced the back of his neck, throws himself
upon the royal chariot, which is driven at full speed ;
he clutches one of the wheels with his paws, and
grinds it madly with his powerful teeth, but he also
quickly falls by the spears of the king and his
companions. In another similar instance, the animal
is slain by a sword-thrust from the king. Dead and
dying lions, with the fatal shafts still embedded in
their flesh, begin to strew the ground. Horsemen
riding about the field render assistance, and participate
in the sport. The king, excited by the hunt, now
courts danger; he jumps from his chariot, replaces
33-40, Assur-bani-pal in his Chariot hunting Lions 41-44, Assur-
bani-pal and Attendants preparing for the Hunt 45-53, Assur-bani-
pal in his Chariot hunting Lions 63-74, The return from the Chase
75, Royal Attendants with a Lion 76, 77, Lion and Lioness in a
Garden 78, Keepers with Hunting-Dogs 103, Deer-shooting within
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 207
his cumbersome tiara by a fillet, mounts one of his
well-trained horses, leading a second, and orders more
lions to be let out of the traps. As the lions retreat
from their foes, he follows them, swiftly emptying his
quiverful of arrows. Some of the .wounded lions
turn upon their tormentor, while others attack his*
horses behind. But the king is cool, has a steady
and strong arm, and can take a deadly aim. He
]eaps from his horse, and on foot meets with his
naked sword the lion that springs upon him in front.
Another infuriated lion, which has been pierced in
the fore part with several arrows, crouches and
springs, throwing out his claws to tear his enemy
in pieces ; the king is on the alert, seizes the lion
by the throat with his left hand, and with his right-
thrusts his sword right through the animal's body.
Again the brave Shah meets a lion that has been
let out of a trap, clutches him by the forelock with
one hand, and with the other spears him through
the breast. The monarch is so confident in his
prowess, that he even dares to catch a lion by the
tail, and so despatch him. His well-armed servants
are, it is true, close at hand, but the king appears
to fight single-handed with his antagonists.
When the hunt is over, the dead lions are
gathered together for the king's inspection. He
remarks upon the more formidable, upon the pecu-
inclosure 104-106c, Sportsman, with Attendant, shooting Gazelles
107a-109a, and 1066-109?), Hunting Lions and disposing of their
Carcases 107c-113c, Huntsman and Attendants killing Wild Asses
114, 6, Attendants with Saddle Horses 114c, Catching a Wild
Ass in Nooses 115, Attendants with dead Game 116, 117, Archers
208 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
liarities they exhibited in the hunt, and upon the
nature of their wounds ; and then rides back to the
palace, escorted by his guard. The eunuchs remain
to bring away the trophies of the day's sport { and,
as the distance. from the royal dwelling is not great,
parties of four or five men carry each a lion, either
on their shoulders or under their arms. Thus they
bear home in triumph the " king of the forest."
Occasionally these brave eunuchs become lion-tamers,
and amuse themselves in the royal gardens with the
acquired docility of their fierce playthings. The
eunuchs are tall and handsome men, with fine wavy
hair ; they wear now for the chase the tight-fitting
tunic, cut off slanting from the knee, and fringed at
the bottom, embroidered girdles, and high-laced boots.
Some of them lead the dogs, and those in the rear
carry a few birds'-nests, some old birds, and some
hares they have come across in their way. At the
same time, the nets and stakes are carried back to the
palace on asses or on the men's shoulders. The king
commands that a certain number of the lions be
brought into the temple ; and, while music is played,
he stands before one of the altars, and offers the
animals to the god of the chase, pouring over them
a libation of wine.
Occasionally, the bull, the wild ass, the deer, and
the gazelle, are also hunted. The smaller animals
stringing Bows 118a, 119a, I, Sardanapalus shooting and taming
Lions 118&, 119c, Sardanapalus at an Altar, pouring a Libation
over dead Lions 122, Eeturn from Lion Hunt 124c, Wild Boars in
Eeeds. In the ASSYRIAN TRANSEPT (Monuments from Sargon's
Palace at Khorsabad, B.C. 722-705), Sportsman shooting in a wood.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPART Ml
are generally chased into an enclosed space formed
by nets, and then shot down with arrows. The wild
asses are hunted on horseback, hounds being sent
after the wounded ; sometimes they are taken alive
with the lasso.
Thus in times of peace is the leisure of the
Assyrian king chiefly filled up; but sometimes he
diverts himself with a more cruel pastime. Some
unhappy prisoners are led out to the place of public
execution. Bows are piled up breast high between
them and the king, who, taking his own bow, and
being supplied with arrows by the servants in attend-
ance, shoots down one after another the human beings
who crouch in vain supplication before him. Other
prisoners are brought to the king, and made to go
down on their hands and knees. He takes his long
spear, and going up to them, thrusts the weapon's
deadly point into the back of each of the wretched
victims. But these scenes are too frightful to dwell
upon. Let us hope that the king on these occasions
is performing the office of public executioner on those
who have been judged worthy of death, and not
merely gratifying his cruelty with innocent blood. (*)
Such are one or two phases of Assyrian life. As
is usually the case among barbarous nations, the king
of Assyria possessed in an eminent degree the qualities
common to his subjects, else he could not long
have kept undisputed hold upon the reins of so
fierce a nation. His people loved him with enthu-
(*) See the slab in the Assyrian basement room, 110, and that
headed " Tiglath Pileser receiving Captives."
O
210 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
siastic reverence, both as their hereditary ruler, and
the descendant of a deified race, and as the repre-
sentation of their national character imperious, fierce,
and vehement, but also magnanimous, hardy, brave,
and generous in no ordinary degree. In these and
other qualities the Assyrians have been thought to
resemble the Normans of the modern world. The two
nations seem strikingly to resemble each other in one
peculiar characteristic ; namely, the union of a great
love of splendour and luxury, and a cultivation of it
whenever possible, with a power of setting it aside at
any moment, and embracing hardship and self-denial
with apparently equal zest. There was a resemblance
in physique also, which cannot but be remarked, and
which is very strikingly exhibited by the little ivory
carvings lying in case 45 in the Nimroud gallery.
These carved heads might, if we did not know their
origin, be easily taken for those of Norman rather
than Assyrian warriors. Each nation also excelled in
the use of similar weapons the bow, sling, spear,
sword, and mace and the military dress and armour
of each were curiously alike. From such real and
accidental resemblances as these the Assyrians have
been called " the Normans of Asia ;" though of course
their customs were greatly affected by the hot climate
in which they lived, and by the examples of luxury
and splendour which they received from their neigh-
bours eastward. ( l )
(*) It is curious that the conquest of England is narrated 011
the " Bayeux tapestry," which Matilda worked in commemoration of
her husband's victory, in a manner much resembling the pictorial
narrations on the Assyrian bas-reliefs.
THE A Will AX 1>K PA JIT ME XT. 211
III. SMALLER ASSYRIAN ANTIQUITIES.
Besides the sculptures and tablets, many smaller
objects of interest and value have been dug out
from the mounds of Kouyunjik and Nimroud, and
a few have been found in the regions anciently called
Babylonia and Susiana. They are at present placed
in table-cases in the Assyrian galleries. We propose
in this section briefly to describe the most important
of these, and also to relate what further particulars
Assyrian discoverers have been able to glean con-
cerning the manners and customs of the ancient
inhabitants of Central Asia.
We have already attempted to describe the archi-
tectural features of the Assyrian palaces. ( x ) Of the
mansions of the wealthy classes, and of the dwellings
of the poor, we as yet know nothing. Pictures of
a few small and isolated buildings, generally with
pillared porticoes, which were probably temples, and
of battlemented walls, will be observed in the bas-
reliefs. But it must not be hastily taken for granted
that these are examples of Assyrian architecture, inas-
much as, in many cases, they may be only what they
profess to be representations of places far from their
own land, which the Assyrians invaded or conquered.
The Museum possesses several specimens of the
capitals of pillars, on which the horns of the goat
( J ) The reader, however, will gain a far better idea of those stupen-
dous piles from one glance at the frontispiece (if we remember rightly)
to Mr. Layard's " Nineveh," than from any description, especially one
necessarily so imperfect as our own.
o 2
212 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
and a goddess issuing from a cluster of leaves are
conspicuous ornaments. The bricks used for the
foundations of the palaces, and for the elevated parts,
which were comparatively removed from view, were
made of mud and straw, usually dried in the sun,
but sometimes baked. The names of the kings
in whose reigns they were manufactured were in-
variably impressed upon them, and sometimes the
object of the building was added. They were about
a foot square, and from two to four inches thick.
The bricks used for the more important parts of the
buildings were painted and enamelled ; handsome
patterns ornamented the borders, and occasionally the
whole of the face. Figures were frequently chosen
for the decorations ; in one we find a procession of
captives introduced. Pale yellow, green, blue, and
brown were the prevailing colours, which were chiefly
mineral. The internal fittings of the palaces would,
as a matter of course, be in keeping with the imposing
style of the architecture ; we possess, however, but
few remains of these, such as bronze sockets, portions
of fixtures, &c. ; and conclude, therefore, that wood
often the cedar- wood of Lebanon was extensively
made use of. Kings of neighbouring countries fre-
quently contributed native products for the palaces
of Assyria. We have not one article of Assyrian
furniture entire ; a few fragments alone remain to
give us a,n idea of what it was like. These pieces
of furniture are in bronze ; and, as one in particular
is found to be accurately represented in the bas-reliefs,
we may conclude that the others also have been faith-
THE A SYRIAN DEPARTMENT. .
fully delineated. According to Nahum, there was no
end to the store and glory of the pleasant furniture
of Nineveh. The sculptures show us thrones, some
with high backs, elbows, and steps, carved with figures,
and inlaid apparently with ivory, and with plates of
gold such as are seen in the Grold Ornament Room
of the Museum. They also show us chairs, high and
low stools, raised couches, tables, altars, and stands
of simple construction. The last mostly rest upon
brackets, carved like the favourite pine or fir-cone,
or like the feet of animals. The Assyrians and
Babylonians were renowned among contemporary
nations for their proficiency in the working of bronze,
which was largely used for the framework and deco-
ration of choice furniture. We. possess the best part
of one of the thrones ; a lion's claw, with a leafy frill
overhanging, supports each of the two front legs-;
the bottom bar is of bold design, and the top one
has at either end the head of a calf ; the step of the
seat rests upon small cloven feet. Portions of the
bronze ornaments, representing winged deities and
animals, which once decorated a throne of Assurna-
zirpal, are* exhibited in case 44 in the Nimroud
gallery, with several other bronze remains, such as
feet of bulls, lions, and antelopes. Here, too, is a
large bronze plate, on which is depicted a king
receiving tribute from a conquered nation. Ivory
was also extensively used. In a small chamber of the
north-west palace of Calah (Nimroud), Layard found
a mos interesting collection of ivory objects. As
so many were heaped together in one spot, and as
.214 .-1 HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
nearly all of them are of excellent workmanship, it
is supposed that this chamber was that of Assurna-
zirpal himself, or of his queen, in which the choicest
specimens of native and foreign art would naturally
find a place. Objects of Egyptian workmanship are
occasionally discovered among the Assyrian antiqui-
ties, and can generally be easily distinguished from
the rest ; a few, however, bear traces of both styles.
Many of the ivories have suffered by the conflagration
which partly destroyed the palace where they were
found. The carvings are very numerous ; some are
on panels which were inlaid, while others are separate,
and probably formed the handles, knobs, supports,
centre ornaments, &c., of cabinets and other articles
of furniture. They will be found in case 45 in the
Nimroud gallery. The subjects are varied : male
and female heads and figures ; a woman seated,
drinking wine ; two nude goddesses, back to back,
probably Istar or Venus ; the heads, feet, &c., of
lions, oxen, gryphons, and sphinxes ; a lion, and part
of a human leg, very finely carved ; two gryphons
standing on a floral ornament, with traces of gilding
and inlaying ; rosettes, studs, and floral ornaments ;
Assyrians carrying fruit and trophies ; and a groom
leading horses, in outline ; tracings of goats on their
knees, and of attendants with bows, deities, &c. ; a
woman holding a lotus beneath the winged disc ;
and clusters of grapes growing from a disc. The
largest panel in the case is in the Egyptian style,
and represents two women seated on the thrones of
life, each holding a sceptre, and raising a hand in
THE A MY 111 AX T)KI>ARTMKXT. 215
adoration before the image of Uben Ra, which is
surmounted by the ostrich plumes and solar disc.
Traces of the same subject are found on another
panel. To the same class of subjects belong the
carving of young Harpocrates seated on a lotus-
flower beside Isis or Nephthys ; those of an Egyptian
figure standing at a window, and of another holding
a lotus-flower ; several Egyptian heads, one of which
is beautifully preserved; a sphinx with the emblem
of stability ; and the tau, or emblem of life. The
great number of such carvings shows that the art
of the Egyptians was held in high estimation for
decorative purposes by the Assyrians, whether the
specimens were fabricated after Egyptian models, or
whether they were brought from Egypt when that
country was conquered and despoiled by Assyria.
The Babylonian and Assyrian vessels in terra-cotta,
earthenware, and porcelain, in the Museum, are coarse,
and wanting in variety of design, and much inferior
to those of Egypt. They consist of vases, jars, jugs,
bowls, cups, patera3 or goblets, dishes, and lamps.
They are of various sizes, from the large water- vessel
to the smallest ointment and scent-vases. The dried
clay vessels are the most numerous, but several speci-
mens of glazed pottery have been found in the north-
west palace at Nimroud. There is also a glazed
amphora, or measure for liquids, obtained from a tomb
in the central palace. Many of the vases have
handles, and one small vase is fashioned like a basket.
Some are coloured, but the colours are faint; some have
patterns and a few figures stamped upon them. The
216 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
vases with spherical bottoms generally rested on
tripod stands. The palaces at Kouyunjik (Nineveh)
also contribute to this collection. On some of the
fragments of dishes the monograms of Sennacherib,
Esarhaddon, and Assnr-bani-pal are found. Five of
the earthen bowls were discovered with fragments in
the mound of Amran, in Babylonia ; they are especi-
ally interesting as relics of the Jews who were carried
into captivity by Nebuchadrezzar ; charms against evil
spirits, &c., are inscribed on them in the most ancient
of Hebrew characters. We have also a small jug in
soapstone, and some alabaster vases from Nineveh,
one of which still contains sweetmeats, and may be a
relic of the last sumptuous banquet given in the great
and doomed city, and two of which are inscribed in
arrow-heads with the name of king Sargon. Most of
the vessels above referred to will be found in the
Assyrian side and basement rooms. In case 45 of
the Nimroud gallery there are pieces of ivory cups
ornamented with lion hunts, processions of musicians,
&c. ; a small chalcedony box for ointment ; and a little
porcelain bottle of mediaeval Chinese manufacture,
inscribed with a sentence from a Chinese poet, which
is here because it was dug up near the mound at
Nimroud.
We have a pretty good collection of Assyrian
glass. Many of the objects are very attractive, on
account of the variety of beautiful and brilliant
colours with which they delight the eye. These
colours are not due, however, to Assyrian art, but to
the art of Time, which in decomposing the glass, has
THE AMYRTAX DEPARTMENT. 217
imparted to it a beautiful iridescence. The vessels are
nearly all plain, from three to four inches in height,
and not very elegant in shape. Mostly, the glass is
opaque ; in some cases it resembles porcelain. The
gem of the collection is the vase of Sargon, the king
who founded the palace of Sargina (at Khorsabad),
B.C. 719. His name is inscribed on the front of the
vase, between the two projecting handles near the
mouth. It was found in the north-west palace at
Nimroud. It is globular, and, therefore, must have
had a stand, and it is greenish in hue. It is interest-
ing as being the earliest specimen of transparent glass
of which we have any knowledge. Several glass
bottles near this present a great variety of iridescent
colours, rivalling the opal and the chameleon in their
changeful beauty. Descending to the Assyrian base-
ment room, we shall find a still greater variety,
among some fragments of glass collected from the
ruins at Kouyunjik and Nimroud. These metallic
and prismatic hues are so fleeting, however, that
one can only get time to note a few pale and dark
green, blue, violet, yellow, orange, gold, pink, red,
white, grey, silver, and a rich cream- colour.
The Assyrians, like other ancient nations, fashioned
little figures out of clay, but they did not excel in
this branch of art. There are several of these clay
ft/arcs in the Museum, intended for men and women,
gods, goddesses, and animals, some in a recumbent
position. One is a rude representation of Istar at the
bath, with " Cupid " beside her. One of the original
matrices for moulding in clay has come down to us.
218 .1 HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
A few small images were made of alabaster. The terra-
cotta bas-reliefs are superior to the figures, as we see
by the specimen representing a Thibetan dog led by
a man, which Eawlinson found in the Birs-Nimroud,
the supposed site of the tower of Babel, and which
the late Prince Consort presented to the Museum.
The subjects of these are occasionally grotesque, if not
humorous ; four tumblers are performing balancing
feats in one; and in another two men are boxing.
All the most important artistic work, however, was
expended on less perishable materials.
The Assyrian artists appear to have concentrated
their descriptive talent on the wall-sculpture of the
royal palaces and temples. It would have been
impossible for them to treat in alto-rilievo, or in inde-
pendent statuary, the varied scenes which it was their
custom to depict in basso-riHevo on slabs of limestone
and gypsum or alabaster. The age of the bas-reliefs
as yet discovered ranges from about 2,500 to 2,700
years ago B.C. 900 to 650. They were chiefly
executed under the reigns of the great Assyrian
kings, Assur-nazir-pal, Sennacherib, Esar-haddon, and
Assur-bani-pal. The art of the earlier specimens is
less formal than that of the Egyptians before the
renaissance of the twetity-sixth dynasty, while the
art of the later specimens approaches that of the
Greeks in freedom of execution.
The style of the life-size figures of the time of
the great Assurnazirpal is firm and bold ; in some the
shoulders and other parts are given an exaggerated
breadth, but the details are always faithfully wrought.
THE ASSYRIAX DEPARTMENT. 219
The smaller figures, especially those of animals,
executed under the same reign, and under those of
Tiglath-Pileser II. and Sennacherib, are freer in
execution. The figures of the reign of Sardanapalus
(i.e., Assur-bani-pal) are elaborately worked out,
vigorous, and realistic. These figures were of five
different sizes life-size and a little larger, and about
four- three- two -sevenths, and one-seventh that of
life. The style of the " graven images " of the gods
was no doubt defined by the Assyrian priesthood ;
and this fact will account for the want of freedom by
which it is characterised. It was when drawing and
sculpturing the incidents of battles, sieges, and the
chase, that the sculptor's genius developed itself
freely. In the one case he was only a copyist ; in
the other he was himself the originator.
Assyrian artists, however, almost invariably worked
without regard to perspective, although some few of
the designs prove that it was not quite unknown to
them. Thus their soldiers appear as tall as the city
walls, the wounded seem to be falling from the sky,
and rowers seem to pull against each other in the
same boat. They excelled in animal sculpture.
Their horses and lions are almost perfect ; and their
quadrupeds generally are truthfully rendered.
The finest examples of Assyrian sculpture are now
in the Assyrian basement room, and consist of the
larger bas-reliefs, which represent Assurbanipal lion-
hunting, and preparing for the hunt (33 53) ; the
return from the chase (63 94) ; and a group of
lions, hounds, &c., in the slabs 75 78 ; and of some
220 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
smaller hunting pieces. The subjects, picturesque in
themselves, are treated with truth and animation, and
the workmanship is remarkable for minuteness and
delicacy.
Sculptures " in the round " were rarely attempted ;
and we may, therefore, consider ourselves fortunate in
possessing so many specimens as we do of independent
statuary. One is a mutilated torso of Astarte (Ash-
taroth), originally the Phoenician Yenus, one of the
idols which the Israelites sought after. It was found
in Nineveh, and is inscribed with the name of Assur-
bil-kala, who reigned about 1100 B.C. The execution
is inferior. Of no greater merit is a statue in dark
stone, very much disfigured, of one of the early
Chaldsean kings. A small statue of Assurnazirpal
(B.C. 883), as a high priest, discovered in the small
temple of Calah, is the best piece of Assyrian statuary
in the Museum. It is three feet four inches in
height on its original block pedestal. The king
stands erect, clothed in the long sacrificial robe, with
fringed hems, holding in his hands the crosier and
mace. His head is uncovered, the hair and the beard
also are trimmed in the usual fashion. On his breast
is a cuneiform inscription. There is also a repre-
sentation of king Shalmaneser II. (B.C. 858) seated on
a throne covered with the arrow-headed writing ; but
of this, unfortunately, the head and arms are wanting.
It is in the Egyptian style, and was found in the
earliest capital of Assyria Assur, now called Kalah-
Sherghat. The two companion figures of Nebo, the
Assyrian Mercury, have been already noticed.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTS EXT. 221
The colossal balls and lions were placed in pairs
at the main entrances, or at the entrances to the
internal chambers of the temples and palaces.
Primarily they were intended to symbolise, by the
union of the body of a bull or lion with the head of"
a man and the wings of an eagle, the union of all
possible perfections in the nature of the gods ;
secondarily, they were meant, like the sphinxes of
Egypt and other nations, to overawe those who
sought to enter the palaces or the halls which they
guarded. It has also been supposed that they can
be identified with the cherubim mentioned in Scrip-
ture.
In the visions which he had while "among the
captives by the river of Chebar," Ezekiel saw crea-
tures with the head of a man, with four wings,
straight feet, and the sole of the calf's foot-
sparkling " like the colour of burnished brass ; "
figures of lion-headed, eagle-headed monsters, with
two wings stretched upwards, and two covering their
bodies, having hands of a man under their wings,
being like the appearance of burning coals of fire and
"of lamps;" and it is believed that the prophet
must have previously seen the coloured sculptures in
the Assyrian as well as in the Babylonian temples.
The former would correspond exactly with the de-
scription of Ezekiel, and with the representations
of the animals in the interior of the temples on the
Assyrian bas-reliefs, on parts of which there still
lie thick patches of colour. ( : ) A fifth leg was given
( l ) See Ezekiel, chaps, i. and x.
222 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
to these figures in order that the side view might
be more complete. Those from Khorsabad, which
are accompanied by winged figures with offerings,
are the largest.
Monoliths and obelisks were also occasionally
erected. One of the obelisks, in black marble, which
stands in the middle of the Assyrian Central Saloon,
is of great historical value. It is inscribed with a
complete record of the reign of Shalmaneser II. (B.C.
858 823), to whom is brought the tribute pictured
in the upper part, consisting of elephants, rhino-
ceroses, camels, horses, bulls, lions, stags, monkeys,
and baboons, besides a variety of precious things.
Jehu, king of Israel, and Hazael, king of Syria, are
among the tributaries whose names are mentioned.
Most of the sculptures are well preserved; and it is
intended to enclose them with glass, and so secure
them against the destructive damp and smoke of
London.
Specimens of the capacious drinking -vessels of the
Assyrians are exhibited in cases 42 and 43, in the
Nimroud gallery. They are chiefly in bronze, some
decorated with gold and silver studs; and though
solid gold vessels were used on state occasions, it is
likely that, as these specimens were brought from the
north-west palace of the ancient Calah, they at one
time formed part of the royal service of plate. They
are the finest specimens of embossed bronze-work that
have been brought from Assyria. Lions, leopards,
bulls, stags, ibexes, boars, hares, hawk-headed lions
wearing Egyptian head - dresses, winged serpents,
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 223
griffins, and beetles ; trees, lotus-flowers, roses, and
other similar ornaments, are among the decorations.
Some of the raised work is in concentric bands, con-
taining roses, symbolical all-seeing eyes, and the
Osirian sun- disc ; friezes of Egyptian kneeling figures
and winged human-headed lions ; Assyrians on horse-
back and in chariots hunting lions ; dogs pursuing
hares ; and contests between men and lions. Besides
these bowls, there are two ancient drinking-vessels
in the shape of a dice-box.
An interesting collection of the royal or standard
weights of Assyria is exhibited in case 43 in the
Nimroud gallery. They are made of bronze, in the
shape of a lion couchant, with a handle on the back.
They consist of the one manah weight which Ezekiel
(xlv. 12) said should be of "twenty, five-and-twenty,
and fifteen shekels," the shekel equalling half an ounce ;
the two, three, five, and fifteen manah weights ; and
weights equalling a fourth and fifth part of the manah.
They are inscribed with cuneiform and Phoenician
characters, which tell us that they belonged to the
" palace of. Tiglath Pileser, king of the country; 77 to
the "palace of Shalmaneser, king of the country of
Assyria;" to the "palace of Assur-nazir-pal the
Great, the supreme king;" and to Sargon, "king
of the country." There are also some bronze cube
weights, inlaid with gold beetles flying, and some
small and large stone weights in the shape of a duck.
Among the miscellaneous objects, may be noticed
a collection of small bronze bells with iron tongues,
found by Mr. Layard in two copper cauldrons at
224 .1 HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Nimroud, and which were probably hung to the
horse-trappings : a bridle, bit, and spurs : portions of
a large ivory sceptre : a bronze mace-head, with the
name of King Shalmaneser : handles and other frag-
ments of ornamented bronze dishes and vases : stone
axe-heads and flint saws, and flint and obsidian knives,
from "Ur of the Chaldees:" a whet -stone from
the north-west palace of Nineveh : polishing-stones
in brown hematite : lumps of red paint, and a small
ram- shaped vase for holding paint : a slate model of
the basket seen in the sculptures in the hands of the
gods : the all - seeing eyes a favourite Egyptian
symbol : terra-cotta cones, similar to those found in
the tombs of Egypt, but smaller : little clay bas-reliefs
and figures of the Parthian period, from Hillah: a col-
lection of diminutive bronze figures, of rude workman-
ship : part of an ivory comb, from the south-east palace
at Calah, and part of one in lapis-lazuli, from the
same city : bone hair-pins : bronze mirrors and vases :
needles : ornaments composed of shells, &c. : rings,
bracelets, and armlets, in iron and bronze : necklaces
of stones and shells : hooks : nails : lamps : terra-cotta
balls : a stylus, for writing : stone stands for vessels :
large bronze cauldrons or baths : a small vessel with
human bones, from a very ancient tomb at Mugeyer
'(Ur) : and three blue- glazed earthenware coffins
these come from Niifer, the supposed Calneh in the
land of Shinar (Genesis x. 10), which is now a place
of marshes and jungles, and the hiding-place of wild
beasts ; two of these coffins were for grown persons,
the other was for a child ; there was a large circular
THK .1,S.>TA'/.I.V DKl'ARTMKXT. 225
opening at the head of each coffin, which was covered
by a lid. " Human remains," says Mr. Layard,
"more or less perfect, were found in all these sarco-
phagi. Sometimes, as the lid was carefully removed,
I could almost distinguish the hody, wrapped in its
grave-clothes, and still lying in its narrow resting-
place. But no sooner did the outer air reach the
empty crust of humanity, than it fell away into dust,
leaving only the skull and one or two bones."
Many of the seals once used by Chaldeans, Baby-
lonians, Assyrians, and Persians, have found their
way into the Museum. Seals were in use among
Eastern nations at a time so remote that the date of
their origin cannot be fixed ; they were invested with
sovereign importance, and held almost sacred. Their
value has always been great among nations to the
vast majority of whose population a written warrant
would have been utterly meaningless. Hence the
once important meaning attached to the words sign-
warrant and sign-manual. It was nearly as easy for
a nation to become familiar with the sign chosen by
the king as emblematic of his authority, as for it
to know its national standard ; and thus, when the
king's or the governor's well-known ^ignet was pro-
duced, it was at once a guarantee and an enforcement
of the command by which it was accompanied.
One seal in the Kouyunjik gallery belonged to
a Chaldaean king (Ilgi) who reigned nearly four thou-
sand years ago (B.C. 2050). The seals are mostly
cylindrical in shape, and slightly concave, and vary
from above an inch to less than a quarter of an
2.26 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
inch in diameter. The whole of the surface was
generally engraved with the name and title, and
sometimes effigy, of the owner of the seal. A sacred
emblem such as the winged feroher, (*) the sun, the
moon, the planetary circle or a religious subject
such as a priest ministering at an altar, the winged
deity with the basket of pine-fruit, a sacred animal-
very often the cock or an invocation to a god or
goddess was invariably added. A considerable
number of the seals were very carefully and artis-
tically cut ; they are in a great variety of stone
hematite, sienite, jasper, agate, onyx, sardonyx, chal-
cedony, carnelian, greenstone, crystal, &c. Mr. King,
the gem critic, says that
" The actual invention of the true art of gem-engraving (the
incising a gem by means of a drill charged with the powder of a
harder material)* is undoubtedly due to the seal-cutters of Nineveh,
and that at a date shortly preceding the times of Sargon, that is as
early as the year B.C. 729. This is the era at which cylinders begin
to make their appearance in the so-called hard stones, covered with
engravings executed in precisely the same style with the archaic
Greek intagli, and marked by the same minuteness of detail and
elaborateness of finish."
These qualities are especially noticeable in the
state seal of king Sennacherib. He and his queen
(*) The Feroher is* the deity within or emerging
from a winged disc (and generally shooting an
arrow), so often seen in the Assyrian bas-reliefs,
going before the king to battle, and in battle, or
hovering over him on his victorious return, or in the temple. It is
unquestionably a representation of the great Assyrian god Assur or
Nergal, frequently mentioned in the cuneiform writings as going
before tlie king io war. He is seen in the engraving of a siege, at the
side of a battering-ram, shooting down the enemy. The represen-
tations or manifestations of the feroher slightly differ in form, but
they are all, no doubt, intended for the great Assyrian god of war.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 227
are represented as standing by a sacred tree, under the
protection of the supreme deity ; a wild goat near
them is standing on a lotus flower, which in its turn
is upheld by a larger lotus. This and the other
seals are exhibited in case 61, Kouyunjik gallery.
Among them are the signets of Ninituram, Ibnivul,
and Darius : the cone-signet found in Africa by Mr.
(now Consul) Dennis : seals with Phoenician inscrip-
tions : a scarab set in gold, engraved with figures of
Baal, and a lion, from Graza: another with a griffin,
inscribed " for the remembrance of Hosea :" numerous
bead-like signets, the subjects of which are very
curious : the beautifully engraved and comparatively
recent seal of Vararanes IV., standing on a pros-
trate enemy (A.D. 389) : and the signet cylinders of
Khasanni and Ninipakhusr. There are also speci-
mens of terra-cotta seals and impressions.
On the western side of the Assyrian transept will
be seen a few fragments of sculpture, and casts of
sculpture and inscriptions from Persepolis, the ancient
capital of the early kings of Persia, in which, in the
time of Alexander the Great, still stood a magnificent
palace containing treasures of unknown value. Al-
though the features of the men represented, the head-
dresses, and the robes, are dissimilar, there is a
correspondence in the general style of the sculptures
and casts to that of the Assyrians. Two or three
specimens of the former are minutely and elaborately
finished. The inscriptions are in cuneiform, and in
Pehlevi, the early language of Persia.
p 2
228 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
IV. THE ASSYRIAN LANGUAGE AND WRITING.
The Assyrians and Babylonians were, like the
Jews, Syrians, and Phoenicians, 6f Semitic origin, and
their language was consequently allied to the Hebrew
and Syriac. A knowledge of Hebrew, therefore, is
of great use in the study of Assyrian literature. [It
will be remembered that Kabshakeh, the Assyrian,
could speak both the " Jews' language" and the
Syrian fluently, and that the latter would have been
understood by the educated Jews, Eliakim, Shebna,
and Joah, if he had chosen to make use of it.] ( l )
The Babylonian and Assyrian are the slightly diffe-
rent dialects of what was essentially one language.
Remnants of older idioms are embedded in it, and
occasionally words and grammatical constructions are
borrowed from the Turanian (Tatar) and other foreign
forms of speech. The Pehlevi a language derived
from the Sanskrit was spoken by the neighbouring
race, the ancient Persians, before the more polished
and flexible Pars! dialect superseded the older idiom.
The Assyrian (and sometimes the Pehlevi) language,
was written in the celebrated cuneiform or arrow-
headed character, which is supposed to have been
suggested by the weapon always in the hands of the
people ; and it is not in itself improbable that a few
arrows, dexterously arranged and combined, could be
made to express almost any number of letters. These t
combinations were comparatively few and simple in
the infancy of the language, but became necessarily
() 2 Kings xviii. 1726.
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 229
more and more complex as it grew in richness and
variety of expression. The arrow-headed inscriptions
had often attracted the attention of travellers in
Persia, particularly those of ancient Persepolis ; but
no successful attempt was made towards their inter-
pretation till a Grerman scholar, Dr. Grrotefend, at
the beginning of this century, undertook -for a
wager with a friend, it is said to decipher one of
the Persepolitan inscriptions. He was more successful
than could have been expected, and found a clue to
the interpretation of this difficult character which has
since been taken up and followed by several distin-
guished scholars, at the head of whom is Sir Henry
B-awlinson, who, however, worked independently and in
ignorance of what had been done by Grrotefend. As-
syrian grammars have been produced by MM. Oppert
and Menant, and a dictionary by Mr. Norris ;
and with the aid of these, and of the numerous and
carefully-prepared cuneiform texts which the British
Museum is generously giving to the world under the
direction of Sir H. Eawlinson, it is hoped that the
study will make rapid progress. Still, there is urgent
need of more students. In the often mutilated or
half-obliterated inscriptions, some of the characters
baffle the decipherer's skill ; the contractions and
abbreviations are frequent, and words apparently
correctly translated fail to make sense with the con-
text. Mr. Norris says, in 1868, with reference to
his dictionary : " Many years must necessarily elapse
before an approach can be made to completeness in
such a work; and the best Assyrian decipherers are
230 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the most assured of the vague character of their inter-
pretations whenever the subject goes much beyond
plain narrative, and when words of infrequent occur-
rence are made use of/' Nevertheless, the key has
been found which will in time put us in posses-
sion of the information contained in the entire mass
of records. Incredulity, if it still exists, is answered
by the fact that the inscription of Tiglath-Pileser I.,
published by the Royal Asiatic Society in 1857, has
received a substantially identical translation from
Rawlinson, Hincks, Talbot, and Oppert, who deci-
phered it independently of each other. We may be
permitted to add that we have ourselves recently been
present while one cuneiform student not only trans-
lated at sight, into English, a passage of Assyrian
written in our common alphabet by another but also
re- wrote the rendering in the original Assyrian cha-
racter and this as rapidly as one could form the
ordinary Roman capitals.
The number of distinct characters already dis-
covered in the inscriptions is very large. Mr. Norris
gives in his dictionary 106, besides 142 compound
syllables, and 113 ideograms ( l ) a total of 361. In
( l ) Example of an ideogram. Take the idea, front. This is repre-
sented in the cuneiform writings by >-^. When a man offers a
present, or prays, or when he comes in contact with, or opposition to,
an enemy, the same is indicated by this ideogram. He comes in
front to make a present to the king, &c. ; he comes in front to pray
to the deities ; he comes in front when engaging an enemy. This
idea was represented to the Assyrian mind by the above symbol ;
just, indeed, as we might indicate the idea by drawing a full face, the
attendant circumstances being known. The ideogram was, in fact,
a kind of hieroglyphic. But then the Assyrians had, also, a word
corresponding to front, namely, zYl!< ^T^^TT^f or
THE AWRIAX 1)E1>.\ RTMKXT. 231
1858, M. Oppsrt's list of the forms frequently re-
curring comprised 318. In 1851, Sir H. Eawlinson
published 366 characters, including variants, collected
from the inscriptions which he had examined. The
simple consonant sounds are, however, limited to"
sixteen ; the vowels to three a, i, u ; and the diph-
thongs to two ai = e, au = o. We transcribe one
sentence, to give a slight idea of the sound : " Sa iz
eri va harsani asarid dukiuate." It is one of the
numerous epithets of Sardanapalus, and, interpreted,
means, " Who of cities and forests is the lofty sub-
duer." Fourteen groups of arrow-headed characters
are used in this sentence.
It is from such inscriptions as the above that the
names and annals of the kings have been taken, with
which the reader is already acquainted. These arrow
or wedge-shaped writings will be seen on most of the
sculptured slabs in the Assyrian galleries of the
Museum, in some cases running across the figures of
deities, kings, &c.; on the seals and clay cylinders and
tablets exhibited in the Kouyunjik gallery and Assy-
rian side room ; on monoliths, obelisks, vases, bricks ;
in short, on every object which could be engraved
From these facts we may infer that the Assyrians preferred the ideo-
gram above shown for brevity's sake. Connected with the ideograms
are the signs for duality and plurality, and the determinatives. The
idea of duality was conveyed by the addition of a couple of signs
to the characters indicating the singular. For example : -M- = eye ;
^j^-Yy = two eyes; [*"* = ear; |*~YT = two ears; ^T = hand;
> iTT = ^ wo ^ ian ^ s - To determine the name of a male, the Assyrians
used the sign (before the name) of j ; of a female, the sign -^ ; of
a city, the sign ^^-
232 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
upon. The day tablets, which were most commonly
used for writing upon, vary from an inch to about a
foot in length, and from an inch to six or eight inches
in breadth. The clay cylinders (so called from their
form) are hexagonal and barrel- shaped, of various
sizes, but none very large. Many of these records
are as perfect as they were nearly 3,000 years ago,
but many have reached us in fragments ; they differ
in colour according to the degree of baking which the
clay underwent. The small punctures which may be
observed in the cakes were made to prevent the
cracking or bulging of the clay in baking. The
characters were pressed in while the clay lay moist in
its frame or case. The instrument used was a sharp-
edged bronze style, about a foot long ; a much-worn
specimen, found in the north-west palace of
Nineveh, can be seen in the Assyrian basement room
of the Museum. Bricks also were commonly stamped
with a legend. The inscriptions are by no means
uniformly well written ; as a rule the letters are
sharply cut, but they vary a good deal in length and
breadth. It would appear from the bas-reliefs that
the scribes were usually chamberlains or eunuchs.
They frequently made blunders, especially when
writing the names of foreign persons and places, and
they constantly left blanks. Many corrections of
mistakes are also visible in their writings. The bas-
reliefs also show that some flexible material was
occasionally used by the scribes for taking accounts,
and that the material was written upon, not stamped,
nicked, or pressed ; but what the material was, has not
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 233
yet been discovered. The extent of the Assyrian, and
subsequently of the Persian dominion, rendered it
often necessary for proclamations and other public acts
or records to be made in two or three languages, with
their different forms of writing. Such has been, and
is still the custom, among Eastern rulers ; many such
inscriptions will be found in the Museum, those of
the Persian era being almost always written in three
languages, with three different sets of characters. In
the Book of Esther the fact is incidentally referred to,
when it is told of Ahasuerus, who reigned " from India
even unto Ethiopia," that he sent letters into all his
provinces, "into every province according to the writing
thereof, and to every people after their language, that
every man should bear rule in his own house."
The subjects of the Assyrian and Babylonian
inscriptions are more diversified than one would at
first suppose when one remembers how greatly the
communication of thought is checked by the want of
adequate or convenient means for its expression. We
give below a memorandum of subjects treated or
touched upon in the clay tablets. Lists and accounts,
of course, form a large proportion, but some of these
are suggestive, as giving evidence of much information
that must have been possessed before they could have
been compiled. From their perusal we are led easily
to believe that the wisdom of the Chaldseans and of
the Magi was not exaggerated by their contempo-
raries, but was really great for that early period in
the world's history. (*)
(') The following are the subjects of the writings already brought
234 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH -MUSEUM.
The design and the limits of this volume have
permitted us to give only such slight and fragmentary
sketches of hoth Egypt's and Assyria's history as had
some bearing on the antiquities of both countries ; yet
even from these necessarily partial and imperfect
accounts we think the reader will have gained the
impression that a great diversity existed between the
two nations ; they differed in character, religion, and
mode of life. And if, as we can hardly fail to do, we
regard their sculpture and pictorial representations as
bearing the impress of what was most necessary and
individual in their thinking, we observe a radical
difference in their manner of looking at life.
The majority of our Egyptian treasures are taken
from tombs and temples; the majority of the Assyrian
from temples and palaces. ( l ) Many Egyptian bas-
reliefs have been described in these pages, but hardly
one in which the subject was not chiefly religious,
although, subordinately, the sculptor sought to
immortalise the name and works of those whom he
represented as making pious offerings to Osiris or
other gods. The bas-reliefs on the walls of Assyrian
palaces, on the other hand, show that with their
( ! ) No tomb remains from Assyria, indeed, have reached the Mu-
seum, a fact which shows the comparative unimportance attached
to tomb sculpture by the Assyrians.
to light, and for the most part published by the Museum : Names,
titles, and attributes of deities -Invocations to gods and goddesses
Miscellaneous mythological subjects Arks of the gods Prayers
(Assyrian and Babylonian, some for protection against evil spirits)
Temples Assyrian canon Lists of stars Observations Planets
Solar eclipse Calendars -Assyrian months Prognostics and in-
fluences (meteorological, &c.) Miscellaneous astrological subjects
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 235
sculptors the first object was to represent the course
of the lives of men, or at least of kings, and
religious rites and observances came in only as
a part of that course, which it therefore con~
cerned him fitly to depict. The Egyptian thought
the human life unworthy to be lived, and its story
unworthy to be told, unless it were joined to the
Divine by prayer and sacrifice, and unless he could
show it so ennobled in his record ; the Assyrian
thought the human life worth living, and its story
worth telling for itself. Hence the subjects of
Assyrian art were varied and picturesque, and
Assyrian architecture was rich and splendid, while
the religious, or quasi-religious nature of all Egyptian
art work did not permit of much variety of subject,
but produced a simple and massive though conven-
tional style of architecture, which is said to be the
most impressive in the world. Again, the Egyptian
written language was composed of symbols, or signs
denoting things; and even when these were used
alphabetically, the compound word consisted of two
or more such symbolical signs of things put together ;
the Assyrian written language was composed, like our
own, of a number of arbitrary signs denoting sounds,
divided by the Assyrians into consonants, vowels, and
diphthongs, which thus really formed an alphabet, and
Mathematical tables Animals, birds, beasts, &c. (lists) Parts of the
body Minerals Descriptive lists,' &c., of countries, seas, rivers,
mountains Miscellaneous geographical and topographical subjects
Accounts of cities, and of repairs to the city of Assur Buildings
Forts Ships (tonnage in numbers) Different parts of a vessel, &c.
Kevenue accounts of Assyrian cities Syrian revenues Leases
Sales and exchanges of slaves Wooden and miscellaneous objects
236 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the words of which they were the elements could be
inflected and combined like our own. These and
other contrasts between the two nations seem to
confirm the supposed difference of their origin ; but
nothing can be confidently affirmed on this point
while the question whether the ancient Egyptians
were not after all a branch of the Semitic race is
the subject of active debate among competent
scholars.^)
We had prepared an account epitomised from Mr.
Layard's "Nineveh," of his first discoveries and
excavations in Assyria, but we much regret that the
want of space which obliges us to exclude everything
not absolutely essential to the object of this book does
not permit us to lay before our readers a story ol
almost romantic enterprise. But the names of Layard
and Eawlinson, his fellow- worker, are familiar to all ;
and those who have not read Mr. Layard's works will
derive an interest and enjoyment from their perusal
which no abridgment can afford.
Assyrian history is the record of the fulfilment of
terrible prophecies. Because, said the prophet, the
Assyrian " lifted himself up in height," and because
( l ) Even Egyptian Pharaohs, the many statues of whom seem to
invalidate this statement, were, it will be remembered, almost if not
quite deified by their subjects after death.
(various Lists some bilingual and some trilingual) Titles of King
Assurbanipal Synonyms for king Titles of honour Distributive
list of offices (under Tiglath-Pileser II.) Various Semitic titles
Names of twelve kings of Assyria and ten kings of Cyprus
Genealogies and commemorative legends Succession of Eponymes
Synonyms for family names and titles Offices Proper names
(classification) Annals of the reign of several kings Synchronous
THE ASSYRIAN DEPARTMENT. 237
his was the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that
said in her heart I am and there is none beside me,
Nineveh has become " a desolation, a place for beasts
to he down in, empty, void, and waste." And because
of the arrogance of her people, " Because, O Babylon,
thou hast striven against the Lord," " the glory of
kingdoms, and the beauty of the Chaldseans' excel-
lency/ 7 has become " as when God overthrew Sodom
and Gomorrah."
notices of Babylonian and Assyrian history Legends (cuneiform and
Phoenician) Hunting records Syllabaries Vocabularies Phrases
(double Semitic list of bilingual, Ac.) Grammatical construction of
short phrases (table for) Grammatical phrases (agricultural)
Grammars (fragments) Roots and verbal forms Glosses Lists of
cuneiform signs explained in two languages (Proto-Babylonian and
Assyrian) Babylonian signs with Assyrian equivalents Expla-
natory lists Tables of variants &c.
,288
CHAPTEE IV.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES.
THE GREEK COLLECTION.
"It is the grossest possible mistake to call these things mere exhibitions of
material beauty ; the chiseled marble is itself the echo of poetic thought."
E. Young.
To this section no words of historical preface are
needed, since the works of art that will he described
are the illustrations of a history and mythology with
which all of us are more or less familiar. Incompar-
able with the Egyptians in respect of the magnitude
and durability of their monuments, and with the As-
syrians in respect of the costly magnificence of their
palaces, the Greeks, nevertheless, attained an excellence
in the true essentials of art which no other nations
before or since have reached. Modern nations may
claim to have equalled if not excelled the Greek in
some branches of art ; but what other people has so
nearly grasped it in its wholeness? Not merely
an instinctive feeling or sense of beauty was given to
the ancient Greek; he was also endowed with an
aspiration so high, and an intellect so keen, and so
exacting in its demands for the reasonable everywhere,
that he could not but seek to embody in the world of
matter, the fitness, proportion, and harmony which he
strove after in the world of thought, and which he
FRIEZE.
SiffillH
PARTHENON SCULPTURES ("ELGIN MARBLES").
METOPE.
STATUES FEOM THE PEDIMENT.
FEIEZE.
FEIEZE.
,
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 239
*
perceived to be the very cause and ground of the
universe, the cosmos around him.
It may be observed, ere we proceed, that it is
among the Greeks that Art seems first to have been
loved and valued for its own sake. As the exempli-
fication and result of this artistic feeling, we may
mention the importance which gradually became
attached to disconnected sculptures or statues, simply as
works of art, and apart from their uses in the expres-
sion of religious belief, the commemoration of great-
ness, and the enhancement of architectural beauty.
Probably the perfection and beauty of every part of
the Greek sculptor's work occasioned this new feeling
with regard to independent statuary. His detached
sculptures were so beautiful as to be well worth look-
ing at by and for themselves. Frequently, therefore, a
statue was placed in a commanding position, where its
beauty was seen and appreciated ; while, if it had only
formed one of the ornaments of a portico, or filled
a niche in a dimly-lighted temple, its architectural
merit would have been recognised, but its individual
beauty would not have received due attention.
The British Museum is now richer than any of
'the continental galleries in the remains of pure Greek
sculpture. The various epochs and schools, from the
infancy to the decay of art, are represented. Ex-
amples of each will be pointed out as we proceed.
HELLENIC ROOM.
''' I am Chares, son of Klesis, ruler of Teichiosa,
an offering to Apollo." So runs the Greek inscription
240 .1 11ASDY-BOOK OF THE IllUTlSli MUSEi'M.
on a chair of one of the seated figures in the Museum ( ! )
from the " Sacred Way " of Branchidae, in Caria, an
avenue of sculptures which led up from the sea-shore,
to a once famous oracle of Apollo. This Chares is
supposed to have been one of the tyrants who ruled
many of the Greek cities on the western coast of Asia
Minor, in the fifth and sixth centuries before the
Christian era. Especial interest attaches to this figure,
from the fact that it is the earliest known example of
the Greek portrait statue. Nine similar statues, all
headless except one, which represents a female, have
been brought from the same sacred way. They closely
correspond to the figures sitting with their hands
on their knees, in the Egyptian gallery (see the
engraving), and it is inferred that they were pro-
duced by Greek sculptors who had studied their art
on the banks of the Nile. " It is a curious coinci-
dence," says their excavator, "that the earliest period
to which these figures can be assigned by the evidence
of the inscriptions namely, about B.C. 580 coincides
with the received date of Dipcenos and Scyllis, Cretan
sculptors, who, according to Pliny, were the first
artists of note who worked in marble." One of the
seated figures is inscribed with the name of the artist,
Terpsikles. Besides stone coffins, and other remains,
a sphinx and a lion were discovered in the sacred
way; and further evidence that Greek art drew its
early inspiration from Egypt, is afforded by the treat-
(!) These sculptures are at present deposited, for want of room, in
the Lijcian Gallery ; but we describe them under this section, as being
of about the same early date and class as the other sculptures in the
Hellenic room.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 41
ment of this lion, which bears a striking resemblance
to the Barkal lions described in the Egyptian section .
It is inscribed with a dedication of statues as a tithe to
Apollo. Of the temple itself, two giant columns sup-
porting a piece of architrave, and a third unfinished
column, were all that Mr. Newton found standing.
" The mighty ruins," he wrote, towards the close of
1857, "lie as they originally fell, piled up like
shattered icebergs."
A low relief from Teichiosa, representing several
females moving hand in hand, will also be found
in the Hellenic room. Of about the same date are
the Metopes, from the Temple of Selinus, in Sicily,
which are here represented by casts, the original
marbles being deposited in the Museum at Palermo^ 1 )
The subjects are Hercules punishing the Cercopes
for attempting to rob him, he carries them away
tied to his bow, their heads hanging downwards :
Perseus decapitating Medusa in the presence of
Minerva : a goddess slaying a giant ; and a youth
in a four-horsed chariot, probably Pelops preparing
for the race with the daughter of GEnomaus, in the
hope of gaining her hand. Here, some of the
figures, awkward, wanting in proportion, and almost
(*) The Metopes are those ornamentations of the entablature, the
flat face of the exterior of a building, that were placed directly over
the capitals of the columns. They ran alternately with what are
called the Triglyplis, which represented in stone the projecting ends
of the joists which would have been laid from the inner to the outer
walls of a wooden building. What the pedimental sculptures were to
the fronts of a temple, these decorations were to the sides, only that,
occupying a subordinate position, they were less important as archi-
tectural embellishments.
242 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
grotesque, remind us rather of Etruscan than Egyp-
tian work.
The casts from the ^Eginetan marbles mark the
commencement of the second epoch in Greek sculpture.
The original marbles belonged to the west and east
fronts of the Temple of Jupiter Panhellenius, in the
island of JEgina, lying to the south of Athens. The
western pediment illustrates the scene in the Trojan
war in which the Greeks interfere to prevent Hector
from severing the head from the dead body of Patro-
clus ; the eastern pediment is supposed to represent a
scene in the expedition of the zEginetan warriors
against Troy. The ^Eginetans were the Phrenicians of
Greece ; at an early period their commercial prosperity
was great ; and the excellence of their works of art is
dwelt upon by several ancient writers. These sculp-
tures, however, are still rude in style, though superior
to the metopes of Selinus. Flaxman, in describing
the style of this period, says : " The character of the
figures was stiff, rather than dignified ; their folds
either meagre or turgid ; the folds of drapery parallel,
poor, and resembling geometrical lines rather than the
simple but ever varying appearances of nature."
In the " Hellenic Eoom " will also be found the
following sculptures : A colossal head of Hercules
(T 75), discovered in the ruins of the villa of the
Emperor Hadrian, at Tivoli ; immense strength is
indicated by the treatment of this head ; the features
are stern, and the hair and beard closely curled. A
head of Apollo, from Eome (T 60), believed, like that
of Hercules, to be a copy of an archaic work in
I
Hull I v
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES.
bronze ; the hair, bound with a fillet, falls over the
forehead in ringlets. A head of the youthful
Mercury (Hermes, T 21), placed on a term^ 1 ) It is
ideally treated, and is a fine specimen of early Greek
art. Two torsoes of male figures, One from Eome, the
other from Crete. A torso of a draped female from a
temple at Bhamnus in Attica, ( 3 ) and another from the
island of Claudos. Part of the figure of a Triton in
high relief, from Delos. The drapery of these
figures hangs in close perpendicular folds, and the
chest is broad and flat. A small archaic figure of
Apollo, brought from the Levant, and another life-
size figure of the same god, formerly the property of
the Due de Choiseul Gouffier. The latter is a very fine
illustration of the transition period from the archaic
to the more natural and life-like style which suc-
ceeded ; ( 3 ) the head is small, and an athletic promi-
(*) " There was a peculiar kind of statue or bust to which was given
the name of Hermes. It consisted of a mere head and breast, or at
most head and chest, and a quadrangular pillar, or one terminating
in a point, which served as a support. These representations were
placed by the highways and streets, in gardens, and, among the
Greeks, in front of temples and dwelling-houses. Human likenesses
were formed sometimes in this manner ; generally, however, the
images represented some deity presiding over gardens and fields.
The Romans employed them to point out the boundaries of lands,
and on that account called them termini." Esclienbury.
( 2 ) Professor Westmacott says that the mutilated marble colossal
head in the Museum from this place agrees in its proportions with the
supposed size of the celebrated statue of Agoracritus, and that the
character of its execution is consistent with the date of this artist.
( 3 ) The characteristics of the transition period are thus given by
a well-known critic : " The better drawing of the figure, with a more
careful attention to its parts, more precision and variety of attitude,
a less elaborate curling and dressing the hair, the form of the figure
better shown through the drapery, are all certain signs of a nearer
approach to the age of Phidias."
Q 2
244 A H ANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
nence is given to the muscles, which is unusual in the
treatment of this subject : the stem of a tree supports
this statue. An Athlete, of small life-size, in
Pentelic marble, standing in an easy graceful atti-
tude at the side of the stump of a palm-tree, in the act
of binding a fillet or diadem round his head. It has
been described as a copy of the " Diadumenos " of
Polycletus ; but Professor Westmacott says that from
" the cumulative evidence adduced there is a very
great amount of probability that in this statue we
possess not simply an ancient copy of a celebrated
work, but the original Diadumenos of Polycletus"^}
The original was held in high esteem among the
ancients. Pliny says that it was valued at a hundred
talents. Polycletus of Sicyon flourished about 433
B.C. ; he was taught by Ageladas of Argos, and
became the rival of Phidias. Myron, noted for his
Discobolos, and Alcamenes, famed for his Venus
Aphrodite, were also his contemporaries. He was
likewise celebrated for a statue so perfect in its pro-
portions that it was referred to by artists as a canon of
art. Leaving the Phigalian marbles (on the walls of
this room), which are later in date than those we
have been examining, and than those brought from
the Parthenon, we enter
THE ELGIN ROOM.
We have now reached the era of Phidias himself,
the greatest sculptor of both ancient and modern
(*) Other archaeologists infer from ancient notices that the
Diadumenos was of bronze.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 245
times. About 2270 years after this era, Flaxman, no
unworthy pupil of the great master, thus wrote :
"Phidias flourished at the same time with the philosophers
Socrates, Plato, and Anaxagoras; the statesmen and commanders
Pericles, Miltiades, Themistocles, Cimon, and Xenophon ; with the_
tragic poets ^Eschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles. This period was
as favourable in its moral and political circumstances as in the
emulation of rare talents to produce the display, and encourage the
growth of genius. The superior genius of Phidias, in addition to his
knowledge of painting, which he practised previous to sculpture, gave
a grandeur to his compositions, a grace to his groups, a softness to
flesh, and flow to draperies, unknown to his predecessors. The dis-
courses of contemporary philosophers on mental and personal perfec-
tion assisted him in selecting and combining ideas, which stamped
his works with the sublime and beautiful of Homer's verse. How
this sculptor was esteemed by the ancients will be understood by
such testimonies as the following : Quintilian says, ' His Athenian
Minerva and Olympian Jupiter at Elis possessed beauty which
seemed to have added something to religion, the majesty of the work
was so worthy of the divinity.' Pliny says, ' Phidias was most
famous throughout all nations ; ' and when enumerating the most
celebrated sculptors of antiquity, ' but before all, Phidias the
Athenian.' After such positive and magnificent praise as this, there
will be still room for our suprise at the descriptions, fragments, and
other authentic memorials of some works which he conducted and
performed."
The Elgin marbles, which now demand our
attention, consist of remains from one of the greatest
of these works
THE PARTHENON.
" Nothing in all art has yet equalled the sculptures of the Parthenon in
poetical quality of the very highest order." F. T. Palgrave.
In the year 480 B.C. the great temple of Pallas
Athene, called Hecatompedon, which stood on the
rocky mount of the Acropolis, was burnt by the
Persians in the sacking of the city; and when
Pericles, the Athenian commander, statesman, and
orator, was tfte ruler of Athens, he determined to
246
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
build upon the ruins of the old temple one which
should surpass it in grandeur and beauty. Calli-
crates was appointed the contractor, Ictinus the
architect, and Phidias undertook the execution or
design of all the sculptural decorations. Doric was
the chosen order of architecture, and the finest
Pentelic marble was used for the . structure. The
works were commenced about 448 B.C., and completed
VIEW OF THE PARTHENON.
(From Lucas's restoration.)
about 437 B.C. Forty-six columns^ 1 ) in all, formed
the external colonnade ; viewed from the front and
back eight columns appeared, from the sides, seven-
teen. The length was 228 feet, the breadth 102, and
the main height 65 feet above the platform upon which
the temple was elevated.
(!) The capital and a piece of the shaft of on| of these columns
will be found with the Elgin marbles (No. 112).
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 247
The Parthenon, or " Home of the Virgin," con-
sisted of an oblong central building, the cella, sur-
rounded on all sides by a peristyle of pillars. The
cella was divided into two chambers of unequal size,
the larger of which contained the statue of the
goddess. This, reputed to have been one of the
greatest of his works, was erected by Phidias. It
was nearly forty feet high, and was made of gold and
ivory, and ornamented with precious stones ; and the
mere value of its materials is said to have amounted
to 120,000. O Along the top of the external wall of
the cella, under the ceiling of the peristyle, ran a
frieze sculptured in very low relief. The columns of
the peristyle were surmounted to the west and east
by triangular pediments filled with colossal groups of
sculpture, while on the north and south sides the
metopes of the entablature, ninety-two in number,
were adorned with sculptures in high relief. It is
from the remains of these sculptures, namely, those
on the pediments, those on the entablatures, and those
on the frieze of the cella, that the student in the
British Museum is enabled to perceive that the beauty
of the far-famed temple has not been exaggerated,
either by ancient or modern report. After the lapse
of centuries the Parthenon became a church under
the Christians, and subsequently a mosque under the
Turks ; but the building sustained no serious injury
until 1687, when, during the bombardment of Athens
by the Venetians under Morosini, nearly half of the
(!) Among the Woodhonse gems is a head of Athene, which is
believed to have been copied from this master-work of Phidias.
248 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
temple was destroyed by an explosion. The " Temple
of Idols/' as the Mohammedans called, and still call
it, suffered considerably afterwards at the hands of
the iconoclastic Turks, who, too indolent to re-open
the rich Pentelic quarry in the neighbourhood, burnt
many of the marbles for lime, and used others for
their buildings ; chipped off pieces of sculpture to sell
to travellers ; and occasionally amused themselves by
shooting at the statues. These mutilations were pro-
ceeding when the Earl of Elgin, the English ambas-
sador for Turkey, reached the country in 1800,
accompanied by a staff of artists, modellers, and
architects, whom he had engaged at his own expense
to take drawings and moulds from Greek sculpture
and architecture for the benefit of students at home.
The earl succeeded in obtaining a firman from the
Porte, not only to mould the Parthenon sculptures,
but " to take away any pieces of stone with old
inscriptions or figures thereon," and to excavate in
the district. Additional firmans were procured, and
under their authority many sculptures from the
Parthenon and other buildings in the neighbourhood
were removed to this country. During the removal,
one cargo went to the bottom of the Mediterranean,
off the island Cerigo, but in the course of three years
it was recovered.
A few years later the Elgin marbles, consisting
of statues and various fragments from the two pedi-
ments of the Parthenon, metopes, slabs of the frieze,
and other fragments of the building, were bought
by the nation for 35,000, and after an expendi-
CLAMH'AL ANTIQUITIES 249
ture in all of about 74,000, were deposited in the
Museum^ 1 )
TJie Birth of Athene (Minerva) formed the subject
of the
EASTERN PEDIMENT. Between the hour in which Hyperion, the
sun, rises from the sea to run his course for the day in his four-horse
chariot, and that in which his sister Selene, the moon, descends in
her two-horse car into the ocean, Athene, goddess of wisdom and the
arts, set free by the axe of Hephaestus (Yulcan), springs full-armed
from the head of Zeus, father of gods and men.* Demeter, sitting on
a low seat, looks on, and hails with uplifted hand the advent of the
goddess, while her daughter Persephone sits beside her, leaning on
her shoulder. The three Fates (?) are present, one reposing in
another's lap, and the third seated on a chair by herself. Nike, the
goddess of victory, with outstretched wings, is also there ; and on
the opposite side, looking towards Hyperion rising in his chariot,
Theseus, the Athenian hero, reclines upon a rock covered with a
lion's skin. Iris, the messenger of the gods, speeds away from the
scene to herald to the under world the birth of the divine Athene.
The contest of Poseidon (Neptune) and Athene for
the soil of Attica formed the subject of the
WESTERN PEDIMENT. Poseidon and Athene occupied the fore-
ground^ and on each side were grouped gods, goddesses, and Athenian
demi-gods or heroes ; amongst them were the Wingless Victory J
wingless that she might not desert the Athenians acting as
charioteer for Athene. Amphitrite, the wife of Poseidon, resting
her feet on a dolphin, attended by Nereides, Herakles, Hebe, and
(*) When Sir W. Gell visited Athens he considered that the
Parthenon presented without exception the most magnificent ruin in
the world, both for execution and design ; and that though an entire
Museum had been transported to England from the spoils of this
temple, it still remained without a rival.
* Only a small fragment of the figures whicli occupied the centre of this pediment
has remained to us, and no copy of the whole is known to exist.
t We have portions of the figures of both the competitors ; part of the bust of
Athene (102) ; and the upper portion of the torso of Poseidon (103). No. 256 is sup-
posed to represent the feet of Athene and the stem of her olive tree, and 104, a fragment
of the Erichthonian serpent. There is besides a cast of a majestic head, thought to
have belonged to one of the goddesses on the pediment.
J No. 105 is the cast of a beautiful head, supposed to be that of this Victory with-
out wings (Nike Apteros).
Casts from some fragments of horses, believed to have formed part of the
chariot group, will be found in the Elgin room.
250 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Leto, or Latona, with her children ; the river god, commonly known
as the Ilissus, but more probably the Cephissus ; and Kekrops, the
founder of Athens, who, with his wife and children, assist in the arbi-
tration. As the reader will remember, the contest was to be decided
in favour of that deity who should make the most useful present to
mankind. Poseidon strikes the rock with his long trident, and the
horse springs forth; Athene brandishes her spear, and the olive
appears. The victory is hers, the gods with one voice declaring that
the uses of the olive, the emblem of peaceful industry, are greater to
man than those of the horse, the emblem of warlike enterprise.
Poseidon chafes under the decision, and to pacify him, his worship is
permitted in the capital of Attica, although Athene is appointed
protectress of the city.
However cursory our examination of the remains
of these pediments, the ideal beauty and grace of
HORSE OF SELENE.
(Phidian School.)
every part of the composition excite our wonder and
admiration. Especially may be remarked the vigorous-
and life-like modelling in the figures of Theseus (93),
and the river god (99), and the torso of Kekrops
(100) ; the faithful rendering of the draperies of
Demeter, Persephone (94), Leto (106), and the
" Fates " (97) ; the exquisite fleeting figure of Iris
(*) See the engraving page 238, central figures.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 251
(95) ; the noble action of the horses of Hyperion (92)
and Selene (98) ; and the technical skill shown in the
arrangement of the closely-hanging robes of the
Winged and the Wingless Victory (96 and 105). In
the words of one of our chief art- critics :
" These works, are unquestionably the finest specimens of the art
[of sculpture] that exist ; and they illustrate so fully and so admirably
the progress, and it may be said, the consummation, of sculpture,
that it is important their character and peculiar excellence should be
well understood by those who desire to make themselves acquainted
with the true principles of this art. They exhibit in a remarkable
degree all the qualities that constitute fine art truth, beauty, and
perfect execution. In the forms, the most perfect, the most appro-
priate, and the most graceful, have been selected. All that is coarse
or vulgar in ordinary nature is omitted, and that only is represented
which unites the two essential qualities of truth and beauty." ( l )
THE METOPES were wrought in alto-rilievo, the
most difficult form of sculpture ; and though some
portions are very beautiful, yet, on the whole, they
are not equal to the sculptures on the pediments, and
the bas-reliefs on the frieze of the cella. Their
number being great, Phidias probably committed
them to his less skilful assistants for execution. The
principal subject illustrated on the metopes was the
Contest between the Centaurs and the Lapitlice. Piri-
thous, son of Ixion, and king of the Lapithso, is cele-
(^ How this perfection was arrived at, Flaxman tells us as follows :
"The human figure, so astonishing in its structure, combining so
many principles and powers so beautiful and engaging in its contour
and colours so varied by sex, age, motion, and sentiment cannot
be represented from cursory and ignorant observation ; it must be
understood before it can be imitated. Therefore, Greek sculpture
did not rise to excellence until anatomy, geometry, and numbers, had
enabled the artist to determine his drawing, proportions, and motion ;
then, and not before, a just expression might be infused in the truth
and harmony of parts, and the artist endowed his statue with life,
action, and sentiments."
252 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
brating his marriage with the beautiful Hippodamia
by a wedding feast, in the midst of which the Centaurs,
his guests, heated by wine, endeavour to carry off the
bride and the other women, and a desperate conflict
ensues, in which the Centaurs are at Jast totally
defeated. Some of the scenes in this fray will be
recognised in the sixteen metopes, one a cast from the
south side of the building, which are now in the Elgin
saloon Eurytion carrying off Hippodamia in his arms
(13) ; Lapithse grappling with Centaurs ; and Centaurs
trampling the Lapitha3 under foot. (A copy of one
of the metopes is given at page 238.)
The Battle of the Amazons, and other legends,
were the subjects of the remaining metopes.
On the FRIEZE OF THE CELLA was represented in
low relief the Panathenaic procession. At this festival
of all the Athenians, which was celebrated every four
years, the highest honours were paid to the divine
Athene.
The great Panatherisea was first introduced by Erichthonius, but
Theseus in later times revived it on a scale of magnificence before
unknown. For the celebration, the sacred peplos, a white or crocus -
coloured mantle, was woven and embroidered in gold and variegated
silk by the noblest and fairest of the Athenian virgins, with scenes
from the contests of Athene and the giants, and from the exploits of
Zeus and the deified heroes, the names of illustrious Athenians being
added. The peplos, suspended from the mast of a miniature ship,
was carried in procession to the Parthenon, and presented to the
goddess Athene, upon whose statue it was reverently laid. We may
suppose from the frieze that the festival was inaugurated under the
auspices of several divinities and deified heroes, the priestess of
Athene and the chief archon representing them in person. They
are observed in the bas-reliefs reclining on seats. (See the engrav-
ing, p. 238.) First in the procession came aged men, carrying olive
branches : then came warriors on horseback and in chariots, armed
with lances and bucklers, some wearing only the chlamys or scarf,
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 253
and some, as it would seem from the frieze, even without this
covering : foreigners or sojourners in the city, bearing little boats
indicative of their having come from afar : Athenian matrons, at-
tended by the foreigners' wives carrying water-pots in token of
their dependence : young men crowned with millet, singing hymns in
praise of the goddess, probably assisted by players on the flute and
lyre : and maidens of noble Athenian families, carrying baskets of
offerings, &c., and hence called basket-bearers or Kane-phoroi. They
were attended by the foreigners' daughters bearing umbrellas and
folding-chairs ; and in the rear of the procession came the oxen con-
tributed for the sacrifices by each of the dependencies of Athens. (See
engraving, page 238.) Arrived at the eastern entrance of the Parthe-
non, the peplos was given in by the archon to the priestess of Athene,
oxen were sacrificed, and libations poured out to the goddess, the
herald imploring the divine blessing on the Plataeans and the
Athenians. Feasting, games, and entertainments followed; among
the latter were torch -races, on horse and foot ; gymnastic exercises,
musical contests, recitals of the Homeric poems, and other games
and displays peculiar to the panathensea ; the victors being presented
with a vase( 1 ) filled with oil from the olive on the Acropolis, sacred to
Athene, and with an olive crown. Dances terminated the festival.
Such was the subject which Phidias selected for
treatment on the cella of the Parthenon.
We quote the criticism of Flaxman upon these
bas-reliefs :
They ' are admired by all for simplicity of composition, breadth
of general effect, the elegance and delicacy of the heads and draperies,
and the life and spirit of the horses.' But of the horses of the frieze
he more particularly said, ' They appear to live and move, to roll their
eyes, to gallop, prance, and curvet ; the veins of their faces and legs
seem distended with circulation, in them are distinguished the hard-
ness and decision of bony forms, from the elasticity of tendon and
the softness of flesh. The beholder is charmed with the doer-like
lightness and elegance of their make, and although the relief is not
above an inch from the background, and they are so much smaller
than nature, we can scarcely suffer reason to persuade us that they
are not alive.'
The total length of the frieze was 524 feet, and
the height of its slabs 3 feet 4 inches. We possess
(*) Some of those vases will be found in the Mtu.ejm Vusc Room,
labelled " Panathenaic Vn
254 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
nearly half of the original, and casts of about 80 feet of
other portions. The casts have lately been renewed,
and both frieze and casts have been covered with
glass. The glazing does not prevent the sculptures
from being seen to full advantage, notwithstanding
that at times a few of the surrounding objects are
reflected on the glass ; and we must all feel indebted
to the Trustees for thus carefully protecting these
beautiful works. It may be mentioned that the
Elgin room is in course of extension.
With the Parthenon sculptures are exhibited
several statues and fragments, bas-reliefs, casts, and
miscellaneous objects, chiefly from Athens and other
places in Attica. The more important are : The
remains from the Erechtheum, a temple which stood
with the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens, and,
according to Athenian tradition, on the very spot
where Athene and Poseidon contended for the honour
of naming the city. It was erected towards the close
of the fifth century B.C., and was dedicated jointly to
Athene Polias, and Pandrosos, daughter of Kekrops
the founder of Athens. In the chapel of the latter
was preserved the olive-tree which Athene was said
to have produced in her contest with Poseidon. This
temple is celebrated as the most perfect specimen of
the Ionic order of architecture now remaining in
Greece. Its architect was Philocles of AcharnaB, of
whom nothing further is known. The following
remains are preserved in the Museum : The
Karyatis, or Kanephora, the statue of a draped
female, about seven feet high, bearing a basket on
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES.
her head, this figure, with five other caryatides
so-called in common with all female figures used in
architecture for a similar purpose supported, in place
of columns, the southern portico of the chapel of
Pandrosos ; the Ionic column which stood at the
northern angle of the eastern portico ; pieces of the
frieze, and other architectural remains of this
exquisitely ornamented but singular edifice.
The colossal seated statue of Dionysos, wanting
the head and arms, originally surmounted a monu-
ment on the south side of the Acropolis of Athens,
erected by Thrasyllus to commemorate the victory
gained while he was the choragus or furnisher of the
chorus (B.C. 320), by the men of the Hippothoontic
tribe, in the musical contest which took place at the
celebration of the annual feast of Dionysos. The lap
of this figure probably held a bronze tripod, the usual
prize of the most successful choragus. The bold and
simple arrangement of the drapery is noticeable.
From a monument set up in remembrance of a
similar victory while Lysikrates held the office of
choragus (B.C. 335 334) a monument popularly
known in Athens as the Lantern of Demosthenes,
because the orator was supposed to have used it as a
study were obtained the casts in the Elgin Boom in
which dolphin-headed figures are seen plunging into
water. The story here partially depicted is told by
Apollodorus ; it is to the following effect :
Dionysos desiring to be conveyed from Icaria to Naxos, hired a
ship belonging to some Tyrrhenian pirates ; but the pirates directed
their course towards the coast of Asia, where they intended to sell
him for a slave. Dionysos, aware of their meditated treachery,
250 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
transformed the mast and oars into snakes, and filled the ship with
ivy and the music of pipes ; whilst the pirates, seized with frenzy,
threw themselves into the sea, and were metamorphosed into
dolphins.
Athens once could boast of a whole street of these
choragic monuments; the above are all now remaining.
The life-size statue of an undraped youth, probably
Eros (Cupid), wanting the head, parts of the arms,
and one leg, was found within the Athenian
Acropolis. The draped torso of Asklepios was found
at Epidaurus in the Peloponnesus, where there was
once a famous temple of that god, to which the sick
greatly resorted, and which was filled with votive
tablets, mentioning the diseases which the god had
cured. The small headless statue of a draped female
is probably the muse Polyhymnia, who presided over
lyric poetry, and with whom harmony is reported to
have had its origin; it was obtained from Bo3otian
Thebes.
The series of small slabs in high relief four
marble slabs and a cast from a fifth representing
Athenian warriors combating with enemies, some in
Asiatic, others in Greek costume, originally formed
part of the upper frieze of the TEMPLE OF NIKE
APTEROS (Victory wingless), that stood on the
Acropolis of Athens on the right of the Propylsea,
also represented in the Museum by a few remains.
Of the Ionic order, the temple was about twenty- seven
feet long, eighteen broad, and twenty-three feet high.
It appears to have been erected in commemoration of
victories gained by the Athenians over the armies of
Persia, and over some rival Greek states most
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 257
probably, as suggested by Mr. Hawkins, during the
half century which intervened between the battle of
Marathon, B.C. 490, and the commencement of the
Peloponnesian war, B.C. 432. These remains are fol-
lowed by casts from four of the slabs of the lower
frieze of the same temple. They are larger aud in
better condition than the preceding, and are the finest
VICTORY ADJUSTING HER SANDAL.
(From the lower frieze of the Temple of Nike-aptevos on the Acropolis of Athens.)
examples in the Museum of the mezzo or alto-rilievo
work of Greece in the period of the Parthenon.
Three of the casts represent single figures of Victory ;
in the two others she is leading a bull to sacrifice.
We present a drawing of one in which she stoops to
adjust her sandal.
Prom the THESEION, or temple of Theseus, at
Athens a building erected about twenty years earlier
R
.258 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
than the Parthenon, to commemorate the removal by
Kimon of the bones of Theseus from Scyros to
Athens a few casts of the external frieze have been
obtained. Some illustrate a battle among the giants
who hurl immense stones at one another fought
in the presence of six seated divinities ; and others a
contest between Centaurs and Greeks ; and on the
casts of three metopes the achievements of Theseus
are represented^ 1 ) The has - relief representing
Dionysos in long robes served with wine by a
Bacchante, in the presence of two Sileni, was obtained
from the theatre of the go.d erected on the Athenian
Acropolis. It is believed to be a copy from an archaic
work. The series of small slabs inscribed with dedi-
cations, and sculptured with votive feet, hands, eyes,
&c., were brought from the rock of the PNYX,( S ) at
Athens, where they were originally deposited by the
inhabitants, either as supplicatory offerings for the
(') Sir W. Gell considered the Theseion the most beautiful and
best preserved monument of antiquity, producing, he was of opinion,
notwithstanding its small dimensions of 144- feet by 45, " an incon-
ceivable effect of majesty and grandeur." " Its beauty defies all,"
wrote Wordsworth, " and the loveliness of its colouring is such, that,
from the rich mellow hue which the marble has now assumed, it looks
as if it had been quarried not from the bed of a rocky mountain, but
from the golden light of an Athenian sunset." It was of the Doric
order, and served in part as a model for the Parthenon.
( 2 ) The Pnyx, embracing an area of more than 12,000 square
yards, was the public meeting-place of the Athenians.' The orator
spoke from the bemaj a square block of stone ; the audience sat before
him in an open field. "Visible behind him," wrote Wordsworth,
" at no great distance, was the scene of Athenian glory, the island of
Salamis. Nearer was the Pirasus, with its arsenals lining the shore,
and its fleets floating upon its bosom ; before him was the crowded
city itself. In the city, immediately before him, was the circle of the
Agora, planted with plane-trees, adorned with statues of marble,
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 259
cure of the diseased parts of the body represented
on them, or as offerings of gratitude for the cures
which had been effected.
Some of the ELGIN INSCRIPTIONS ( l ) contain treaties
and decrees ; some relate to donations and to public
games, such as foot-racing, wrestling, boxing ; some to
temples and their treasures, one being an inventory of
the valuable articles deposited in the Parthenon ; and
some relate to the dead. The SIGEAN MARBLE, inscribed
in the most ancient Greek character and in the bous-
trophedon manner, from left to right and from right
to left alternately, is the most celebrated in the
collection, on account of its great antiquity ; it records
the gift to the Sigeans of a vase, stand, and strainer,
for the Prytaneum, by Phanodikos, the son of Her-
mokrates of Prokonnesos.( 2 )
Among the inscriptions relating to the dead is the
epitaph which was put on the tomb of the Athenian
bronze, and gilded, with painted porticoes and stately edifices, monu-
ments of Athenian gratitude and glory ; a little beyond it was the
Areopagus ; and, above all, towering to his right, rose the Acropolis
itself, faced with its Propylsea as a frontleb, and surmounted with the
Parthenon as a crown."
(*) The inscriptions have been withdrawn from exhibition, but
they can be studied on application to the keeper.
( 2 ) This monument was procured by the Earl of Elgin while afc the
Dardanelles, and the author of a memorandum on his lordship's
pursuits in Greece, says that, " Several ambassadors from Christian
powers to the Porte, and even Louis XIV., in the height of his
power, had ineffectually endeavoured to obtain it." The native
Greeks saw the removal of this ancient slab with great regret. Con-
verted into a seat or couch at the door of a Greek chapel at Sigeum,
it had been constantly resorted to by persons afflicted with ague, who
reclined upon it when their malady was slight, but when it was
severe, were rolled upon the stone a practice by which more than
half the writing had been obliterated.
260 .4 HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
warriors killed at the battle of Potidsea, B.C. 432,
described by Thucydides. ( l ) Another inscription of
this class is in memory of Tryphera, a woman of
extraordinary beauty, " Cilicia's daughter, once the
pride of brave Eutychides, her sire," who died young.
Among the MISCELLANEOUS OBJECTS are remains from
the Ionic temple of Aphrodite at Daphne, from the
temple of Demeter, at Eleusis, and from the treasury of
Atreus at Mycenae : votive memorials : altars : cinerary
urns : vases : casts of two chairs from the Temple of
Dionysos, at Athens (one assigned to the priest of
Dionysos Eleuthereus, the other the official seat of one
of the ten Athenian Strategi, or generals at the dramatic
representations) : a sun-dial constructed by Phsedrus, a
Pseanian : bassi-rilievi : fragments of statues, &c. all
particularly interesting to the student of Greek history.
The large bronze urn, with the marble vase in which
it is enclosed, was discovered in a tumulus on the road
which leads from the Pira3us to the Salaminian ferry,
and to Eleusis, Inside the urn were found the
calcined remains of bones, an alabaster lachrymatory,
or tear-bottle, and a sprig of myrtle in gold.
( T ) It is to the following effect :
Their souls high heaven received, their bodies gained
In Potidsea's plains this hallowed tomb ;
Their foes unnumbered fell : a few remained.
Saved by their ramparts from the general doom.
The victor city mourns her heroes slain ;
Foremost in fight, they for her glory died ;
'Tis yours, ye sons of Athens, to sustain,
By martial deeds like theirs, your country's pride.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 261
THE PHIGALIAN BAS-RELIEFS.
B.C. 430.
In order to inspect these remains, which are ofL
later date than those of the Parthenon, it is necessary
to return to the Hellenic room. Ictimis, the architect
of the Parthenon, was also the architect of the temple
erected near Phigalia, in Arcadia, B.C. 430, by the
FRIEZE OF THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO.
(Scene ia the combat of the Centaurs and Lapithse.)
Phigalians, in gratitude for their deliverance from the
plague, to the honour of Apollo Epicurius (the helper
or deliverer). The edifice, surrounded by thirty-eight
columns, was about half the size of the Parthenon ;
and the interior chapel, or cella, contained a statue of
the god in bronze, twelve feet high. The ci Phigalian
marbles " consist of nearly the whole of the frieze of
the inside of this cella, with a few fragments of the
building and its decorations in addition. The names
of the sculptors of these works are unknown ; but it
262 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITI&H MUSEUM.
has been conjectured that as Ictinus and Phidias were
colleagues in other works, the latter may have fur-
nished the designs, if not superintended the execution
of these. The twenty-three slabs forming the frieze
measure together 96 feet, and are 2 feet l inches in
height. They are sculptured in high relief, with
scenes from two legends popular among the Greeks
the combat between the Centaurs and Lapithge, and
the battle of the Greeks and Amazons. The former
subject, already noticed in the account of the Par-
thenon metopes, is more amply illustrated on these
slabs. Children are held in the arms of some of the
women ; in slab 4, the invulnerable Cseneus is being
crushed to death with a huge stone by two of the
Centaurs ; in No. 7, Hippodamia is borne away by
Eurytion, and Pirithous, hastening to her assistance,
is clutched by a Centaur. No. 10 has been considered
to represent Theseus revenging the insult offered to
Hippodamia ; and 11, Apollo and Artemis in a chariot
drawn by a couple of stags.
In the other section of the frieze Amazons
and Greeks are depicted in deadly strife. Some of
the former are on horseback ; each party uses the
sword and shield; many on both sides lie wounded
on the ground. Amazons are seized by the hair
and despatched by the Greeks, while other women
furiously assail their antagonists, some of whom
are wounded. In 16, an Amazon has encountered
three Greeks one to whom she has given a
death-blow is supported by a comrade, with the
third she is engaged in a desperate struggle. In
CLA HMCA L A NTIQ UITIKX. 203
1 8, Theseus attacks with his club a mounted Amazon,
whose horse has trodden a Greek under foot ; one of
her companions rushes up to ward off the blow, while
close by a Greek lifts a dying Amazon from her
fallen horse. In 21, a Greek has struck down an
Amazon, his foot is on her, and he is in the act of
plunging his sword into her breast, disregarding her
cry for mercy ; but another woman apparently unno-
ticed by the Greek hastening up, is in time to avert the
thrust. The composition in both this and the former
legend seems little short of absolute perfection ; the
execution is unequal, and not without some obvious
deficiencies. The frieze was wrought in rather dark
and coarse marble. Flaxman regarded these tablets
as " the finest works of the kind which have been
handed down to us ;" but it is possible that opinion
might have been modified if he had had the oppor-
tunity of comparing them with the recently discovered
frieze from the tomb of Mausolus, which was also
wrought in high relief^ 1 )
We have now to inspect the specimens of Greek
sculpture from Asia Minor ; in so doing we shall meet
with relics of the art of some other nations.
(*) " The qualities most deserving the attention of students in this
fine work, admitting the deficiencies in form, are richness in the
masses, great beauty in the flow of lines in the different groups of
figures, and energy without exaggeration in the action and business
of the scene represented. Some of the episodes or incidents are
exhibited with the most affecting truth and pathos." Westmacott.
264 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
THE LYCIAN EEMAINS.
(ASIA MINOR). THE XANTHIAN MONUMENT, ETC.
The small maritime province of Lycia lay to the
south-west of Asia Minor, and was inhabited by a
people, according to ancient testimony, brave, intel-
ligent, and just. They traced their descent to several
sources : the Solymi and Tremilse, aboriginal tribes ;
a Cretan colony brought over by Sarpedon ; and a
settlement of Greeks under Lycus, an Athenian, who
gave his name to the country. When the Persian
invasion of Asia Minor took place under Cyrus, Har-
pagus, one of his generals, having conquered Ionia,
marched against the Lycians B.C. 547. He led
his overwhelming host against Xanthus, the Lycian
capital, situated about six miles from the coast, by
a river of the same name. The Lycians bravely but
vainly endeavoured to check his approach. Being
defeated,, and pursued to their city, they gathered
together their wives and children, and all things
that might have been prized by the enemy, and
consumed them all by setting fire to the fortress.
Then, with one accord, vowing themselves to death,
they rushed into the enemy's ranks, and so were
slain. " Of those/ 5 says Herodotus, "who now in-
habit Lycia, calling themselves Xanthians, the whole
are foreigners, eighty families excepted ; these sur-
vived the calamity of their country, being at that
time absent on some foreign expedition/' Thus
Lycia became part of the Persian empire (B.C. 547),
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 265
comprised in one of the satrapies ; but its internal
constitution was not interfered with. nothing more
being demanded of the subject people than to pay
tribute and furnish a contingent to the Persian
army. After the lapse of two centuries, it passed,
with the rest of Asia Minor, under the dominion
of Alexander, and was governed after his death by
the Ptolemies and the Seleucidse, under whose rule
it enjoyed great prosperity. The Romans were next
the masters of Lycia, and, in B.C. 40, Brutus and
Cassius, suspecting the Lycians of favouring their
opponents' side during their brief struggle with
Antony, again destroyed the capital. From this time
the Lycians as an independent nation are heard of
no more. Their language, however, must have been
still surviving when St. Paul wrote of the men who
lifted up their voice in the " speech of Lycaonia."
The Lycian province was almost a terra incognita
to European travellers until it was explored by Sir
Charles Fellows, who has drawn the observation of
travellers to the country. In the course of his
researches, Sir Charles discovered no less than thir-
teen of the ancient Lycian cities, all enriched with
characteristic and interesting works of art. Xanthus,
the capital, was, as we should expect, the most im-
portant and remarkable of these cities. It is thus
described by Sir C. Fellows :
" The ruins are wholly of temples, tombs, triumphal arches, walls,
and a theatre. The site is extremely romantic upon beautiful hills,
some crowned with rocks, others rising perpendicularly from the
river, which is seen winding its way down from the woody uplands,
while beyond, in the extreme distance, are the snowy mountains in
266 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
which it rises. On the west, the view is bounded by the picturesquely-
formed but bare range of Mount Cragus, and on the east by the
mountain-chain extending to Patara. A rich plain, with its mean-
dering river, carries the eye to the horizon of the sea towards the
south-west."
The city seems to have been small, but filled with
architectural monuments. Its rock-tombs, some wholly
cut into the rock, some formed by cutting the rock
away, stood out like works of sculpture ; in its walls
massive Cyclopean masonry alternated with the Greek
and with smaller and perfectly cut stone- work. Here
and there paved roads lead to the gateways.
The antiquities which Sir C. Fellows was enabled,
with the assistance rendered by our government, to
bring away from Xanthus and other parts of Lycia,
have been placed in the " Lycian Saloon."
The loftiness of some of these monuments, and
their peculiar structure, first arrest the visitor's
attention. From - the general style of architecture,
and from the choice of the legendary subjects repre-
sented on them, it appears probable that they were
in general the work of native artists of Lycia, rather
than of the Ionic Greeks who had settled amon^ them.
o
The most ancient remains (date about or before
B.C. 500) are the bas-reliefs which have been brought
from the " Harpy tomb/' so called from the woman-
headed birds sculptured on the frieze. They origi-
nally decorated as will be seen by the model adjoining
the four sides of a rectangular solid shaft, about
seventeen feet high and eighty tons in weight, which
was surmounted by a small chamber seven feet square,
and cut out of one stone weighing from fifteen to
CL. \ SSICA L A NTIQ U I TIES. 287
twenty tons, of which the door is visible on the west
side of the monument. This little chamber seems to
have been the asylum of some monk in the early days
of Christianity, for there are traces on its walls of
devotional paintings and monograms, such as an
anchorite would choose for the decoration of his cell.
It will be perceived from the work that the tomb
is unfinished. On the bas-reliefs of the north and
south sides, the Harpies are represented bearing away
the daughters of Pandarus, one of the early Lycian
kings, to the abode of the Furies. The legend
relates that Pandarus, having incurred the anger of
Jupiter by being accessory to the theft of Tantalus,
his daughters were protected and nurtured by Venus,
but during her absence were seized and carried away
to share their father's fate. The long-bearded vener-
able man sitting on a throne (slab c), appears to be
Pluto, his dog Cerberus watching at his feet ; he is in
the act of committing the helmet of invisibility to
the hands of a youthful warrior, who is perhaps
charged with some mission affecting Pandarus and his
family. The slab b most probably represents Juno
and Venus, seated, the latter attended by the Graces.
The subjects of the two slabs a and d offerings of
birds to the enthroned deity have been variously
explained. These, as well as the two others, are in
all probability connected with the story of Pandarus,
for one of the scions of whose house the tomb may
not improbably have been designed. The composition
of these sculptures recalls the drawings on some of the
tablets in the Egyptian galleries ; while in the absence
26.8 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
of rigid formalism the figures remind us of the
characteristics of Etruscan and early Greek art.
The tomb of Paiafa, a Persian satrap of Lycia
(No. 142), an engraving of which is prefixed to this
notice, although of later date, is a more com-
pletely characteristic example of native architecture.
It is the work of several Lycian sculptors, one of
whom, Itimse, has left his name upon the roof, the
part which he constructed. The pointed arch of the
roof is surmounted by what is termed the "hog's
mane," a ridge, the crest of which was once sculptured
with the ears and horns of the ox, and on the sides of
which scenes from the hunt of the stag and the wild
boar are carved, together with a Lycian inscription.
On each side of the roof is an armed and gigantic
figure, it may be of Glaucus or Sarpedon, in a four-
horsed chariot, with a charioteer, who seems to urge
on the horses. The head and paws of a lion project
from each side, and serve as waterspouts. In the
western gable is a small door, through which the body
was introduced into the tomb. The sides of the
lower part of the tomb are sculptured with bas-reliefs
and inscriptions. On two sides they represent a fierce
combat, in which one, the only figure without a helmet,
an athlete or hero, is crowned by an aged long-haired
Lycian ; on the others, a scene of trial or judgment
is apparently being enacted ; the old man and some
young warriors stand before the arbiter (probably
Paiafa), who sits with the mantle thrown over his
head, and behind whom stands a draped figure. One of
the inscriptions records that the tomb is that of Paiafa.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 269
This memorial, the form of which is peculiar to Lycia,
Sir C. Fellows discovered on " the side of a hill rich
with wild shrubs ; the distant mountains, of the silvery
grey peculiar to marble rocks, forming the back-
ground." In the lowest portion, iheplatas, standing
on a plinth, the remains of the relatives of the chief
were deposited; above, in the sows, the principal
sepulchre, were the remains of Paiafa ; the small
pointed-arch chamber above was also used as a recep-
tacle for the dead. At the present day the tombs
similar in construction to this which remain in the
country are used by the peasantry as granaries. The
ends, as of beams, projecting from the sides of the
tomb, and the panelled recesses, remind us of the
wooden architecture of the Swiss.
No. 143 is the roof of a similar tomb, that of
one Mere we. The principal subject of the bas-reliefs
here is commemorative of a native Lycian tradition
the destruction by Bellerophon, at the command of
lobates, the king, of the Chimsera, the monster, com-
posed of lion, goat, and dragon, which was said to
have infested Lycia. A particularly fine represen-
tation of the chimsera will be found among the ancient
terra-cottas in the Museum ; and there are some very
good drawings of this subject on the " Etruscan
vases." On No. 31, a stone chest, from the top of a
stele or columnar tomb, is a vigorous sculpture of a lion
and cubs. The cast of a portion of the " Inscribed
Obelisk " (141#), is covered with characters, among
which the early Greek are conspicuous. Most of the
inscription is in the language of the Tremilse, which
270 A HANDY- BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
has been ascertained, by the researches of Mr. Sharpe,
Professor Lassen, and others, to belong to the Indo-
European family. It resembles most nearly the
Zend, or ancient Persian, but it has a sprinkling of
words of Semitic origin, for which the proximity of
Semitic races will account. The inscription records a
decree of the king of Persia, who is styled the " great
king of kings ; " it refers to the ancient inhabitants
of Lycia, the Tremilse, and the Trooes, whose capital
was Tlos, and to several cities ; and mentions the son
of Harpagus, the Persian general who subdued Lycia.
His exploits are also adverted to in a Greek inscription
on the north' side, recording that the monument was
set up in his honour in the agora, or market-place, of
the twelve gods.
Among the miscellaneous objects in the saloon are
some bas-reliefs in the hard dark-grey stone of the
country. Nos. 2 8 consist of an archaic frieze of
animals and satyrs ; Nos. 9 16 represent a fight
of cocks, with hens looking on; Nos. 17 21 repre-
sent a religious procession, in which old men, with
youthful charioteers, occupy chariots after the As-
syrian build; priests and priestesses hold wands and
torches, and one of the women is armed. There are
also several casts of Lycian sculptures that could not
be conveniently removed from the country. They
are from Pinara, Cadyanda, Tlos, and Myra. The
ruins of Pinara were discovered about a mile above
the village of Minara, which is beautifully situated
on the acclivity of a hill of almost bare rock. Prom
amidst the ancient city, says the discoverer, rises a
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 271
singular round rocky cliff, literally speckled all over
with tombs, of which there must be some thousands,
most of them merely oblong holes cut in the perpen-
dicular front of the rock, which is apparently inac-
cessible ; beneath this cliff lay the principal part of
the city. Two other places, at different elevations,
were also found, covered with massive buildings ; and
on each side of these, tombs were scattered for a
considerable distance, many with gable roofs, and
some surrounded by columns ; the most perfect and
highly interesting were those below the city, cut in
the rocks. The casts, Nos. 148 and 149, represent
the bas-reliefs on the portico of one of these tombs.
They are views of the ancient hill-side city, com-
prising buildings, embattled towers, tombs, and what
was probably the palace, with sentinels on guard at
its gates. In some respects these bas-reliefs resemble
the Assyrian. Nos. 150 152 are bas-reliefs from
Cadyanda ; the last depicts an entertainment, at
which the principal persons recline on couches ; chil-
dren sit by them, and dogs are beneath two of the
couches. Bi -lingual inscriptions, in Greek and
Lycian, accompany several of the figures in these bas-
reliefs. The name of one of the children and of one
of the men is familiar Hekatomnus. A satrap of
this name was the father of Mausolus, and of the
prince Pixodarus, who succeeded Mausolus as ruler of
Caria; and a Greek and Lycian inscription in whose
honour, from Xanthus, will be found in the saloon
(159). It is pretty evident from the appearance of
the niu no Hekatomnus among the Lycian antiquities,
272 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
that there must at this time have been some con-
nection between the native nobility of the neigh-
bouring provinces of Lycia and Caria. Prom Tlos,
the city of the Trooes, has been obtained an archaic
delineation of the fight between Bellerophon, mounted
on Pegasus, and the Chimsera (158). The casts
procured from a rock-tomb at Myra (166), the burial-
place of St. Nicholas, the popular saint of the Greek
Church, have been coloured to represent the present
condition of ttye originals. The scenes, one of which
is apparently a Bacchic festival, are curious, and
cannot be well understood without more knowledge
of the legends and customs of Lycia than we yet
possess. One singular custom has been recorded,
that of taking the family name from the mother
instead of from the father. The other inscriptions,
mostly bi-lingual, relate chiefly to the construction
or purchase of tombs. No. 165 contains part of a
decree given from the city of Xanthus, in the ninth
year of Ptolemy Philadelphus ; No. 153 bears the
famous name of "Hector;" No. 156* threatens a
fine upon any one who shall violate the monument
on which it was inscribed.
A few other miscellaneous objects may be pointed
out. No. 173 is a square monument found in a
Roman bath : on one side are Plutus and Tyche,
or Portune ; and on the other is a Persian shooting
arrows into a cave, in which are an ox, a stork, dog,
boar, lizard, grasshopper, and fox. We have also
portions of sarcophagi; heads of lions resembling
those on the cornice of the mausoleum ; and, in the
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 273
glass case of fragments, the torso of a statuette of
Venus, the head of a warrior, and the head of a
satyr. Nos. 28 30, from Xanthus, are admirable
specimens of female figures of the architectural or
caryatid class; they wear the diploid and talaric
tunics ; and there is much simplicity and purity in
the close flat treatment of the drapery.
We now come to the examination of the remains
of the principal monument from Lycia (32 -140),
of which a restored model, with a ground-plan of the
ruins as they were found in situ, and a picture of the
scene of the discovery has been placed in the Lycian
room. In 1838 Sir C. Fellows discovered to the east
of the city of Xanthus, upon a prominent rock about
half a mile from the Acropolis, the foundation of a
building which was formed of massive blocks of
scaglia, the stone of the country, each weighing from
six to ten tons, and measured thirty -three feet long
and twenty-two wide ; and in subsequent researches
the ruins of the whole monument erected on this found-
ation were brought to light. The history of this build-
ing is not certainly determined, but it is believed by
some archaeologists to commemorate the subjugation
of the Lycians by Harpagus, B.C. 545, and at the same
time to have served as a tomb for the heroes of Harpa-
gus. In that case its erection would probably not be
later than 500 B.C. But monuments of this descrip-
tion are often raised to the memory of a conqueror
by the admiration of a succeeding generation ; and
some judges fix the date of this memorial at between
500 and 400 B.C. Others consider that the scenes on
s
274 .1 HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the bas-reliefs do not relate to Harpagus at all, but
to the suppression of the revolt of the Cilicians
against the Persians, B.C. 387 ; all that is certain is,
that some Persian victory is commemorated. This
monument, unlike the Lycian remains we have
hitherto examined, appears to be of purely Greek
workmanship. It was built, excepting the foundation,
of the finest Parian marble ; the massive oblong base-
ment, 28 feet by 20, raised by two steps to a height
of 12 feet 9 inches, was ornamented with narrow bas-
reliefs running along the centre and near the top, and
with a cornice above ; resting on this base was the
cella, 15 feet by 9, decorated on the outside with a
strip of frieze ; surrounding this was a peristyle of
fourteen Ionic columns, 1 feet 5 inches high, crowned
by a frieze rising to a pediment in the centre of each
side of about 3 feet high. Statues and other sculp-
tures stood between the columns, and groups of sculp-
ture on the apex and at the corners of the building.
On the broad frieze at the base of the monument
(34 49), the Xanthians on the one side, and the
Persians and their Ionian and Carian mercenaries on
the other, are depicted in fierce combat. The former
are distinguished by their beards, their loose robes
and cap (cidaris), bow-cases, and peculiar arms ; the
latter by their helmets, cuirasses, greaves, and Argolic
shields. The slabs 50 68, of the narrow frieze, re-
present what is generally believed to be the attack
by Harpagus on the acropolis of Xanthus. His
soldiers assail the principal gate of the city, and scale
the walls, and a severe engagement ensues. Then we
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 275
see Lycians looking over the battlements ; and outside
the walls, the Persian satrap, seated in a chair, and
waited on by an embassy of anxious old men from
the besieged ; an umbrella, the emblem of royalty,
is held over the ruler's head, as in the Assyrian
pictures. Then a sally is made from the city ; the
Xanthian women are collected on the walls in atti-
tudes of despair ; and the men are defeated. The
city is captured, and the event is celebrated by the
feast represented in the narrow frieze of the cella.
The victors recline upon couches ; female singers
and musicians are present. Then follows a sacrifice
to the gods (95 105). On the narrow frieze which
encircled the exterior of the building (110 123),
presents of horses, robes, &c., are made to the satrap ;
the bear and the wild boar are hunted ; and either
a combat or a trial of skill takes place between
horse and foot soldiers. The sea-nymphs, or Nereids,
which stood between the columns, now form an
avenue in the Lycian saloon (75 84). From the
marine emblems at their feet, the crab, the dolphin,
the halcyon, &c., they have been supposed to typify
the cities of Ionia and ^Bolia, from which came the
Greeks who reinforced the army of Harpagus. All
are in motion, some in rapid motion. This effect,
so difficult to produce, is most skilfully rendered in
the figure of the Nereid with the bird on the wing
at her feet (81), which is also remarkable for
extreme delicacy and lightness in the treatment of the
drapery. The robe clings closely to part of the
figure, as if the Nereid had dipped in the water over
276 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
which she hastens, and the graceful symmetry of the
form is clearly indicated. Nos. 75 and 83 are also
noticeable for the beautiful arrangement of the
draperies. ( l ) Though all remarkable for their great
excellence, these figures are evidently the production
of different hands. It is much to be regretted that
all are headless. The statue of the youth (133) bear-
ing away a child, with the sculpture 144, composed, it
is thought, one of the groups placed at the apex of
the pediments. The two crouching lions (139, 140)
were found at the base of the monument, and appear
to have occupied spaces between the pillars. Lions
were so placed, it is believed, on the mausoleum, and
these Xanthian lions were evidently intended to be
seen from below. The execution of the animals
is somewhat meagre and formal. The fore parts
are broad, the bodies attenuated. In attitude and
in the treatment of the head and mane, these lions
resemble some of the ancient representations of the
chimsera, particularly the one in terra- cotta already
referred to.
(*) " Concerning the finer and more transparent draperies used by
the ancients, their texture, and consequently their folds, strongly
resembled our calico muslin, and are peculiar to the more elegant and
delicate female characters of Grecian sculpture to the marine
nymphs, celestial female messengers, &c. The more transparent of
these draperies leave the forms and outline of the person as perfectly
intelligible as if no covering were interposed between the eye and the
object ; and the existence of the veil is only understood by groups of
small folds collected in the hollows between the body and limbs, or
playing in curves and undulations on the bolder parts, adding the
magic of diversity to the charm of beauty." Flaxman.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 277
THE CAEIAN REMAINS.
(ASIA MINOR.) THE TOMB OF MAUSOLUS.
B.C. 352.
Caria, the province adjoining Lycia, was governed,
about 387 years before Christ, by Hekatomnus, whose
portrait as a child may have been already seen in the
plaster casts of the Lycian saloon. This satrap governed
well in the interests of his masters, the Persians. On
his death he was succeeded by Mausolus, the eldest
of his three sons, who was tall and handsome, and
formidable in war. Agreeably to a custom which
prevailed among the Carians, he married his sister,
Artemisia. Ambitious and energetic, he extended
his power, although he did not succeed in his attempt
of rendering himself independent of the Persians. In
the year 353 B.C. he died, leaving to his wife,
Artemisia, the government of a considerable king-
dom, scarcely more than nominally subject to Persia.
Artemisia soon rendered herself famous by her apti-
tude in conducting public affairs, and her skill in
warfare. The high affection and esteem in which she
held the memory of Mausolus made her desirous of
carrying on his cherished enterprises, and of sustain-
ing his fame. She also sought to perpetuate the
memory which she revered by erecting a magnificent
tomb in honour of her husband. For the work, which
was begun in the year 352 B.C., she selected the most
eminent architects, sculptors, and decorators. The
architects were Satyrus and Pytheus (or Pythios) ;
278 -4 HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the sculptors, who belonged to the Athenian school,
Skopas, Leochares, Bryaxis, Timotheus, and also
Pythios. The foundation of the mausoleum a paral-
lelogram, 469 feet in circumference was laid in the
broadest street of Halicarnassus on a kind of platform,
midway between the harbour and the hills. On this
base was erected an oblong Ionic edifice in Parian
marble. It contained a small strong chamber in the
basement for the remains of Mausolus ; a podium
upwards of fifty feet high serving as a temple ; a
pteron, or colonnade, consisting of thirty-six graceful
Ionic columns, each thirty- seven feet and a half high ;
a pyramid of twenty-four steps, and a pedestal with a
base 108 feet long and eighty-six wide, resting upon
these columns ; and, over all, a colossal chariot-group
representing the apotheosis of Mausolus. At the
corners and level with the ground colossal figures
were stationed. Between the columns above gods and
heroes reclined, while at intervals there were friezes
exhibiting chariot races and exciting combats between
Greeks and Amazons. All the sculptured portions
were coloured. The height of the structure, accord-
ing to Pliny, was 140 feet. A wall, 1,340 feet in
circuit, enclosed the tomb.
The mausoleum was regarded as a miracle of art,
and it still continued to excite surprise and admiration
up to the twelfth century of our era. At last, after
exhibiting its grandeur for so many centuries, it
was overthrown, probably by an earthquake. At the
beginning of the fifteenth century, some of the
Knights of St. John made free with the smaller
MARBLES FEOM HALICARNASSUS, CNIDUS, AND CYRENE.
THE APOLLO CITHAECEDUS, THE DE METER,
From Cyrene. From Cnidus.
SLAB OF FEIEZE OF THE MAUSOLEUM.
(Halicarnassus. )
Of TOM
u: rr
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 279
fragments for the purpose of building a fortress on
the peninsula which divided the two harbours of
Halicarnassus (Budrum). For more than a century
they continued to draw upon the ruins for materials,
and Gruichard gives an interesting account of these
utilisations of the remains of the mausoleum. In
1522, when Sultan Solyman was preparing to attack
B/hodes, the Grand Master sent some knights to
repair the castle.
" After four or five days," reports Guichard, these knights-
builders, " having laid bare a great space one afternoon, saw an
opening as into a cellar. Taking a candle, they let themselves down
through this opening, and found that it led into a fine large square
apartment, ornamented all round with columns of marble, with their
bases, capitals, architrave, frieze, and cornices, engraved and sculp-
tured in half-relief. The space between the columns was lined with
slabs and bands of marbles of different colours, ornamented with
mouldings and sculptures, in harmony with the rest of the work, and
inserted in the white ground of the wall, where battle-scenes were
represented sculptured in relief. Having at first admired these
works, and entertained their fancy with the singularity of the
sculpture, they pulled it to pieces, and broke up ihe whole of it, ap-
plying it to the same ^purpose as the rest. Besides this apartment,
they found afterwards a very low door which led into another apart-
ment serving as an antechamber, where was a sepulchre with its vase
and helmet of white marble, very beautiful, and of marvellous lustre.
This sepulchre, for want of time, they did not open, the retreat
having already sounded. The day after, when they returned, they
found the tomb opened, and the earth all round strewn with frag-
ments of cloth of gold and spangles of the same metal, which made
them suppose that the pirates who hovered along this coast, having
some inkling of what had been discovered, had visited the place
during the night, and removed the lid of the sepulchre."
The sculptured slabs built into the walls of the
castle were admired by some few travellers of artistic
tastes ; but they were allowed to remain where the
Knights had placed them till 1846, when Lord
Stratford de Eedcliffe, then British ambassador at
280 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Constantinople, had them removed from the castle
walls under the powers of a firman granted on the
part of the Sultan of Turkey. They were sent to
England and presented to the Museum. The slabs
were thirteen in number.
Mr. C. T. Newton, now the keeper of the Greek
and Eoman antiquities in the Museum, took much
interest in these relics of ancient art on their arrival,
and wrote a memoir in which he pointed out the site
of the mausoleum. In 1855 he visited Budrum, and
the suggestions he made on returning as to the im-
portance of further researches were at once adopted by
Government, and Mr. Newton was placed at the head
of an expedition to Asia Minor. He was accom-
panied by Lieutenant E. M. Smith, E.E., and a party
of four sappers. The Gorgon, one of H.M. steam
corvettes, under the command of Captain Towsey,
with a crew of 150 men, was placed at his disposal.
The corvette arrived at Budrum in the beginning
of November, 1856, and Mr. Newton immediately
commenced his researches and excavations. He
wanted for nothing that the Admiralty and the War
and Foreign Departments could supply, and he had
much to be thankful for on the part of the inhabitants
and native authorities. In addition to British sailors
from the Gorgon, he engaged a number of Greek and
Turkish workmen. On the field of Mehemet Chiaoux,
where ground was first broken, the foundation walls
of a temple were discovered, enclosing votive offer-
ings in the form of terra-cotta figures. The true site
of the mausoleum was found where Mr. Newton had
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 281
conjecturally placed it in his memoir of 1847, and
where Vitruvius had also indicated its position. This
was in the centre of the town of Budrum, just above
the Konak of Salik Bey. After tracing out the plan
of the mausoleum Mr. Newton at once proceeded to
buy up and pull down everything that stood in his
way, and he was thus enabled to explore nearly all
the site. In the course of his excavations he made
important discoveries, and the interesting relics he
obtained were sent to England, and deposited in a
shed under the colonnade of the British Museum.
On a re-arrangement of the Parthenon sculptures, at
the end of 1868 and beginning of 1869, they were
transferred to the Museum, and placed in what is
now called the " Mausoleum Boom."
The remains to be inspected are thus classed and
arranged : Statues, parts of horses, &c., of the
chariot-group that surmounted the pyramidal roof,
placed on the west side of the room ; the lions, most
likely from the intercolumniations of the pteron,
and a torso of one of the equestrian statues that
probably stood at one of the corners of the base of
the edifice, mounted on the east side of the room,
heads of statues, &c., occupying the intervening
spaces ; slabs of the friezes which relieved the flat
surfaces of the tomb, placed by the west wall.
Portions of statues and specimens of the architectural
ornaments will also be found in the room.
Of the crowning decoration, the crest of the
mausoleum, the handiwork of Pythios, as Pliny says,
the most important relic is the statue of Mausolus
A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE KR1TIXH
himself. The Carian ruler stands gracefully erect,
resting on his right leg, the left being slightly bent ;
MAUSOLUS, AFTER THE STATUE FROM HIS TOMB.
lie is habited in a long closely-fitting garment, with a
mantle thrown partly over it and wrapped round his
waist. The height of the figure, which is made up
of sixty- five pieces, is 9 feet 9^ inches ; the arms, left
< 'LA tfSWA L A NTfQ UlTIEX. 283
foot, back of the head, and a portion of the hanging
hair are wanting; the nose is slightly restored.
What we admire most in this specimen of the work
of Pythios is the drapery; the broad, simple, and
easy folds, covering the body but disclosing its manly-
proportions, were undeniably wrought by the hand of
a master.
The companion figure, female, is what some
have pronounced to be Artemisia, but the exca-
vator supposes it to have been a goddess standing
by the side of Mausolus in the quadriga, and acting
as his charioteer. In this, as in the other figure, the
drapery, gracefully disposed, is the principal feature.
The loss of the face in a composition so grand is much
to be deplored. The upper portion of the head
remains, with the hair in front in three rows of small
flat curls. The naked right foot is sculptured to the
life. It has been supposed that the large female head,
with rows of curls similar to those of the preceding
figure, portrays Artemisia herself. In execution it is
quite equal to the head of Mausolus, and the marble
is purer white. The other female head of similar
proportions, much burnt in the face, was found built
into a chimney of one of the houses erected on the
site of the tomb. Of the four horses which drew
Mausolus in his chariot to the region of the gods, we
have two large portions and several fragments, which
are remarkable specimens of colossal sculpture. In
estimating the merits of these massive works it must
be remembered that they were intended to be seen at
a height of about 140 feet from the ground, or about
284 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
twice that of the entablature of the colonnade of the
British Museum.
Of the chariot there are pieces of one of the
wheels, yielding a diameter seven feet seven inches^ 1 )
Of the architectural supports of the chariot -group
there are several fragments bases, drums, and capitals
of columns, of which there were originally thirty-six ;
pieces of the architrave and cornice, slabs of the
friezes, and several steps from the pyramid. Boldly
sculptured in fine white marble, the capitals are still
objects to be admired ; and the cornice, decorated
with carefully-finished heads of lions, on a floral
ornament, ranks with the best architectural work of
the monument.
The spaces between the columns were no doubt
occupied by statues, as in the case of the Xanthian
tomb. Of these the figures to which belonged the
draped torsoes, the heroic head, the head of a bearded
warrior, heads of Amazons, the lower portion of a
seated figure, and other large fragments, may have
formed a part. In some of these spaces the lions
probably stood. One panther and several lions are
nearly entire. The face of one of these animals
attracts attention by its masterly style, and for this
chef-d' ceuvre Mr. Newton gave only a dollar.
Of the three sculptured borders or friezes with
which the mausoleum was decorated, the frieze of the
Order was by far the most interesting. The remains
are somewhat extensive, comprising in all seventeen
( a ) One of the wheels has lately been restored, in order to give an
idea of the appearance of the original chariot- group.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 285
slabs, twelve being removed from the Castle of St.
Peter, at Budrum, in 1846 ; four discovered by
Mr. Newton, in 1857 ; and one, formerly in the Villa
di Negri at Grenoa, purchased in 1866 from the
Marchese Serra. As the tradition existed that the~
Amazons women of Scythian origin had founded an
extensive empire in Asia Minor, it was natural to
find their wars illustrated on a great monument in
one of that country's provinces ; and, besides, this
subject was a favourite with Athenian sculptors for
subordinate architectural decoration. In the sculp-
tured battle-scene the contest rages with great fury.
The Amazons, represented as slightly clad, appear to
be in extremity. Many lie dead and wounded, and
some, thrown from their fiery horses, are being slain
by Greeks. But the female warriors also deal
slashing blows with their two-edged battle-axes, and
make effective use of bow and arrow. Their shields
are smaller than those of the Greeks, who, nude but
helmeted, fight with their swords.
The action may in some instances appear over-
strained, but it should be borne in mind that the frieze
was placed high up, and that, therefore, what appears
extravagant movement viewed on a level with the eye,
would seem but spirited action viewed at a distance.
The sculptured surfaces of many of the slabs have
suffered considerably, but there is one that, though
the figures on it have lost a few limbs, preserves in a
remarkable manner the original freshness and delicacy
of the work. It is that which represents an Amazon
rushing upon a male foe who has fallen on one knee
2S6 A 1IAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
on the ground, and an Amazon, with her back turned
towards the spectator, in the act of striking with a
battle-axe a nude stalwart Greek, who is about to run
his sword through the body of another Amazon on
her knees, whom he clutches by the hair with his left
hand. And this slab will help us to judge of the
general appearance of the sculptures when Skopas
and his collaborate UTS had finished their task. It is
engraved at page 278. The figure of the nude Greek
is certainly as fine as that of the bronze Meleager,
recently acquired by the Museum. The Amazon
with her back turned to the spectator is also remark-
able as an exquisite specimen of ancient Greek relief.
About half a dozen more groups in the composition
are well preserved, but the others have been greatly
disfigured. The fragments of the slabs representing
chariot races, women or girls acting as the charioteers,
also deserve mention. The slender forms of the
drivers seem whirled through the air, and a deep
eagerness for the success of the race is marked on
the countenance of one of the competitors.
The base of the mausoleum, we infer, was
decorated at the four corners with colossal groups of
sculpture. As these objects were likely to be the
first removed or destroyed in the dark ages, it was not
to be expected that many of them would remain to
our day. The torso of a rearing horse, with part of
a Persian warrior on his back, could scarcely have
belonged to the chariot group at the top of the tomb,
or have occupied a place between the columns of the
pier on, and the probability is that it stood at one of
('LA ,SV>7C 'AL A A r THj 67 77 AYv 287
the corners of the monument. Without doubt it is
the most massive piece of sculpture from the tomb in
our possession. Mr. Newton says it may be con-
sidered one of the finest examples of ancient sculpture
which have survived the wreck of time.
Professor Westmacott says : " The remains of
the sculpture of the mausoleum may certainly be con-
sidered among the most valuable works of art that
have 'been recovered from ancient times. They not
only illustrate a very celebrated period and school,
but are undoubted examples of the performances of
individual sculptors whose names have been handed
down to us by the w T riters of antiquity." ( l )
DISCOVERIES IN THE TEMPLE AT CNIDUS.
At Cnidus, another of the cities of Caria, where
there was a deep fissure in the earth, the Greeks
erected a temple in honour of Hades and Persephone
and the other infernal deities, with whose worship
that of Demeter, the mother of Persephone, was
associated. The temple may have been dedicated
about B.C. 350. Besides the ordinary purposes to
which it was devoted, the women of Cnidus made it
a depository for imprecations on persons who were
(') In the course of 1865 the whole of the peribolos of the mauso-
leum was cleared and carefully dug over by Messrs. Salzmann and
Biliotti, on behalf of the Museum, the owners of some of the site
having refused to part with their houses to Mr. Newton. A number
of fragments of sculptures were met with, several of which have
been fitted to fragments found by Mr. Newton. A few Greek
inscriptions were also discovered.
288 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MU&EUM.
believed to have done them an injury. Those im-
precations were inscribed on thin sheets of lead,
along with the name of the offending person and
the nature of his or her misdeed. Many of the
leaden tablets were found by Mr. Newton when he
excavated the temenos of Demeter in 1858, and they
are now in the Museum.
The most valuable relic of the temple, however, is
the seated statue of Demeter, in marble. In our
whole collection of sculpture there is only one head,
that of Dione, which makes an approach to it in the
majestic matronly type of beauty. Another life-size
statue discovered portrays an elderly woman, erect and
draped, with woe- worn face. It has been remarked
that, if we suppose this figure to be Demeter, we must
consider that she is here represented as the Mater
Dolorosa of Hellenic mythology, wandering in search
of her daughter Persephone.
There were also found among the ruins of the
temple a diminutive statuette of Persephone wearing
a high head-dress, and holding a flower in her right
hand ; a head beautifully sculptured ; two pigs ; two
calves ; and some sculptured fragments, along with
several lamps and terra-cotta figures.
The excavator thinks that the statues dedicated in
the temenos of Demeter may have been executed
under the direction of Praxiteles, whose Venus was
for many centuries the chief glory of Cnidus. It
may be added that the softness of the features of
the seated Demeter, and the peculiar tone of the
surface of the marble the morbidezza di came are
( 'LA XSICA L A NTIQ UfTIKX. 2 8 9
eminently characteristic of the school of which
Praxiteles was the founder.
Nicholas Gralloni, a Calymniote sponge- diver,
directed the excavators at Budrum to a spot where a_
lion was to be found more colossal than any discovered
among the ruins of the mausoleum. Mr. Pullan,
the architect who accompanied the exploring party }
sighted it lying on a bare rock below the remains of
THE COLOSSAL LION.
(From a tomb near Cnidus.)
an ancient tomb on a headland about three miles south
of Cnidus. The tomb was found to have consisted of
a square basement thirty-nine feet three inches each
way, surrounded by a Doric peristyle with engaged
columns, and surmounted by a pyramid on which had
rested the lion. The monument, which had never
been finished, was believed to commemorate the
defeat of the Lacedaemonians by the Athenian com-
mander Konon, in the great naval action that took
place off Cnidus B.C. 394.
T
290 .1 HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
The lion lay on his side with his nose buried in
the ground, and the explorers, assisted by a hundred
Turks, succeeded in dragging the colossal animal from
his lair, and stowing him away in the hold of the
Supply. On arriving in England he was deposited in
the precincts of the Museum, but a place has recently
been found for him in the interior of the building.
We have thus an opportunity of comparing, in point
of conception and execution, a colossal marble lion
sculptured 2,000 years ago, with those great works of
modern art, the bronze lions at the foot of Nelson's
column in Trafalgar Square, which have the artistic
advantage of long manes. The Cnidian lion is
chiseled out of a single block of Pentelic marble.
It measures ten feet in length, and six in height, and
weighs above ten tons. While the largest specimen
of ancient sculpture in the country, it is unquestion-
ably a noble example of massive Greek art.
THE COLOSSAL HEAD OF ASKLEPIOS AESCULAPIUS).
(From the Island of Melos.)
In an almost direct line with Cnidus, in the
..Egean Sea, and within three degrees of that town, is
the island of Melos, which during the Peloponnesian
war was occupied by a colony from Athens, after the
Athenians had put to death all the adult males, and
carried away the women and children as slaves. Well
known for its remains of ancient buildings, this island
is also famous for the specimens of sculpture which
have been excavated in it at various times. The
-* OF
KSITx
CLASSICAL A XT.
celebrated statue of Yeuus in the Louvre was dis-
covered in Melos ; and the British Museum possesses
a scarcely less remarkable specimen of sculpture in
the colossal head of Asklepios. This head was found,
in 1828, in a kind of grotto in the island, a part of the
torso of the statue to which it belonged, about nine
feet high, having been discovered at the same time
with votive-tablets and fragments of statuettes. Once
in the possession of M. Brest, the French Vice-Consul
in Melos, the head was acquired by the British
Museum in 1866. It is considered to be the work of
an artist of the Macedonian period, about B.C. 300.
The keeper of the Greek antiquities in the Museum
considers the head of Asklepios to be " a very noble
specimen of Greek sculpture/ 3 and describes the
execution as distinguished for freedom and breadth,
and as " belonging to a period when the Greek
sculptor had attained a perfect mastery over marble,
and knew how to produce striking effects by com-
bining refined elaboration of the more important
features with a bold and sketchy treatment of subordi-
nate details/' The head, which has been coloured, is
composed of three pieces of marble ; it is damaged
behind. A bronze wreath formerly decorated the
hair.C 1 )
( l ) A copy of the much admired head of Asklepios forms the
frontispiece of this work. The trustees of the Museum have allowed
their format/ore to mould the head for the [impose of supplying the
public with casts.
29)2 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
SCULPTURES FROM THE CYRENAICA PENTAPOLIS.
(North of Africa.)
Greek sculptors, at an early as well as a late period,
practised their art in countries farther from home
than Asia Minor. Among the Lacedaemonians who
set out about 631 B.C. from Thera in the ^Egean, and
colonised Gyrene, there would doubtless be artists
who could shape marble into the figures of gods and
heroes. When Greek sculpture was in its best state
there were men in Gyrene who could equal it ; and it is
pretty certain that when Hadrian restored the decayed
city, there yet remained at Gyrene artists who could
produce as good statues as any of the Greek sculptors
who then plied their vocation in Home. To the early
period of its history its best monuments may be
referred. After a period of degeneracy, the colonists
improved under the Ptolemies, and to the Eomans
they were indebted for the renovation of many of
their monuments. At a later period, however, the
Eomans destroyed several of the ancient edifices for
the purpose of erecting buildings of their own, and
the work of destruction was subsequently completed
by the Turks and Arabs.
Modern inquiry into the history of the past
greatness of the Pentapolis began in 1817, when Dr.
Delia Cella visited the country. Soon after the
British Government despatched Captain Beechey, of
the Navy, and his brother, a skilful artist, to explore
and delineate the objects of interest along the shores of
the Syrtis Major and the Cyrenaica. In the course of
<_ 'L . 1 N.s'/CJ L A XTIQ VITIK*.
their explorations they found the remains of many
magnificent edifices, and came upon the sites of
Teuchira and Ptolemais, with their Cyclopean walls,
and also upon the Cyrenaic capital itself, situated on
a plateau about 1,800 feet above the level of th^
Mediterranean. They saw several beautiful foun-
tains, statues, bas-reliefs, inscriptions, with the re-
mains of a spacious amphitheatre, and the great
Necropolis. It was not, however, till forty years after
this exploration that the students of ancient art were
placed in a position of obtaining definite information
respecting the sculptured monuments of Gyrene.
When stationed at Malta, at the close of the
excavations at Cnidus, in which he had been associ-
ated with Mr. Newton, Captain (then Lieut.)
E. M. Smith, of the Eoyal Engineers, obtained per-
mission from the British Government to explore the
Cyrenaica, and proceeded to the African coast, accom-
panied by Commander E. A. Porcher, of the Eoyal
Navy. They found, as they had expected, the
splendour of the ancient Pentapolis buried under the
earth, and Arabs pitching their tents over the remains
of former magnificence. Under their superintendence,
during the years 1860 1861, several sites of Doric
temples were excavated. With the exception of three
or four statues, the specimens of ancient sculpture
found gave indications of the decline of the art.
Among the miscellaneous objects discovered were
architectural remains, a very good bronze head, and
a large number of inscriptions, chiefly of the period
of the Eoman occupation. Some of the best ex-
294 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
amples are exhibited in the galleries of antiquities
with the Townleian and other collections, but
many, on account of their mutilated state or inferior
merit, are deposited at present in the store-rooms
of the Museum. The statue of Bacchus, portraits
of emperors, and some other specimens incorporated
with the general collection, will be noticed as
we come to them; but of the remainder the
following may here receive special reference : A
statuette of APHRODITE, draped in a tunic, much
mutilated ; the marble, however, as the excavators
state, "is of exquisite quality, and wrought with a
refined skill, which shows that this statuette belongs
to the best period of Greek art : the countenance
is of great beauty." A female torso, believed to be
that of GYRENE : " the type and costume are those
of a young girl trained to the chase or athletic
exercises; probably executed by a Greek sculptor of
the best period." A head of PERSEUS, with wings,
supposed to have been "broken off from a statuette
representing Perseus holding in his hand the head
of the slain Medusa; the features are very forcibly
modelled ; this head is probably a work of the
Macedonian period." A head of PALLAS ATHENE,
with the Corinthian helmet, " in fine preservation,
nd of good workmanship for the Eoman period."
APHRODITE EUPLOIA, a small statuette (1ft. 9in.
high) representing Venus adjusting a sandal ; most
likely of the Eoman period. Group of APHRODITE
and EROS. A female portrait-statue, over life-size,
with a tunic reaching to the feet ; of inferior execu-
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 295
tion. GYRENE crowned by Libya, a group in relief;
the nymph, attired as Diana, strangles the lion,
while Libya holds the crown over her head. The
largest and finest of the statues from Gyrene is
that of the APOLLO CITHARCEDUS, of which a draw--
ing is given at page 278. The gentleman who
discovered it mentions that the statue, when found,
was broken into 123 pieces, all of which have been
re-joined since its arrival at the Museum. Professor
Westmacott considers that it deserves special notice
for the high class of art it exhibits of the later
school of Lysippus, that the head is of extreme
beauty, and that the style and execution of the nude
portions of the figure are of the finest quality.
THE GEEEK AND GE^BCO-EOMAN SCULPTUEES
FROM VARIOUS SOUECES.
THE TOWNLEIAN AND MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS.
In addition to the sculptures from particular
localities already noticed, the Museum contains a
large number of examples of the sculptor's art,
ranging from the earliest to the latest era, and de-
rived from various purchases, bequests, and excava-
tions. The collection formed by Mr. Chas. Townley
has contributed the greatest number of miscellaneous
specimens, and these have been augmented from the
following sources : The bequests made by Mr. E-.
Payne Knight and the Hon. Sir "W. Temple ; the
purchase from the Farnese Palace at Eome, in 1864,
296 .1 HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSE CM.
of specimens which formerly decorated the Thermae,
of Caracalla ; and the purchases at the sales of the
Pourtales and Blacas collections, in 1865 and 1866.
These sculptures will be described in the order in
which they have been newly arranged.
In the Grseco-Eoman Saloon (III.) are exhibited
the choicest specimens of the Townley collection,
and a few others, of which we shall give a brief
notice. A head of CYBELE, with a handsome but
rather narrow face (T 243), crowned with turrets.
A draped statuette of FORTUNA (T 32), the popular
goddess of the Romans, with her emblems, the
cornucopia, modius, and a rudder resting on a globe.
A terminal figure of HERMAPHRODITE (T 42) feed-
ing a bird from a bunch of grapes, found near
Lake Nemi in 1774. ACTION the hunter (T 3)
seized by two of his dogs at the moment of his
transformation into a stag by Diana ; this small
group was discovered in 1774, in the ruins of the
villa of Antoninus Pius. A small veiled term,
in a fine state of preservation (T 18), supposed to
represent VENUS ARCHITIS Venus mourning the
loss of Adonis is from the Pra?neste Eoad, near
Tivoli. MITHRAS immolating a bull, a Persian
mystery in a Eoman garb, symbolising the sun's in-
fluence on the earth ; purchased from Mr. Standish,
in 1826. A small Persian figure (T 51) dressed
as MITHRAS, but restored with the attributes of
Paris ; found on a bank of the Tiber. An ICONIC
BUST, probably of the Macedonian period, bequeathed
by Mr. E. P. Knight in 1824 ; a fine specimen of
THALIA, THE PASTORAL MUSE
(TOWNLEY GALLERY.)
( 'LA 8SICA L A NTIQ UITIKX.
sculpture, heroically treated. ADONIS (T 78), in a
high pointed cap, gazing tenderly from under the
folds of a wrapper, the youthful beauty of the two
sexes being admirably blended in the features ; found
in the villa of Pope Sixtus Y. Head, perhaps of a"
youthful BACCHUS, of early style ; the hair bound, and
small close curls falling from under the band in front.
Head of a MUSE (T 73) turned upward, with a
thoughtful pleasing face, the hair put off the forehead,
and tied in a knot behind ; from the Lyde Browne
collection. Statue of the muse THALIA (T 33), in her
capacity as president of pastoral poetry, fully draped
in chiton and peplos, her brow graced by a chaplet of
ivy; she stands in a contemplative but commanding
attitude, resting the end of her crook on her right
side ; this neatly-executed and beautifully-preserved
statue of the pastoral muse which Dr. Kett con-
sidered "so inimitable for delicate proportions, and
transparent drapery which adorns without con-
cealing any part of the figure, that it exceeds all
praise " was discovered at Ostia at the same time
as the celebrated "Townley Venus." Head of a
MUSE (T 76), of perfect intellectual beauty. The
muse ERATO (T 38) sitting on a rock, and playing
a lyre ; this statuette, about two feet high, has been
much restored. HEROIC HEAD, in the favourite style
of the Greek sculptors ; from the collection of Samuel
Eogers the nose and bust restored by Flaxman.
The celebrated " CLYTIE," (T 79) marked as an
'' Iconic female bust, probably an empress of the
Augustan period," but in the character of a goddess ;
298
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the nose and other features prove that it is not the
portrait of a Greek, although there is no doubt that
it was the work of one of the best Greek sculptors
CLYTIE.
of the period to which it belongs. An engraving is
given of tl^is bust, which belonged to the Laurenzano
collection, and was purchased by Mr. Townley at
Naples in 1772. " Clytie Eising from the Sun-
CLASSICAL A XTIQ UITTES. 299
flower," as sung by Ovid, is the popular, but unwar-
ranted, interpretation of the subject. CUPID (Eros)
with his wings outstretched, and in the act of bending
his bow; this work is thought, but on no sure
grounds, to be one of the best ancient copies extant oF
the bronze Cupid of Praxiteles. ENDYMION (T 23) in
one of his long sleeps on a rock, a better piece of
sculpture than would at first sight appear; it was dis-
covered on the supposed site of the villa of Domitian's
nurse. CUPID (Eros, T 19), obtained in Eome, and
sent by Barry the painter to Edmund Burke the
statesman. The composition is similar to that of the
Cupid above described, but it is larger in size. A very
small HERCULES (Herakles, T 39) sitting upon a rock
covered with a lion's skin, a club in one hand and
the three golden apples from the garden of the
Hesperides in the other. CUPID asleep on a lion's
skin, with a club at his side, a chubby little fellow,
but the execution is not remarkable. On the
opposite side is a similar sleeping Cupid, recently
obtained from Tarsus. The head reclines on a vase
through which water has flowed. The figure
must, therefore, have ornamented a fountain. The
HERCULES (Herakles II.) is one of the grandest
embodiments of the head of the hero that is known.
It was found in the lava at the foot of Mount
Vesuvius, and was presented to the Museum by Sir
William Hamilton. In the one from the Barberini
Palace (T 77) Hercules is represented as verging on
manhood, and the features are considered to resemble
those -of Philip of Macedon. In the terminal bust
300
HAXDY-nOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
of the youthful Hercules (T 76), found near Gensano,
he wears a chaplet of poplar leaves on his head, which
is thrown slightly backwards. VENUS (Aphrodite)
from the Hamilton collection, a head of refined
beauty. Near this head is a small torso (T 17) of
exquisite workmanship, exhibiting Venus in the act
NYMPH OF DIANA. (?)
of making the first attempt to attire herself.
We may notice here the torso of Venus shattered
in the fire at Richmond House, in 1791. AUIADNE,
or Libera (T 22), the female Bacchus; a full-
length statue, just under life sizs, in long drapery,
found near Rome. The late Sir Henry Ellis con-
sidered this one of the best statues in the Townley
OLA .W< '. 1 L ,1 XTIQ UITIEX. 301
gallery. A head of DIANA (Artemis, T 61) obtained
at Rome ; the hair tied up in a knot at the top of
her head that she might not be impeded in the chase ;
the features sprightly and chaste, with a fawn -like
wildness. The execution, especially of the hair, is
very good. The Astragalizusa, or NYMPH OF DIANA
(T 13) is one of the most graceful and simple com-
positions in marble that will be met with ; a damsel,
slightly clad, reclining, or seated sideways, on the
ground, resting on her left hand, and amusing herself
with something at her right hand. She may be play-
ing at the game of astragali. This sculpture was
found near the remains of a fountain, on the supposed
site of the magnificent gardens of the palace of Sallust,
the Latin historian. A statuette of the boy BACCHUS
(Dionysos, T 21), tripping along, holding up a bunch
of grapes in his right hand, and in his left a cup, or
patera; he has an ivy- wreath on his head, and a
goat's skin tied round him. This interesting little
figure was found in the ruins of the villa of Antoninus
Pius. PANISKOS (repeated, T 28, 29), two specimens
of the work of one of the freedmen of Marcus, named
Marcus Cossutius Cerdo ; the subject is a youthful
Pan, nude, standing in a ministering posture, and
holding the goblet in one hand and the jug in
the other. Both statues, which are well proportioned,
were found in the same place as the statuette
just mentioned. BACCHUS and AMPELUS (T 1) ;
this group illustrates the story of the birth of
the vine for the consolation of Bacchus ; it was
discovered in 1772 at La Storta, on the road from
302 .1 HAXDY-BOOK OF THE MllTlSlL MCXEUM.
Eome to Florence. Part of a group of ASTRAGALI-
ZONTES, a boy quarrelling with another over a game of
osselets (" knucklebones ") ; here one of the boys,
thrown on the ground, is biting in a savage manner
the arm of his playmate, in order to get the bone
out of his hand ; nearly all the second figure is want-
ing ; originally obtained from the baths of Titus at
Eome it was purchased from the Princess Dowager
Barberini for Mr. Townley in 1768. A statue of
VENUS (T 16) disrobing for an ablution, the subject
being delicately treated ; it is about three and a half
feet high, and was found in an ancient bath at Ostia.
Of the SATYRS, or frolicsome followers of Bacchus,
there are a great variety of representations some
standing in graceful attitudes, and others playing
off fantastic pranks. The finely-executed head of
the LAUGHING SATYR (T 82) was discovered near the
Porta Maggiore, Eome. In the head bequeathed
by Mr. Payne Knight in 1824, the sedate aspect
is represented. The old Satyr (T 31) appears to
have thrown himself down on his back in a state
of intoxication : it is an effective composition, much
admired by artists. Small life-size Head of a BAC-
CHANTE (T 81), one of the followers of Bacchus ;
the dishevelled tresses of hair, and slightly -open
mouth impart to this fine piece of Greek sculpture
the wild bacchanalian look characteristic of these
votaries ; this head was found at Eome : there
is a similar specimen in the Temple collection
in the Museum. The terminal SATYRIC FIGUIIE
playing a flageolet (T 26), is one of the choicest
CLA &S76'J L A XTf
pieces of miniature sculpture in the gallery. A
small figure of .ZEoiPAN, -of Pan with the legs of
a goat (T 27), wearing the skin of the animal,
and lying on the ground ; the head and body are
considered to be well composed. Another repre-
sentation of the same (T 25), but standing in an
attitude of surprise, with a pedum in his left hand.
A statue of the youthful MERCURY (Hermes), of heroic
size, from the collection in the Farnese Palace be-
longing to the ex-King of Naples ; the statue is
believed to be a copy of some celebrated Mercury.
No. 70 T is a small head of the Celestial Messenger,
finely treated. There is also a small collection of
bas-reliefs in this gallery. The subjects of the more
important are as follows :
The Apotheosis of Homer. In the explanation of
this slab many learned pens have been employed.
Jupiter reclines on the top of Mount Parnassus, hold-
ing the sceptre in his right hand ; under him are the
Muses and Apollo Musagetes ; in the bottom tier of
the sculpture the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey
is seated, and before him stands the bull for the
sacrifice. Among the throng assembled to do honour
to the poet are, History, Poesy, Tragedy, Comedy,
Nature, Virtue, Memory, Faith, and Wisdom.
This well-known slab, sculptured by Archelaus of
Priene, was found on the Appian road, near Eome,
where the Emperor Claudius had a villa. It was
purchased from the Colonna palace, in 1819, for
1,000. Bacchus, attended by Satyrs, on his visit to
Icarius, for the purpose of acquainting him with the
304
HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
art of making wine from the juice of the grape. A
Procession of Two Satyrs and a Bacchante, which
well illustrates the extravagances of the Bacchic
thiasos. Hercules securing the Maenalian staff, and
Castor curbing a horse, accompanied by Jiis dog ; two
subjects treated in the archaic style of Greek art.
DIONE.
HERO.
In the second Grseco-Eoman room are exhibited a
few of the gems of the collection. THE TOWNLEY
VENUS (15). Canova, Waagen, Mr. Payne Knight, and
others, have expressed the highest admiration of this
statue, which deserves to be ranked among the most
precious monuments of ancient Greek art. The sculp-
ture is in two pieces of marble, the join being con-
THE VENUS OF THE TOWNLEY GALLERY.
(Discovered at Ostia, in 1776, among the Euins of the Maritime Baths of the Emperor Claudius.)
CLA SSICA L A XTIQ VI 7Y/>'.
305
cealed by the drapery. For bringing to light this
charming work of ancient art, the world is indebted
to Mr. Gavin Hamilton, who excavated it, in 1770,
from the ruins of the maritime baths at Ostia. The
APOLLO.
(Musagetas.)
height is abont seven feet, including the plinth.
Bust called DIONE (T 54), the mother of Venus, pos-
sesses the same matronly type of features as the
Demeter from Cnidus. It is a chef d'oeuvre of
ancient art, but no record has been preserved of the
place of its discovery. The HEROIC HEAD (T 86)
306 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
has one of the most expressive countenances ever
produced in marble. As will be seen from the
engraving, the head is turned upward, the eyes in-
tently fixed on some object, the brow compressed, the
lips parted, painful suspense or urgent expectancy
marking the features. The hair, unkempt, lies in
thick curly masses. This example of the sculpture of
the Macedonian period once ornamented a building in
Hadrian's palatial villa on the banks of the Tiber.
Head of APOLLO, life size (T 58), the features expres-
sive of a calm and realised joyousness. One peculi-
arity of it is that the hair on the crown of the head
has the appearance of a cap. Head of APOLLO,
formerly in the well-known Griustiniani collection at
Eome, representing the god in the character of the
leader of the Muses, undoubtedly the work of a
master-mind and hand. It exemplifies the later
idealisation of Apollo, as embodied by Lysippus.
Noted for reducing the comparative size of the heads
of his statues that these might appear taller and more
natural, he was also famous for elaborating the hair
of his figures. This is especially noticeable in the
present example, and the treatment of the face
is also characteristic of the most refined art. The
head under notice, which preserves the original
delicacy of the surface of the marble in a remarkable
manner, was purchased at Paris, at the sale of the
Pourtales collection in 1865, for about 2,000.
Statue of a DISKOBOLOS, or Greek quoit-thrower
(T 43), one of the three marble copies that have
come down to us of a celebrated bronze by Myron.
OLA &S7CV1 L A N
307
This artist flourished about B.C. 430, and imitated
nature with such extraordinary ability as to deceive
nature herself. The statue is life-size, and represents
an athlete, nude, just as he is in the act of stooping
to hurl the discus with all his force in one of
THE DISK-THROWER.
the public games. The close and firm muscles of the
body, the posture, and action of the youth, are wonder-
fully true to nature. The head, though ancient, does
not belong to the statue. The Museum copy was
found in 1791, at Tivoli, on the site of what is
believed to have been the picture-gallery of the
Emperor Hadrian.
In the GraBCO-Koman Saloon (I) there are several
308 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
heads, busts, and statues. The representations of
Jupiter (Zeus) are : a head in Pentelic marble, a
colossal bust found in the ruins of the Emperor
Hadrian's villa, a head of Jupiter Serapis (T 51),
and a small statue enthroned, holding in one hand a
thunderbolt and in the other a sceptre, the eagle and
the dog Cerberus being at his side. Head of JUNO
(Hera, T 53), wearing a frontal, highly characteristic
of the haughty and jealous wife of Zeus ; it was
acquired at Eome in 1774. The colossal head of
MINERVA (two feet one inch high), in Parian marble,
is of a very early style. There is breadth and
simplicity in the treatment; this valuable specimen
was found near Eome by Mr. Gr. Hamilton, and was
sent to England in 1787. The other colossal head of
the goddess of arts and industry (T 242) is not so
striking as the one just noticed, but the execution
is bold. A somewhat strange contrast to this is the
bust with the head and neck of marble, while the
helmet and drapery of the breast are of bronze. The
bronze parts are restorations, copied by Albanini from
an ancient bust of the goddess. The ancient portion
was discovered in 1784 in the ruins of the supposed
baths of Olympiodorus. The fourth head of Minerva
(one foot three inches high) is much smaller than the
preceding, and later in style ; it was found at Eome.
There are also several terminal heads of BACCHUS
(Dionysos) all in a fine state of preservation. The
mature head of early style, with the hair slightly
curled, was found in 1790, in the Emperor Hadrian's
villa. The head, also of early style, with the hair
THE CANEPHOBA OF THE TOWNLEY GALLERY.
'
CLA >S',s'/r. \L A XTIQ UITIE& 309
thrown back from the forehead, was formerly in the
collection of Cardinal Albani, at Eome. The two
other heads portraying the god in youthful prime
were dug up at Baiae in 1771, and purchased on the
spot by Dr. Adair, who brought them to England.
In connection with these sculptures we must notice
the curious double term, with the heads joined at the
back, of Bacchus and Libera (Ariadne) his wife. DIANA
(Artemis) is here represented by a full-length statue,
and a head ; the latter, peculiarly Greek in the type
of its features, was bequeathed by Mr. E. P. Knight
in 1824. The former, which represents the goddess as
in the chase, pressing forward and hurling a javelin,
was found in 1772, about eight miles from Eome, on
the same spot as the group of Bacchus and Ampelus
already noticed. The strange little group of three
figures back to back (T 14) is an impersonation of
HECATE in her mystic character of the diva triformis
Luna of Heaven, Diana of Earth, and Proserpina of
the Infernal Eegions. The plinth is inscribed with
the name of the person who consecrated the statue
to the goddess, ^Elius Barbarus, a freedman. This
group was once in the Giustiniani collection.
The CANEPHORA (T 44), of which an engraving is
given on the preceding page, was found in the Villa
Strozzi, on the Via Appia, in some ruins supposed to
have been those of an ancient temple of Bacchus,
from the discovery near the spot of a statue of the
god. This architectonic figure, with another exca-
vated at the same time, was deposited in the Villa
Montalto. In 1786, Mr. Jenkins, the English banker
310 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
at Kome, purchased all the marbles which decorated
that villa ; and Mr. Townley subsequently secured a
Canephora for his gallery. The statue is in a beauti-
ful state of preservation. Though the workmanship
may not be so purely Greek as the Canephora of the
Elgin collection, it certainly conveys a more refined
idea of the high-born virgins who carried in pro-
cession the baskets of articles used in the religious
ceremonies of the Athenians. The sculptors may
have been Kriton and Nikolaos, whose names were
inscribed on three similar supporting statues, found in
the same locality, in the year 1766. The height,
including the original pedestal, is seven feet ten
inches.
A full-length figure of VENUS (Aphrodite), six feet
three inches high, a repetition of the celebrated
" Venus of the Capitol " but the marble is discoloured.
The goddess of beauty has placed all her drapery aside
on a vase, and is about to enter the bath. " APOLLO "
(from the Farnese Palace, Eome) is a statue remark-
able for that accurate modelling of the body in repose
which distinguished the Greek sculptors. The head,
arms, and left leg, are restorations. The small torso
of a youth in white marble, placed near the statue,
was obtained from the same collection. It is possible
that the figure may have represented the god Somnus.
Statue of BACCHUS from a temple at Cyrene; the height
is five feet nine inches. The excavators mention that,
when first found, red colour was very visible in the
eyes, and a wreath round the head. This is the second
best of the large statues discovered by Messrs.. Smith
CL A XA7CJ L A XTiq Ul TIES.
311
and Porcher in the ruins of the African, Greek, and
Eoman city of Gyrene. SATYR playing with the
infant Bacchus, whom he holds in a fawn-skin a
rare and interesting subject, but the coarse execution
SATYR PLAYING WITH THE INFANT BACCHUS.
(From the Farnese Collection.)
evidently places it in the period of the decline of
the art of sculpture. The infant has one bunch of
grapes in his hand, and is in the act of pilfering
another, looking up at the Satyr, with that con-
sciousness of wrong-doing which so often marks
the countenances of children. The Satyr, his face
312 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
lighted by a roguish smile, which intimates that
he is not in earnest, threatens the little Bacchus with
a club. A panther looks up at the Satyr. The group
is about life-size, and was purchased in 1864 from the
Farnese Palace at Rome. SATYR, life-size, dancing
and playing cymbals, once the gem of the E-ondinini
collection, and so highly prized by -Canova that he
prevented its exportation from Italy, although it had
been disposed of to an English nobleman. On the
sculptor's death, however, it was brought to England ;
and in 1826 the British Museum acquired it for 300.
In addition to the foregoing there are several
miscellaneous specimens of sculpture, chiefly of the
Grseco-Roman era ; they are exhibited in the " Gra3co-
Eoman Basement Room." Attention may be called to
the following : A very fine VASE (T 218), rather more
than three feet high, sculptured on the side in con-
tinuous relief with a scene from the celebration of the
Dionysia, or feast of Dionysos a scene illustrating
the period when the festivals were no longer simple
and purely mirthful. The male figure wearing a
panther's skin let loose by the wild movements of the
dance, and the Bacchantes in fine linen entering
freely into the excesses of the revel, will be admired
for their harmonious grouping, and the skilful and
facile manner in which they are wrought out of the
marble. The vase was found by Mr. G. Hamilton at
Monte Cagnuolo, the site of the villa of Antoninus
Pius. A vase similar in shape, but not so large as
the preceding, the subject being a Bacchante bearing
a thyrsus, and three fauns dancing to the music of
CLA N,s7f 'AL A XTIQ VI TIE 8.
313
the double -pipe and cymbals. In the slab from a
candelabrum (T 131) there is a large figure of a
Bacchante wearing a linen cap, holding a knife in one
hand and swinging the hind part of a kid in the
BACCHIC VASE,
(from the Villa of the Roman Emperor AntowMus Pius, at Lanuvium.)
other. The subject is supposed to have been copied
from the Bacchic Kidslayer of Skopas. A shallow
vase or tazza (three feet seven inches in diameter),
presented by Lord Western in 1839; the triangular
base of a decorated candelabrum, discovered in some
ruins in the Appian Way ; an elaborately-finished
candelabrum restored, the upper part being from the
314 A If ANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
site of the villa of Antoninus Pius. We may notice
here the large marble KRATER placed in the Hall of
the Museum in 1869. The subject of the relief on
the body of the vase, which is rendered with much
spirit, is that of Satyrs busily engaged in a vintage.
It is twelve feet high, and is said to have been found
in Hadrian's villa at Tivoli. It was purchased from
Mr. Hugh Johnston.
Among the supports for tables, &c. (TRAPEZO-
PHORA), may be noticed one formed of the head, leg,
and claw of a lion, boldly sculptured ; and among the
ALTARS, one dedicated to Fortuna Redux for the safe
return of the emperor Severus and his family.
DISKS sculptured in relief with various subjects,
chiefly Bacchic; they were formerly suspended by
chains between the columns of Pompeian and Eoman
houses. MASKS, on panel or detached, tragic, comic,
and sepulchral, and all alike hideous ; one is a mask
of the youthful Bacchus, with a ring for suspension,
from which it is conjectured that the mask may have
been anciently hung on a tree in a vineyard under the
belief that
" Where'er the god his gracious front inclines
There plenty gushes from the loaded vines."
Among the other miscellaneous objects, including
animals, may be noted some curious sculptures col-
lected by the Earl of Aberdeen in 1803. There are
a sun-dial ; some fountains ; a chair for a vapour-bath
from the thermse of Caracalla ; a sarcophagus from
the Pourtales collection ; a relief of Dacian and Sarma-
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 315
tian armour ; votive tablets sculptured with mirrors,
combs, bath utensils, sandals, &c. On the floor there
is part of a MOSAIC PAVEMENT from Carthage, the sub-
ject a colossal head of Neptune in the water. The
composition is bold, but does not equal some of the
mosaics in the " Carthaginian Room," for which, and
many inscriptions, we are indebted to the explorations
of Dr. Davis.
The other principal sculptures in this room are as
follows : A statue of HYMEN, the size of youth, found
VICTOllY IMMOLATING A BULL.
among the ruins of an ancient Roman house in the
Appian Way. Though the workmanship is good,
the subject lacks attractiveness, and the same is the
case with the group of HERMES AND HERSE, lately
purchased from the Farnese Palace. Two small
groups in marble of the WINGED VICTORY sacrificing
a bull ; both discovered in 1773 by Mr. Hamilton in
his excavation of the villa of the Roman emperor
Antoninus Pius, near Lanuvium. They probably
decorated a triumphal arch at Rome.
310 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
THE GREEK AND ROMAN PORTRAITS IN MARBLE.
The ancient iconic heads, busts, and statues
in the Museum, possess an interest which does not
pertain to the sculptured idealisations of divinities
and heroes. In the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Carian
sculpture galleries, we have seen many contem-
porary portraits of the great and illustrious of early
times one and all instructive, either historically or
archseologically. Among the portraits we shall now
inspect are several that will no doubt excite more
interest from the fact that the actions of the persons
portrayed are better known from history. In an
artistic point of view, many of these heads and
busts are not of great value, while there are some
very good specimens of the work of the Greek
sculptors who practised their craft in Home for the
gratification of emperors and others, when it was
no longer possible to practise it in Greece for the
noble purposes of Art.
HOMER. This head was found at Baia3 in 1780.
The face, marked with deep traces of time and
thought, seems characteristic of the poet.
PERIANDER, tyrant of Corinth (seventh century B.C.),
called one of the seven sages of Greece. This head,
the features of which are more expressive of the
tyrant than the sage, was formerly in the palace
of Pope Sixtus Y.
( J ) For the most part in the gallery adjoining the hall of the
Museum.
s
Si
CLA SSWA L A XTIQ U I TIES.
317
PERICLES, the great Athenian orator, general, and
statesman. He is here portrayed in the prime of
life, and wears the helmet with which, according to
Plutarch, it was the practice of the sculptors to cover
his head, which was considered to be defective in
its conformation. This sculpture was discovered in
IIEPIKAH2.
1781, near Tivoli, with another marble portrait of
Pericles, which was deposited in the Vatican.
SOPHOCLES, the Greek tragic poet (born near
Athens, B.C. 495 ; died, B.C. 406). The head is of
inferior execution, bat there is no doubt that it is
intended to represent Sophocles. The sculpture was
found near Grensano, seventeen miles from Borne, in
1775.
318 ^1 HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
HIPPOCRATES, the father of medical science (born
in Cos, B.C. 460; died, B.C. 361). This bust, which
is considered to be a fine specimen of the best style
of Greek portrait sculpture, was dug from the ruins
of Varro's villa, near Albano.
DIOGENES, the cynic philosopher (born at Sinope,
B.C. 412; died, B.C. 324). This masterly head of
the great cynic was bequeathed to the Museum by
Mr. E. Payne Knight.
^ESCHINES, the orator, the rival of Demosthenes
(born at Athens, B.C. 393 ; died, B.C. 317). Here
the sculpture is of inferior merit, and resembles, in
this respect, the " Head of an Unknown Philosopher "
from Macedonia a donation to the Museum in 1839
by Colonel Leake.
DEMOSTHENES, the Athenian orator and statesman
(born, B.C. 384; died, B.C. 322). The orator is re-
presented speaking, but under the constraint of the
natural impediment of speech which he afterwards
overcame. The head was purchased in 1818.
EPICURUS, the originator of the Epicurean philo-
sophy (born in Samos, B.C. 341 ; died, B.C. 270).
This head was found in 1775 near the church of Santa
Maria Maggiore, at Rome.
ARATUS, author of the astronomical poem, " The
Phenomena" (born in Cilicia, about B.C. 300). The
bust, portraying the poet as a man of long visage
and prominent forehead, was excavated in 1770 from
the ruins of the villa of Marcus Yarro.
JULIUS CAESAR (born, B.C. 101 ; died, B.C. 44).
This head, which seems a representation of the great
CLA SMC A L A NTIQ U IT IKS. 319
Dictator at a late period of his life, is well authenti-
cated by many of the coins of Ca3sar in the Museum.
Little is known of its history ; it belonged to Mr.
Townley's gallery (engraved p. 316). In the head of
CN^EUS CORNELIUS LENTULUS MARCELLINUS, one of the
new acquisitions of the Museum, we have a remark-
able portrait of a contemporary of Caesar.
AUGUSTUS (born, B.C. 63 ; emperor, B.C. 31 to
A.D. 14). In point of execution, this head, which
formerly graced the collection of Edmund Burke, is a
much finer piece of sculpture than the portrait of
Julius Caesar. The famous gem-portrait of Augustus
is given with the account of the Blacas collection.
TIBERIUS (born, B.C. 42 ; emperor, A.D. 14 37).
This head, another fine specimen of portrait sculpture,
was also in Burke's collection.
CALIGULA (born, A.D. 12; emperor, 37 41). An
equestrian statue, preserved until lately in the
Farnese palace. The head is restored as that of
Caligula, but the statue is of a later period, and was
probably executed in the second century A.D. Special
interest attaches to this figure from the fact that
there are extant few specimens of ancient equestrian
statues.
NERO (born, A.D. 37 ; emperor, 54 68). The
character of Nero, as delineated in history, is strongly
impressed on his features as depicted in this sculpture.
The marble was acquired by Dr. Askew in Athens,
in 1741 ; it is a fine piece of art (engraved p. 316).
DOMITIA, wife of the Emperor Domitian, the last
of the twelve Ca3sars. The bust represents her of
320 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
matronly age, with full face but small pleasant
features, and wearing an elaborate head-dress in* the
form of a diadem. It was dug out of the Esquiline
hill in 1775.
TRAJAN (born, A.D. 52 ; emperor, 98 117). This
portrait is distinguished from all the others by low-
TRAJAN.
ness of forehead and massive projection of the skull
above the brows. The bust, which is considered
remarkably fine, was excavated in the Campagna of
Borne, in 1766.
BARBARIAN CHIEFTAIN (Townley, 106). This is one
of the most admired heads in the gallery. Larger than
life, it represents the full-faced, strong-featured, in id
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES.
321
long haired but beardless barbarian in the vigour of
his rough manhood. There is a defiant bearing in
the head, such as Caractacus may have shown when
brought before Claudius at Borne. It was found in
the forum in which stood the column commemorating
BAllBARIAN CHIEFTAIN.
Trajan's victory over the Dacians. The " Barbarian
Captive," presented by the Hon. Mrs. Darner, will
not bear comparison with this head in conception or
execution.
HADRIAN (born, A.D. 76 ; emperor, 117 138). For
a large proportion of the sculptures exhibited in the
Grseco-Boman galleries, we are indebted to the
v
322 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
encouragement which this illustrious emperor gave to
an art which he is said to have practised himself.
One of the two busts of Hadrian that which shows
him in military attire, was discovered on the site of
his villa, near Tivoli, while the other, portraying him
TilE EMPEROR HADRIAN ADDRESSING HIS LEGIONS.
more advanced in years, was formerly in the posses-
sion of Pope Sixtus V. The statue of the emperor
in armour was also found among the ruins of his villa.
He was the first of the Eoman emperors who wore a
beard. The personage represented in the engraving
who wears a toga has not been identified. It was
presented to the Museum in 1854, by Mr. W. P. \\ .
Freeman. The other full-length statue is supposed to
represent Hadrian in civil costume. The life-size
CLASSICAL 'AM
statue representing a female form draped in a tunic is
believed to be that of a lady of the time of Hadrian.
ANTINOUS, the favourite of the emperor Hadrian,
in the character of Bacchus. There is an expression
of much tenderness in the sad, downcast look of the
A ROMAN IN CIVIL COSTUME.
youth. The bust was discovered near the villa
Pamfili at Eome, in 1770.
JULIUS CJESAR, who was adopted by Hadrian,
but died during the lifetime of the emperor. The
bust was bequeathed by Mr. E. P. Knight, in 1824.
SABINA, wife of the emperor Hadrian, celebrated
for her private and public virtues. This empress
(whom her husband compelled to take poison that she
might not survive him) was so much respected by
324 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the Romans, that divine honours were paid to her
memory. In the bust the head-dress is arranged in
the form of the ampyx, which, while adding to the
appearance of dignity, imparts austerity to the coun-
tenance. The bust belonged to Mr. Townley's
collection (engraved p. 316).
ANTONIKUS PIUS.
(Bust from Gyrene.)
ANTONINUS Pius (born, A.D. 86; emperor, 138
161.) This emperor, who was distinguished for
wisdom, is represented by two fine busts. One,
which has a beautiful surface, was excavated in the
Augusteum in the Cyrenaica by Messrs. Smith and
Porcher. The other was formerly in the Grimani
collection at Venice.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 325
\
FAUSTINA the elder (?), wife of Antoninus Pius,
who died at the age of thirty-six, was represented to
have been a very licentious woman. The bust, which
is from Cyrene, exhibits a curious fashion in the hair
being formed into a cone on the top of the head.
MARCUS AURELIUS (born, A.D. 121 ; emperor, 161
180). This bust, from the celebrated Mattei col-
lection, represents the emperor as one of the Fratres
Arvales an order of priests said to have been insti-
tuted by Eomulus. There is another bust of this
emperor in light but coarse marble, from the Augus-
teum of Cyrene.
FAUSTINA the younger, daughter of Antoninus
Pius, and wife of Aurelius (born, A.D. 140 ; died,
175). A small fine portrait of a handsome, clever,
but abandoned woman. It was purchased at Pozzuolo
in 1777.
Lucius VERUS (born, A.D. 130 ; emperor, with
Marcus Aurelius, 161 169). There are two fine
portraits of Lucius one belonging to the Townley
(Mattei) collection, and the other to the Pourtales.
The first a large bust, draped portrays him as a
man with bushy hair and forbidding look. The
second a head represents him as a youth with
fine curly hair and soft features. In the Bronze
Boom there is a good portrait of the same emperor
from the Blacas collection.
COMMODUS (born, A.D. 161 ; emperor, ISO 192).
In this head, from the Farnese Palace, one can hardly
realise the emperor who was chiefly remarkable for
his depraved habits and vulgar tastes. The lower
326 .1 HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
half of a nude statue of Commodus, discovered in
1865 by Mr. Wood in the Odeum at Ephesus, is
exhibited with the marble head. Commodus and
Hercules may be seen together on a beautiful gem in
the Blacas collection.
CRISPIN A, wife of Commodus, presents a handsome
appearance in her bust, which was formerly in the
Pourtales collection. She was put to death by her
husband in A.D. 183.
SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS (born, A.D. 145 ; emperor, 193
211). This bust was found on the Palatine hill
in 1776. It illustrates at once the cruel character
of Severus, and the low condition into which the
art of sculpture had fallen at this period.
CARACALLA (born, A.D. 188; emperor, 211 217).
Properly, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, but called
Caracalla, because he introduced for his soldiers' use
a mantle thus designated, worn in Gaul. The bust,
which represents the emperor as a thorough bar-
barian, was excavated in 1776 in the garden of the
nuns at the Quattro Fontane, on the Esquiline
hill.
JULIA MAMM^A, mother of Alexander Severus,
was a woman of intellect and high principle, and
these qualities are exhibited in her portrait. The
hair, naturally wavy, is plainly arranged in front,
and looped behind the ear. The head was purchased
at the sale of the Pourtales collection.
GORDIAN I. (born, A.D. 157; emperor, 238). The
bust portrays this learned and polished man before
he was invested with the imperial purple, which he
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 327
wore only for six weeks, when a crowd of misfortunes
impelled him to put an end to his existence. The
bust, in which poverty of sculpture is observable,
formed part of the Townley collection.
OCTACTLIA SEVERA, wife of the emperor Philip
the Elder ; a lady whose features, if we are to credit
the sculpture, were slightly awry, and who dressed
her hair in the style of Julia Mammaea. The bust
was some years ago described as that of Plautilla.
ROMAN SCULPTURES, ETC., FOUND IN ENGLAND.
The style of the provincial art of the Romans
under some of the emperors whose portraits have
just been described, may be studied in the specimens
found in this country, and placed in the same gallery
of the Museum as the portraits. The following may
be noted : A small figure of Atys, the Phrygian
youth beloved by Cybele, and changed into a fir-tree.
A basin showing busts in relief of Venus holding
a mirror, Jupiter, Mercury with his caduceus, and
Mars with a spear. An altar dedicated to ^Esculapius
and Fortuna Eedux, accompanied by emblems of
the divinities ; and other altars with various dedi-
cations. In the Imperial portrait gallery are four
E-oman receptacles for the dead. They are all in
coarse stone, and a single specimen only exhibits
any attempt at sculpture. One of them, which is
oblong, with the top pointed and fastened to the
ends with bars of iron, was excavated in 1853 in
328 A HANDY -BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Hay don Square, near the Minories. The mosaics,
or tesselated pavements, are much superior in an
artistic point of view. The pieces ornamented with
Neptune among fishes and marine monsters, with
birds and animals, were found at Withington in
Gloucestershire. The pigs of lead, inscribed in some
instances with the names of emperors, show the
manner in which the ore of our mines was cast before
it was devoted to commercial purposes. A long slab
of coarse stone, which may be noticed in this place,
contains an inscription in Eoman and Ogliam letters.
Three other slabs exhibit specimens of the hiero-
grammatic writing of the ancient Irish.
THE GREEK AND GILECO-ROMAN TERRA-COTTAS.
(Clay figures, bas-reliefs, tfrc.)
The terra-cottas in the Museum, giving further
illustrations of the art of the ancient Greeks, are
arranged with others of Phoenician and Roman
origin, and the collection will accordingly be glanced
at as a whole. The assemblage of terra-cotta objects
recently brought together in the second vase room
of the Museum gives support to the opinion that
the fabrication of utensils out of clay was one
of the very first of the useful arts, and that the
embodiment in the same material of idealisations
of divinities ranked 'with the earliest of the decorative
arts. The small clay idols of * Phoenicia, many of
which were excavated at Dali (Idalium) in the
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 329
island of Cyprus, are among the earliest and most
grotesque of terra-cotta specimens. From these
homely efforts we have the means of tracing, in one
of the richest collections of terra-cottas in Europe,
the progress of the plastic art to its perfection in
the small terra-cottas from the site of the tomb
of Mausolus, finished with the nicety of carving
in ivory. The Mediterranean Islands, portions of
Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor, have given up
to us these little curiosities in baked earth; and
from Rome, as the depository of ancient Greek
art, we have derived some of the largest of the
figures and bas-reliefs. The subjects of these figures
are multifarious, and the normal colours are yellow,
light and dark brown, and red. One small group,
skilfully modelled, represents two females stooping
and playing with knuckle-bones at the game of
tali. There are also numerous animals, and a great
variety of miscellaneous objects. Some of the
vessels are capacious, and of curious shapes ; some
are ornamented at the sides with small statues,
heads, animals, and flowers, the heads in several
instances being life-size. Two small ornamented
vases, both in a high state of preservation, are
finished with a delicacy very unusual in terra-
cotta. One is an old goat-headed satyr, in which
the faces .and heads of goat and man are blended
with a degree of skill quite surprising; the other
is the head of a female of majestic beauty, her wavy
hair decorated with flowers, and her ears ornamented
with pendants of handsome design.
330
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
We may here notice the ancient sepulchral urn,
painted and gilded, and decorated on the sides with
representations of the chimsera. This relic was found
at Athens. Within it are bones of the deceased,
fragments of hronze and iron implements, &c. The
obolos, a small Athenian coin in silver, meant as
the fee for Charon, lies beside the urn. The
SEPULCHRAL TJRN, WITH REMAINS.
TERRA-COTTA VASE.
fruit- stand, placed near the above, and composed of
four cups resting on a stem, and relieved at the sides
with Cupids, panthers, and Bacchic masks, is also
an interesting specimen of ancient terra-cotta. Some
of the smaller terra-cottas are of exquisite finish, and
the following subjects are also worthy of mention :
" Aurora carrying off Kephalos," and " The Surprise
of Thetis by Peleus," from tombs at Camirus, in
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 331
Ehodes; "Sappho and Alcseus;" " Bellerophon slay-
ing the Chimaera ;" the head of Scylla ; and " Perseus
with the slain Medusa," from the treasure-island of
Melos.
Of the TOYS of the children of the ancient Greeks
we also possess illustrations, and it is amusing to
compare them with their archetypes in the Egyptian
collection. They are in baked clay, and are chiefly
dolls (neurospasta), the arms and legs being jointed
with string, and therefore movable. Many are
coloured, and most of them were found in tombs
the little playthings laid with the little players.
The terra-cotta coffin, found at Camirus in 1863,
six feet four inches long, and two feet one inch
broad, may likewise be noticed in this place. The
heads of men, animals, and floral ornaments, are
painted round the top in brown and crimson on a
pale ground. This finely-preserved specimen of the
sepulchral art of the Phoenician Greeks is believed
to be unique.
The fine series of terra-cotta reliefs, chiefly archi-
tectural, (*) set in the cases 32 41, in the Second
Vase Boom, were for the most part collected by
Mr. Townley while in Italy; some were purchased
by that gentleman from Nollekens, who obtained
them in Eome ; a few belonged to Sir Hans Sloane,
0) " The bas-reliefs were cast in moulds, and after they had been
baked they were occasionally re-touched by a graver. They were
made use of by the ancients as decorations for their temples, tombs,
and other buildings. They evidently formed the friezes; and the
manner in which they were fastened to the walls by metal nails is
occasionally perceptible." Sir H. Ellis.
332
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
but these are believed to have been previously in the
collection of Cardinal Gualtieri. The reliefs are inte-
resting not only as specimens of the plastic art of
the Grseco-Boman period to which they belong, but
as vignettes of classic subjects by classic artists.
The subject of the relief of which an illustration is
THE BUILDING OF THE ARGO.
(Terra-cotta las-relief.)
given is the construction of the ship for the famous
Argonautic expedition under Jason for the recovery
of the Golden Fleece. Argus, son of Phrixus, is
busily engaged with chisel and hammer in forming
the vessel which is to carry the Grecian heroes to
Colchis, and Athene is assisting Tiphys, the pilot,
to fix the mainsail. This terra-cotta, and wo other
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 333
copies, were discovered near the Porta Latina at
Eome, built into the wall of a vineyard. The limits
of our space will not admit of our giving, as we had
intended, a list of the subjects of the other reliefs
in this collection.
The large terra-cotta figures of Urania, Calliope,
Thalia, Juno, and other muses and goddesses, be-
sides the three large terminal heads of Bacchus, may
be pronounced among the most valuable specimens
extant of the plastic art as practised in Graeco-
Eoman times. With one exception, they were found
in 1765 in a dry well near the Porta Latina at
Eome.
THE MURAL PAINTINGS OF POMPEII, HERCULANEUM,
AND STABLE.
From the terra-cotta reliefs with which the
Eomans decorated the walls of their buildings, we
may turn to the mural paintings from the ill-fated
Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabise, of which there
is a specially interesting, though small, collection in
the Museum, arranged near the terra-cottas. The
freshness of most of the things discovered in the
lava-entombed towns of the Campagna has excited
surprise ; and some of the frescoes in the Museum
might be taken for paintings from the last exhi-
bition at the Eoyal Academy. These mural paint-
ings are much superior in drawing to the frescoes
of Egypt. More colours are used, perspective is
introduced, and the forms and grouping are such as
334 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
we are accustomed to see ; but the backgrounds
some grave, some gay, yellow, orange, red, and brown
give many of them their originality. Among the
subjects may be mentioned : Ulysses passing the
Sirens ; Daedalus flying ; and Icarus falling from the
sky; Ariadne, semi -draped, reclining on the shore
of Naxos, the boat of Theseus passing in the dis-
tance ; a female reclining, partially clothed in a
green robe ; two male , figures standing and holding
branches, &c. probably poets very well drawn ;
Phsedra denouncing Hippolytus to Theseus ; a paint-
ing of " Victory," taken down from a wall of the
residence of the quaestor of Pompeii ; Phryne, as-
sisted by Cupid, unveiling herself before her judges
the colours pale ; a musical party ; Apollo, from the
house of Castor and Pollux, Pompeii ; a portrait of a
young man and of a young woman, evidently the work
of a skilful artist ; paintings of goats, birds, and other
animals ; male and female figures ; heads ; a Cupid ;
Venus in the air ; &c. Besides the paintings, there
are a few excellent and finely-laid mosaics : one,
very curious, representing a lion bound by Cupids,
and Hercules in female attire ; and there are reliefs
of Cupid, birds, &c. The paintings have been mainly
derived from the Temple and Blacas collections ;
those in the former collection were added by the
special direction of the King of the Two Sicilies.
The life-size portrait of a " Flute -player," said to
have been found in the columbarium on the Appian
Way, Eome, was presented to the Museum in 1865
by Sir M. W. Ridley.
CLA SSICA L A NTIQ UITJES. 3 3 ")
BRONZES GREEK, ETRUSCAN, AND ROMAN.
The Greek artist frequently became as famous for
his works in metal as for his works in marble. To
prepare the model and cast the statue often afforded a
relief from the labour of the chisel and mallet ; and if
the process of casting was not marred by a sluggish
now of the fused metal, or the bursting of the mould,
the artist acquired as great a reward as if he had
spent years in the manipulation of a block of marble.
Many artists, indeed, devoted themselves entirely to
working in metal. Bat though the Greeks brought
this art to a degree of excellence enviable even in our
days, they were by no means the first who practised
it. We have observed among the Egyptian and
Assyrian antiquities in the Museum, objects in bronze,
which, at any rate in the case of the former, were
manufactured centuries before the Greeks had culti-
vated the toreutic art; and in the Bible we find
allusions to metal-workers of early times, to Tubal
Cain, Bezaleel, Hiram, and others, and accounts of
articles manufactured, such as the vessels of great
abundance which were cast for the temple by king
Solomon in the clay ground between Succoth and
Zarthan, in the plain of Jordan. But what, we may
ask, has become of the innumerable large metal
works of the ancient world of Egypt, Assyria and
Babylonia, Phrenicia, India, Etruria, and especially of
Greece ? Many of them, we have been told, were
ruthlessly broken up by the northern barbarians who
336 A HANDY- BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
overran the south of Europe when the degenerate
state of Borne could offer them no effectual resistance ;
and many of them were converted into coin, and in
that metamorphosis they may even now be passing
from hand to hand among the money-earning and
money-spending populations of the world. It is
beyond doubt, however, that, interspersed with the
large collection of smaller bronzes in the British
Museum, there are not merely copies anciently reduced
from great works, but compositions from the hands of
some of the famous statuaries of antiquity.
The great abundance of copper, the ease with
which it could be fashioned into articles for use and
ornamentation, the durability infusible by the ad-
mixture of alloys, and the high polish the surface
could take, will account for the many purposes to
which this metal was applied by the primitive races.
We shall first of all see it in its application by the
Etruscans a people mysterious in their origin, and
identified by various learned writers with the Pelas-
gians, Tyrrhenians, and Lydians, and many other
early races. They were, at all events, a people foreign
to Italy, who entered the country at the head of the
Adriatic, subdued the Umbrians, and settled down in
the central part of the peninsula. The histories of
this strange people, by Valerius Flaccus, Csecina, the
emperor Claudius, and others, having been lost, our
knowledge of them is mainly derived from the
memorials in stone and bronze which they have left
behind. Eemains of the principal cities of Etruria
have been discovered, but the subterranean tombs of
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 337
the wealthier inhabitants have supplied the museums
of Europe with the richest relics of a mysterious race,
regarding whom some interesting particulars may be
found in the works of Micali, Bossi, Muller, and
Dennis.
Etruscan art, from its birth to its union with the
purely Greek and the Eoman, is more or less illus-
trative of the social customs and the mythology of the
people of Etruria. The history of this art has been
divided into five periods ; the first characterised by a
rude and uncultivated state ; the second by works in
the Grecian and Pelasgic style ; the third by works
bearing an Egyptian and mythological stamp ; the
fourth by a higher degree of excellence, yet confined
within the limits of the older Grecian fictions ; and
the fifth by a still fuller perfection according to the
more refined models of the Greeks. Of these periods
illustrations will be found in the British Museum
among the castings in bronze, to which the Etruscans
were particularly attached; so much so, that their
cities were filled with bronzes of large dimensions.
One of the earliest specimens of the larger
Etruscan statuary in bronze in the Museum is the
bust of a female, perhaps a goddess or priestess,
resting on what seems to be the inverted half of a
vase. The figure is composed of plates of hammered
metal soldered together. A serrated collar is worn
round the neck, the bust is undraped, and the left
hand is placed on the right breast, as in some of the
Egyptian reliefs. On the pedestal are embossed
chariots, lions, and sphinxes, in a style that recalls the
w
338
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
reliefs on the bronze bowls from Assyria. Among
the specimens we possess of small bronze figures many
are scarcely less ancient than the specimens of larger
statuary. Several of the statuettes of Mars are
fashioned in a very primitive manner. Of the small
THE ETRUSCAN VENUS.
AN ETRUSCAN MIRROR.
(Bronze.)
bronzes we may specify these : The archaic Aph-
rodite, nude, from a candelabrum ; Pan playing on
the syrinx ; masks ; gorgons ; sphinxes ; sirens ; horse-
men with long pointed hats ; Herakles strangling the
lion ; Aurora bearing off Kephalos ; and Apollo with a
fawn.
Prominent among the select specimens stands the
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 339
large figure, two feet high, of a female found at Sessa
on the Volturno, near Naples. The attitude is similar
to that of the bronze female statuettes in the Egyptian
gallery ; but the dress differs. It is impossible not ta
admire the manner in which the figure has been
finished, and the refined taste in costume which pre-
vailed among the Etruscans at that early period.
But the drawing given of the figure renders descrip-
tion unnecessary. It was acquired by the Museum in
1864. By the side of the Etruscan Yenus stands a
statue of Mars, an equally fine specimen of bronze
work, showing the style of the armour worn in the
Homeric ages. Among the other select Etruscan
bronzes are the following : A small standing figure of
Herakles, and a female in embroidered dress, holding
up her hands in surprise ; Dionysos, in a long robe,
reclining, and holding a cup ; Herakles subduing the
man-eating horses of Diomedes, king of Thrace, from
the top of a cista found at Prseneste ; and Demeter
sitting in the rustic car, each of the wheels in the
form of an open flower, found at Amelia in Etruria.
The other objects of interest that may be pointed
out are : Parts of an Etruscan chariot embossed in
silver in high relief ; bronze cars on wheels, found in
the tomb of a lady at Polledrara ; full-length marble
figure of a female in long chiton and mantle, holding
out her hands, in one of which is a bird ; and ostrich
eggs incised and painted with figures of animals, &c.,
deposited for the sustenance of the manes of the
departed. There are, besides, beads, phialae for wine,
vases, bottles, ladles, tripod-stands, strigils or scrapers
340 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
used in the bath, and other utensils, including a
circular tripod hearth, on which rests the charcoal
that may have been kindled above 2,000 years ago
for an Etruscan dinner or an Etruscan sacrifice.
The specimens of candelabra in the Bronze Room
indicate the taste of the Etruscans in the construction
of articles for their dwellings and sepulchres. The
stem, generally long and thin, rests upon a tripod,
with a bronze statuette or group resting on the flat
top or pinakion, or on the head of the central support.
In one instance the design is curious a figure stands
on the head of a seated female. There are also a
great many censers (thuribula) used in the sacrifices.
We have specimens likewise of the cist a a bronze
cylindrical vessel not unlike a bandbox, in which the
Etruscan ladies deposited the articles of their toilet.
It was long supposed that receptacles of this kind
were used in the religious rites of the Etruscans, but
the discovery in one of them of a mirror, combs, hair-
pins, an ear-pick, and glass vessels containing rouge,
set the matter at rest. On the outsides of the cistae
are engraved floral patterns and mythological and
other scenes. The tops, sometimes flat, sometimes
convex, are mostly decorated with small groups in
bronze.
The Etruscans were celebrated for their vase
manufacture, and there are several fine specimens in
the Museum. We have likewise samples of their
" looking-glasses " in a large collection of metal plates.
For the most part the mirrors are circular or pear-
shaped pieces of flat bronze with handles. On the
CLA SSfCA L A XTiq U IT IKS. 341
backs of the hand-mirrors were cut in outline scenes
from mythological subjects, and from domestic life.
The engravers have not been too fastidious in the
choice of subjects, but several of the classic subjects,
such as Athene springing from the brain of Zeus,
Helen performing her toilet in the presence of
Aphrodite, and Orion crossing the sea, are treated
with very good taste. The subject of the finest of
the circular mirrors in the British Museum is Helen
at the taking of Troy, seeking refuge from the pursuit
of Menelaos at the altar of Athene ; the composition
including Aphrodite and several other figures, whose
Etruscan names are inscribed over them. Some-
times the circular plates were mounted on pedestals ;
and a specimen of one of these is engraved at p. 338.
One mirror is set in a frame ornamented with Cupids
and flowers ; the pedestal containing, in relief, a
female, with flowing mantle, holding up a youth.
This fine specimen was found at Locri, in Southern
Italy, and was purchased in 1865, of Signor
Castellani. The smaller mirrors were kept in cases,
generally embossed. There are several of these cases,
chiefly Greek, in the Bronze Eoom. Very small
specula were sometimes encased in coins.
The bronze armour and weapons, Greek, Etruscan,
Eoman, are highly interesting, not merely as samples
of ancient productions in metal, but because many
of the specimens were worn and used in struggles
which history has made famous. There are helmets
of many shapes, cuirasses, belts, greaves, swords,
daggers, shields, some of very large size, spear
342
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
and arrow-heads, hatchets, sling-bullets, muzzles for
horses, &c. Of some of these a trophy has been
formed. Several of the specimens were obtained
from the warrior tombs of Etruria. Two of the
helmets are particularly interesting from the in-
GROUP OF GREEK ARMOUR AND WEAPONS.
scriptions in archaic Greek which they contain.
One is dedicated to Zeus by Hiero I., king of
Syracuse, on the occasion of his naval victory over
the Tyrrhenians, B.C. 472. The other is dedicated
to the supreme god by the Argives on a victory
over the Corinthians. We may also notice a fine
CLA SSICA L A NT1Q UITIES.
343
Eoman sword in a bronze scabbard, on which is
embossed a Eoman emperor (Augustus) seated, viewing
a victorious general. It was found at Mayence in
1848, an'd was' presented to the Museum in 1866 by
Mr. Felix Slade.
MERCURY.
(From the Payne-Knight collection.)
JUPITER.
(From the Denon and Pourtcilex collection*.)
The bronzes of purely Greek and of Graeco-
Eoman and Eoman manufacture in the Museum
are numerous, the small specimens outnumbering
the large ones. Among the select specimens ex-
hibited in cases standing out in the room, and in
some of the wall-cases on the east of it we may
notice the following : Two statuettes, the surface
344 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
covered with a deep green patina, representing Ju-
piter standing and without drapery. The Jupiter
enthroned, holding the sceptre and lightning, is an
excellent illustration of this grand' composition,
though it is of the Eoman period. This bronze,
remarkable for its fine condition, was found in
Hungary, but before it came to the Museum it
presided in the Denon and Pourtales collections.
The Payne-Knight MERCURY is the gem of the
bronze statuettes. It has been described as afford-
ing "a more perfect specimen of what Grecian art
originally was than anything extant." The god is
represented in his mercenary character as Hermes-
Kerdoos, the patron of gain, the tutelary god of
merchants, as indicated by the big purse, made out
of the entire skin of an animal, which he holds in
his right hand. The caduceus, held in the left hand,
is of silver. The chlamys, falling from the shoulder,
is fastened by a gold fibula. The little votive tore
round the neck is of gold, and it is believed that it
was put on by the Gaul who deposited the statuette
in the cave in the diocese of Lyons where it was
found by a couple of weather-beaten labourers on
the 19th of February, 1732. The figure stands on
the original pedestal, inlaid with silver.. A MASK
OP MERCURY, also an exquisite specimen of modelling
and finishing, presents a surface as smooth as that
of a bronze fresh from the mould. A statue of
VENUS (1 ft. 9f in. high) stooping to adjust one
of her sandals, and another statue of Venus arranging
her tresses, from the Pourtales collection, are worthy
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 345
of being classed among the select specimens. There
is a fine figure of Apollo, two feet three inches
high ; and a smaller bronze, which represents Apollo
stooping to bend his bow, was considered by dilet-
tanti at the beginning of the century to be the
most perfect work of art then extant.
BOY (nude) playing at the game of Mora the
largest of the select bronzes (nearly two and a half
feet high) discovered at Foggia, in Southern Italy,
and purchased from M. Piot, of Paris, in 1869. This
vivacious little fellow, who has thrown himself into a
defiant position, and challenges his playmate to guess
the number of fingers he holds up, is believed to have
formed part of a group of Cupid and Granymede.
The boy BACCHUS, nude, having the skin of a
panther thrown over his left shoulder, and holding
the Bacchic staff or thyrsus in his right hand. It
is believed that this fine little figure, which is
in excellent preservation, was derived from Pompeii.
(See Engraving, page 347.) Another statue of
Bacchus, "in good case," two feet high, was picked
up in a broker's shop in London.
SILENUS, carrying a basket on his head, seems
suffering from the effects of a deep debauch. The
bronze is unquestionably the work of a skilful artist
of the later Athenian school. The surface is covered
with the patina antiqua, so much admired by many
connoisseurs. It was acquired by the Museum
in 1869. (See Engraving, page 347.)
HERCULES, coming from the tree in the garden
of the Hesperides, from which he has plucked the
346 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
apples, the serpent that guarded the fruit hanging
dead on the tree. The statue, two and a half feet
high, was found among the ruins of an ancient
temple on the site of the ancient Byblos on the
coast of Syria. It is a grand composition, and is
held in high estimation by artists.
MELEAGER, in the act of slaying the huge boar
sent by Artemis to ravage the country of his father
JEneus, king of ^Etolia, because the king had ne-
glected her altars. Spear and boar are both wanting.
The prince wears only a cloak over his shoulder,
and the powerful figure of Meleager is thus well
defined. The statue, which appears to be a work
of the Macedonian period, belonged to the Pulszky
collection. (See Engraving, page 347.)
POMONA, or Autumn, with a lapful of fruits,
a specimen of Roman work. The figure is upwards
of a foot high, and was found at Padua.
A GREEK PHILOSOPHER, seated in a thoughtful
posture, and a life-like head of an old man, supposed
to portray a GTREEK POET. The first, which was
recovered in dredging the harbour at Brindisi (Brmi-
dusium), presents a fine illustration of reflectiveness.
The head of the poet has been ascribed to Homer,
and also to Pindar. This bronze was brought from
Constantinople at the beginning of the seventeenth
century for the collection of the Earl of Arundel.
BUST OF CLAUDIUS, with alabaster drapery; the
surface of the bronze damaged as if by fire. BUST
OF Lucius YERUS, which portrays the emperor of
the same age as the Townley bust. The bronze is
SI T
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 347
ten inches high, and was formerly in the Blacas
collection.
MALE HEAD, life-size, a striking portrait in
bponze. The eyes have heen enamelled, and the
discoverers think that it may represent some king
of Numidia or Mauritania. It was found under
the pavement of the temple of Apollo at Gyrene.
HEAD OF A BOY of the Roman period, with the
forelock tied in a knot. HEAD, life-size, winged,
probably representing HYPNOS (Sleep), discovered
near Perugia.
STATUETTE of a nude MALE FIGURE, with the egg-
shaped cap, and the locks of Jupiter rising from the
forehead. It was found at Paramythia, and has
been described as in the highest style of Grecian art,
though not remarkable for elaborate finish.
In case D are some of the finest embossed bronzes
in the Museum. The gems of the collection
famous throughout Europe are the reliefs found in
1820 in Magna Grsecia near the river Siris, Lucania
(Basilicata), and which are generally believed to have
ornamented the shoulder-straps of an ancient cuirass.
In each case the picture is a Greek, nude, with helmet
and shield, overpowering an Amazon clutching her
by the hair and pressing his knee in her side. The
figures are in high relief, and were apparently
executed in the same manner as the work known as
repousse ( 1 ). Traces of gilt are seen on parts of the
(*) Or " pushed-out " work. The design is drawn on a thin plate
of metal, properly prepared, and relief is given to the figures or other
objects, by pressing or pushing the parts from the back of the plate
348 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
metal. The masterly style of these bronzes is very
striking when compared with the majority of the
bronze reliefs exhibited in their vicinity. They were
purchased by subscription from the Chevalier
Bronsted for 1,000.
Among the miscellaneous select works in metal
we may notice a relief of Eros playing with a goose,
from Naples ; group of Eros and Psyche ; a large and
fine head of Medusa, in high relief, from a bronze
mirror-case found at Corinth ; a lamp in the shape of
the head of a greyhound holding a hare's head (which
forms the spout) in its mouth, from Nocera ; a silver
bucket presenting a beautiful relief of the story of
Europa and the bull, found in France ; inscribed
bronze plates, containing decrees of the people of
Corcyra ; and another, dating about B.C. 620, contain-
ing a treaty of two tribes in the neighbourhood of
Elis, where it was found.
The inscriptions on the tablets discovered in the
temenos of the infernal deities at Cnidus bring before
us not merely scenes in the domestic drama of the
ancient Greeks, but bear the impress of the every-day
aspirations of ordinary people. The inscriptions,
scratched on strips of lead, are chiefly dirce impre-
cations on persons who have been guilty of some
uncharitable act towards their neighbours. One lady,
a wife, invokes the curse of Demeter, and the other
divinities of the region below, on the head of the per-
till the required projection is obtained. The details are then carefully
finished on the upper face by the means usually employed by chasers.
Westmacott.
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 349
son who has accused her of attempting to poison her
husband ; another lady, whose name is " Prosodion,"
hands over to Plutonic vengeance those who have
misled her husband Nakon. Other wives appear to
have been exasperated from similar causes, and to have
found relief in depositing the leaden imprecation in
the temple. Several of the inscriptions have reference
to thefts, and to the non-restitution of property.
Among the small metal articles, Greek and
Roman, may be mentioned locks, padlocks, bolts,
keys, hinges, nails, cramps, compasses, spurs, tweezers,
needles, knives, spoons, graters, bells, and dice. Of
these last some are in the shape of figures seated with
their arms akimbo, the spots of the dice being marked
on their chests and backs. There is also a large
collection of fibulae or garment-fastenings, armlets in
bronze and lead, and pendent ornaments in the shape
of animals, arms, feet, helmets, vases, and swords.
On one of the bronze fibulae, found in a tomb on the
north-east of the tombs of the prophets at Jerusalem,
there is a figure of Bacchus standing in an easy
posture, and at his side a goat. Of Roman bronze
candelabra there are several specimens in the Museum.
In form they resemble the Etruscan, but are without
figures. There are besides numerous small lamps
exhibiting various devices. One, of good size, was
found in a vault near the baths of Julian at Paris,
the site of which is partially occupied by the Hotel
Cluny. It is ornamented with dolphins, lions, and
satyric masks, the eyes being inlaid with silver.
Near these lamps there is a handsome seat (bisellium)
350 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
likewise inlaid with silver, while finely-modelled heads
of horses and satyrs project from the supports. In
connection with these specimens may be mentioned
the choice and nearly complete collection of articles
scrapers (strigiles) and bronze and other vessels-
used in the Eoman baths, and presented by Mr.
George Witt, in 1867.
We have a very interesting collection of weights
Greek, Eoman, Byzantine, and Etruscan and of
weighing machines or steelyards. Near these articles
are exhibited a collection of small Greek and Eoman
objects. Among the ivory carvings are : an elephant,
just large enough to be seen, from the mausoleum ;
some reliefs ; several heads ; a portion of a casket ;
and a very curious figure of a dwarf. We may also
notice here a flageolet of bone and bronze found in a
tomb at Halicarnassus ; two flutes and a lyre (clielys)
found near Athens ; and some amber carvings, among
which is a small box, supposed to have formed part of
a Eoman lady's toilet service.
ANCIENT GOLD ORNAMENTS.
The Etruscan metallurgists were so successful in
the production of articles in bronze, that it is not
surprising to find they wrought in the more beautiful
and ductile gold ornaments which, depending almost
entirely upon the elaboration of minute patterns,
were not only the admiration of contemporary nations,
but are, even in an age when jewellery may be said to
CLA SSICA L A NT1Q UITIES.
351
have reached perfection, ranked among the specimens
of ancient ornaments most worthy of imitation. The
British Museum contains a rich assortment of Etruscan
jewellery, consisting of wreaths or diadems, necklaces,
and pectoral ornaments, fibulae (clasps or brooches),
bracelets, rings, bullse or " solitaires," for the neck, and
ETRUSCAN GOLD ORNAMENTS.
miscellaneous trinkets, mostly embossed. One of the
ornaments is of superb description, with tiers of
pendent heads, figures of harpies, and inlaid precious
stones. Many necklaces are composed of globular
gold beads, varying in size, and others consist of square
and circular plates of gold linked together, some of
the plates being engraved with heads of animals, &c.
352 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Floral and other devices are introduced between some
of the plates. Several of the Etruscan fibulce are thin
gold disks with filigree work on the surface ; one of
these is a splendid specimen, rather large, and in the
finest state of preservation, as indeed nearly all of
them are. Another of pale gold or electrum gold
containing a rather large native alloy of silver four
and a half inches long, is of curious and complicated
construction ; it is made up of four bars, hooked and
pinned in the centre, and terminating in female heads,
sixteen little double-headed and filigreed monsters
occupying the top of the middle portion. It is
believed that this ornament was used for fastening at
the shoulder the dress of some wealthy Etruscan.
The largest and finest of the fibulae is that from
Caere (Cervetri), formerly in the collection of Mr. T.
Blayds. It is of very unusual size, over eight inches
long, and in the best style of the gold work of
Etruria. The bullte, or bosses, were worn suspended
from the neck, and probably by Etruscan children till
they reached maturity, in accordance with the Eoman
custom. A few of the bracelets are massive, and
others are formed of narrow bands of gold beads and
flowers. Many of the rings have the oblong chaton,
with figures embossed or in intaglio, and there are
several small spiral rings. It will be observed from
the engraving that most of the Etruscan designs are
familiar from modern imitations.
The Greek ornaments are also elegantly wrought,
but they differ in design from the Etruscan. The
Eoman specimens we possess do not present that
GOLD ORNAMENTS.
From the Blacas Collection. In the Museum Ornament Room.
^^^a~Et~<^ lEr^
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 353
variety of type or beauty of workmanship which
might have been expected. The Phoenician orna-
ments are curious in their subjects, but highly finished.
Many of the earrings are tastefully and skilfully
designed. We have a pair found in the island of
Ithaca, each a Victory holding upright on her head a
disk on which is the face of the god Helios in relief.
Many of the gold pendants are effigies of the infant
Bacchus. A favourite earring with Eoman women
was composed of a short bar of gold, from which
dropped a couple of pearls, having a sharp hook
above the bar to fix in the lobe of the ear. There are
a few handsome necklaces. One is composed of four
fine chains of gold, in which are set at intervals small
white glass beads. Another is made up of glass and
gold beads, and ends in goats' heads set with garnets ;
and a third consists of a broad finely- worked chain,
terminating at each end in a lion's head, rosettes and
double leaves hanging from the chain. The E-oman
necklaces are for the most part small ; some are finished
with pearls and precious stones. The Phoenician neck-
laces are composed of square and oblong plates, some
being embossed with a standing figure of a winged
goddess, and some with the bust only of the goddess.
The bracelets are numerous, but there are no samples
of the armillse of six and ten pounds' weight which
are said to have been worn by the Sabine and Roman
women. The rings outnumber any of the other
specimens. Many are quite plain, many are signet
rings, and many are plainly set with precious stones.
The profusion of Eoman rings (annuity may be
x
354 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM,
accounted for by the circumstance that numbers of
the citizens put a ring on each finger. There are
several specimens of the gold fibulae (clasps or buckles)
which were generally worn on the left shoulder.
Several of the Eoman brooches are made up of coins.
Among the miscellaneous ornaments, some of which
are beautifully embossed and chased, there is a cross-
band composed of four strips of gold, about eight and
a half inches long, embossed with Cupids and amphorse,
the centre containing filigree and a flower. A floral
ornament of Graeco-Phoenician work may also be
noted. It is composed of six leaves of pale gold, in
the centre of which is an animal's head issuing from
the calyx of a flower.
The ornaments above mentioned have been derived
from various sources in past years from the Hamilton,
Townley, Payne-Knight, and other collections ; and in
recent years from the collection formed by Mr. James
Woodhouse during a long residence in the Ionian
Islands, and from the museum of the Due de Blacas.
With the Blacas museum we acquired a particularly
interesting series of silver objects forming the trous-
seau of a Eoman bride of the name of Projecta, who
lived most probably about the close of the fifth
century of our era. The objects consist chiefly of a
toilet service, which, when new and bright from the
metal-man's workshop, must have formed a valuable
addition to the adornment of a lady's boudoir. The
principal article is the casket figured in the accom-
panying engraving. It is twenty-two inches long
and seventeen broad, embossed and chased with such
CLASSICAL ANTKjriTIKS. 355
subjects as Venus seated in a shell supported by
Tritons with Cupid, and Nereids riding on Tritons;
Projecta conducted to the palace of the bridegroom
Secundus ; and the bride at her toilet, assisted by
her maids. On the lid two Cupids hold a wreath,
within which are the portraits of Projecta and
Secundus. A Latin inscription on the front of the
PROJECTA S SILVER CASKET.
lid gives additional interest to the treasure, for we
infer from it that "the happy couple" were Chris-
tians. It is to this effect : " May you live in Christ,
Secundus and Projecta." Another casket, polygonal
in shape, and a long-necked silver flask for perfumed
oil, belonged to this service. Several ornaments, all
in silver, and occasionally gilded, were found with
these things, and the whole of the articles were
discovered in 1793 in a roofed chamber in the ruins
of a building at Borne.
356 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
ANTIQUE GEMS.
The ancients excelled in another branch of art
that of gem-engraving. Indeed, some of the finest
examples of ancient art have come down to us in this
miniature form. In the British Museum the gems
have very recently been raised into a most important
collection by the acquisition of the Blacas cabinet.
Formerly the collection comprised about 500 speci-
mens derived for the most part from the treasures of
Townley, Payne-Knight, Cracherode, and Hamilton.
The Townley gems number in their ranks some
half dozen intaglios not to be surpassed by any of the
most famous cabinets of Europe. First among these
is the JULIUS CAESAR of Dioscorides, a front -face
portrait on a sard, the brows encircled with a laurel
wreath, the face full of energy, but hard-featured and
haggard, and expressed with all the fidelity of a
photograph. . Front-face bust of an empress on a fine
dark amethyst probably LIVIA, in the character of
Abundantia. Perseus holding the harp and gorgon's
head, upon a large sard, a figure of careful and
minute finish. A bearded BACCHUS on red jasper,
and an Athenian warrior supporting a dying Amazon
(upon amethyst), by Aspasius. A full-face portrait of
a young man, by ^Elius, upon a sard, an admirable
work both for expression and execution. CUPID
advancing to the rescue of PSYCHE, engraved by
Pamphylius on a splendid ruby-coloured sard. Head
of a laughing FAUN, engraved on a fine jacinth by
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 357
Ammonius. Many of the uninscribed intaglios are
equal to any of the above in artistic merit.
The collection is also peculiarly rich in gnostic
gems. Special interest likewise attaches to the
scaraba3i. As for gems still retaining their antique
settings, the collection cannot be matched by any
in Europe. Among these is a magnificent intaglio of
Hercules slaying the Hydra, very deeply cut on a rich
sard, and set in a massive gold ring of the form
fashionable during the lower empire. The wonderful
lion ring of the Princess di Canino, the masterpiece
of the Etruscan goldsmith, has lately been added to
the list of these treasures. Among the cameos there
is a gold snuff-box presented by Pius VI. to Napoleon,
at Tolentino. The lid is set with an excellent antique
cameo in flat relief on a beautiful onyx of several
layers, the subject is a young faun riding on a goat.
The number of scaraba3i of all varieties is very
large.
The Blacas collection purchased at Paris in
November, 1866, and principally formed by the father
of the late Due de Blacas consists of 951 cameos and
intaglios, of which 748 are ancient, and the remainder
mediaeval, oriental, or modern. The greater number
of the most valuable gems came from the Strozzi
cabinet, which was formed at Borne more than a
century ago.
Among the cameos the following may be noted :
The bust of AUGUSTUS, with the a3gis on the breast.
(!) For farther particulars respecting the Museum gems, see the
works of Mr. King.
358 .1 HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
" This cameo," says Mr. Newton, " which is of an
oval form, measures five and a quarter inches by three
and five-eighths inches. The material is a sardonyx of
three layers. It w^Cs formerly in the Strozzi cabinet,
and from its great size, the beauty of the work, and
the fine quality of the stone, is certainly the most
AUGUSTUS.
(Blaeas collection.)
important gem in the Blacas cabinet. How it origi-
nally came into the Strozzi cabinet does not appear."
There is another cameo of Augustus, beautifully
mounted in gold with a Capricorn enamelled at the
back of the setting. Among the other onyx cameos
may be mentioned the Young Grermanicus, or Mar-
cellus, a cameo with the inscription " EUITTrX,"
which Kohler considered to be one of the very few
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 359
genuine examples of an artist's signature on a gem.
It has always been esteemed for its beauty. A male
and female bust in profile, which have been called
Ptolemy Philadelphus and Arsinoe. In no cameo_
of the collection is the hard material more skilfully
dealt with than in this beautiful work. VICTORY
driving a quadriga ; a fine Roman work. DRAMATIC
REHEARSAL : three youths, one chanting from a book,
another playing on the double-flute, the third beating
time. Head of MEDUSA, cut out of an amethyst ; a
remarkable cameo found by a peasant, about the
commencement of this century, in a vineyard at the
foot of the Aventine hill at Rome. Among the
intaglios are : A head of HERCULES, in blue beryl,
inscribed " TNAIOC," perhaps the most beautiful in
the collection, from the Strozzi cabinet. A head of
MEDUSA, in chalcedony, one of the most celebrated
gems extant. Mask of PAN, in amethyst, inscribed
Skulax, one of the masterpieces of ancient art. Head
of MEDUSA in carnelian, noted by the Due de Blacas
as one of the finest gems in his collection. The
Etruscan and archaic scarabsei in this collection,
mostly on carnelian, are exceedingly choice. The
subjects for the most part represent scenes and
incidents of heroic life. Of the regal and imperial
portraits in intaglio, there are several which may be
recognised with more or less certainty. Among the
portraits of celebrated persons may be noticed : the
poet HORACE ; head, said to be that of HERODES ATTI-
cus ; and a head of POSIDONIOS. The subjects of a
number of other gems relate to the theatre or public
360 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
games. The subjects of the 113 pastes represent for
the most part deities or heroes. The head of JUPITER
AMMON is finely modelled in relief, and is of unusual
size.f 1 )
THE GREEK VASES.
(Formerly called " Etruscan.")
The vase -pictures in the Museum serve a most
useful and valuable purpose. They inform us of
the manners and customs of the ancient Greeks, and
no doubt in a way quite as truthfully as many of
the pictures of Frith, Millais, and other artists of
our time, will convey to posterity a knowledge of the
habits and fashions of the nineteenth century. The
series of ancient vases in the Museum ranks as one
of the finest in Europe, comprising as it does about
a fifth of the total number of specimens known to
exist in public and private collections in this coun-
try and on the Continent. It has been amassed from
various sources during a long period of years. It
has been chiefly made up of the famous collection
brought together by Sir William Hamilton, while
acting as British envoy at Naples, and purchased
in 1772 ; of the vases of the Townley gallery, ac-
quired in 1814; of the Elgin collection, bought in
1816; and of the Payne -Knight collection, be-
queathed in 1824 ; the vases purchased in 1836 1837
at the sales of the Chevalier Durand and the Prince
( l ) See Mr. Newton's account of the Blacas gems.
THE CAMIRUS VASE.
(SURPRISE OF THETIS BY PELEUS.)
u; 77
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES.
361
of Canino's collections, and the hundred select vases
obtained from the Princess in 1843; also, the speci-
mens purchased from Mr. T. Burgon in 1842, from
Mr. Salzmann and Mr. Vice-Consul Biliotti in 1859-
and subsequently ; the vases collected by Mr. George
Dennis in Sicily, and presented by Earl Russell in
1863 ; and those purchased at the sales of the
"ETIIUSCAN" VASES.
Pourtales and Blacas collections in 1865 and 1866.
The tombs of Etruria (and particularly of Vulci and
Nola), Sicily, Athens, Corinth, the Greek islands
(especially Rhodes), and the Cyrenaica, have given
up their treasures of the ancient potter's art. From
the fact that a very large proportion of these vases
was found in the cemeteries of Etruria, they were
362 A HANDY -BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
formerly called "Etruscan;" but the cognoscenti are
now agreed to designate them Greek, of various
epochs or styles. The earliest of these styles can
almost be identified with the Egyptian and Phoe-
nician, evidencing clearly the source from which the
Greeks obtained their knowledge of vase-making.
The paintings on the vases afford the greatest
amount of interest. The earliest decorations were
extremely simple, consisting mainly of double bands,
the more prominent parts being ornamented with
lines variously drawn lines embattled, indented,
waved, and so on, the intervening spaces being filled
up with circles, lozenges, stars, leafy and floral pat-
terns, and other simple devices. Then animals were
attempted, and next representations of the human
form, in which a gradual advance is perceptible.
With the progress of art, we see the disproportionate
shape* of the limbs disappear, and the countenance
assumes its natural form and expression. In short,
the progress of vase-painting was about concurrent
with the advancement in sculpture. The great
works of the statuaries of Greece were transferred
to the outsides of the receptacles for liquids, and
many stories that could not, from the diversity of
subject, be given in marble, were left to the pencil
of the vase-decorator. But the decadence of this
art, as well as its rise, progress, and perfection, re-
ceives ample illustration in the specimens preserved
in the Museum. It is believed that the introduction
of metal vases into ordinary use had much to do
with the falling off in the style of the clay vases.
fUlrlYlRSITYJ
V^r* * *rt>J/
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 363
When the vessels in the more attractive and lasting
metal were eagerly sought after by the wealthy, the
trade of the potter became dull, and the places of
first-rate artists were supplied by men of an inferior-
class.
The vase productions have been divided into three
main periods. The first, called the archaic period,
beginning with the rise of Greek civilisation, and
extending to B.C. 440 ; the second, the period of the
finest productions, from B.C. 440 to B.C. 336 ; and
the third, the period in which the art declined and
ceased, from B.C. 336 to B.C. 100.
Numerous attempts have been made to classify
the Greek vase-paintings. The subjects relating to
the gods occupy the first place ; amongst these will
be found births of gods, the gigantomachia, the
amours of deities, sacrifices, libations, offerings,
mysteries, consultations of the sphinx, &c. ; next,
the subjects having reference to the heroic ages,
such as the war of Troy ; then those relating to
Dionysos, the Satyrs, and Bacchantes, the orgies
and fetes of the gods, the Bacchic thiasos ; then the
subjects connected with everyday life, such as shoe-
making, vase-manufacture, water-drawing (e.g., from
the fountain Kallirrhoe at Athens), washing, toilet-
scenes, cooking, receptions, entertainments, banquets
with music, festivities, revels, drinking-bouts, dice-
throwing, scenes from comedies, singing, musical
contests, flute-playing, dancing, love scenes, leave-
takings, processions, chariot-races, foot-races, armed
foot-races, gymnastic exercises, jumping, throwing
364
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the discus, boxing and wrestling, sparring, tumbling,
playing at ball, fishing, and various other games ;
athletes crowned by Victory ; scenes in the hunt ;
departures for battle, marching, arming, combats,
THE PORTLAND VASE.
(Barberini )
battle scenes, pursuits, rescues ; and, lastly, subjects
connected with death, visits to tombs, and punish-
ments in hell. These are the principal classes of
the vase-paintings.
" The Surprise of THETIS/' by PELEUS, is pictured
on two of the gems of the national vase collection
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 365
on the celebrated " Portland vase," and on what will
become the scarcely less celebrated " Camirus vase,"
discovered in 1862 in a tomb at Camirus in Ehodes
during the excavations of Messrs. Salzmann and
Biliotti, and acquired by the Museum in the same
year. Mr. Newton, in his interesting account of
the vase, which appears in a Parliamentary Eeturn
for 1863, states that the "style of the Camirus
vase is that introduced about the time of Alexander
the Great, when opaque colours and gilding were
employed in combination with the earlier mono-
chrome figures." No other example of this class
of fictile art equals the Camirus vase in free and
masterly drawing. Mr. Newton thinks it probable
that the vase is of Rliodian fabric, and that it was
executed about the time of Protogenes.
The " PORTLAND VASE " is so well known that
a passing reference to it is all that will be expected
here. The principal part is composed of dark blue
glass, the subject upon it being in white opaque
glass in cameo. It was discovered about the middle
of the sixteenth century in a tomb under the Monte
del Grano near Rome, enclosed within a marble
sarcophagus. The tomb is supposed to have been
that of the emperor Alexander Severus and of his
mother Julia. The vase and sarcophagus were de-
posited in the palace of the Barberini family at
Rome. The vase was purchased in 1770 by Sir
W. Hamilton, from whose possession it passed into
that of the Duchess of Portland, who purchased it
for 1,800 guineas. In 1810, the Duke allowed it
366 A HAXDY-BOOK OF Till': P.RITISH J
to be exhibited in the British Museum ; and thirty-
five years afterwards the accident happened which, but
for the skill of the repairer, would have deprived the
world of this unrivalled production of antique art.
The following will also be found among the
choicest vases in the national collection : The
earliest specimens of archaic art, mostly 'from Athens
and Melos (cases 1 5, first vase room, and table
case A). A vase in the form of a hut, supposed to
represent the earliest domicile of the inhabitants of
Latium. The vases painted in black and crimson,
with incised lines on a cream-coloured ground, from
Camirus, (the pinakes 15, 16; the oinochoe 17; the
aryballos 18). The famous Panathenaic amphora,
discovered by Mr. Burgon at Athens, the oldest
extant example of the class to which it belongs (24).
The large krater from Csere (26). The vase repre-
senting the birth of Pallas Athene, black figures on
a red ground (65). Two cups or mastoi (59, 60).
The amphora combining two styles of painting, re-
presenting Achilles and Ajax, and Herakles and the
Nemsean lion (84). The amphora (98N), exhibiting
in the drawing the characteristics of the school of
Phidias. The vase bearing the name of Polygnotos
(lOln), and the similarly fine specimens Nos. 99ivi
and 100. The full-bodied amphora (105 and 106x).
The hydride (Nos. 117 120). The very fine krater
(121). (Achilles and Memnon; Achilles and Hector;
Pallas Athene and Apollo). The krater of the
Hamilton collection (122). The two beautiful kylikex,
or cups (Nos. 124, 125). The very fine amphorce (151
367
154). The peculiar vase from Athens (156.) The
A'/;////m (157). The Athenian pyxis (15S) ornamented
with figures painted red, white, and blue, the ground
black. The little oinochoe (159) found at Athens.
The two Myt/n (100, 161). The oinochoe (16.2). The
Dennis lekythi (163, 164). The Camirus amphora,
(165), kantharos (166), hydria (167), and the very
beautiful kyliv, representing Venus on a swan (168).
The Panathenaic amphora from the Cyrenaica, one
with the name of the Athenian archon Euthykritos,
B.C. 328 ; another with that of the archon Niko-
krates, B.C. 383 ; another with the name of the
archon Polyzelos, B.C. 367.
THE KELTIC, ROMAN, AND SAXON REMAINS FOUND IN
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.
The receptacles for the bones and ashes of their
dead, which the Romans burnt like the Greeks, were
generally manufactured out of common clay. These
urns were sometimes placed inside sarcophagi ; some-
times under large red tiles, as shown in the engraving.
Occasionally large square and many-sided bottles were
used for this purpose a specimen in the Museum
was discovered at Messing, in Essex. Small glass
bottles containing perfumes, &c., and often small
phials holding the tears of the bereaved (lachry-
matories), were put in the urns. Of these there are
specimens. The Romans also made large quantities
of earthen i for domestic purposes, the best of
368
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
which was the red moulded ware generally known as
Samian. The manufacture of the ordinary ware was
carried on extensively by them in Britain, as the
numerous remains of their kilns attest. Most of the
plain Samian ware which was imported is stamped
with the potters' names. Several of the glass bottles
ROMAN TOMB OF TILES CONTAINING CINERARY URNS.
Excavated in the Great Park, Windsor, 1865.
(Presented to the British Museum by Her Majesty the Queen, 1866.)
are of large dimensions, but rough and almost
shapeless. The representations of domestic utensils
are numerous.
Of the ornaments with which the Eomans deco-
rated their persons there is a very interesting
collection, consisting of fibula, armilla?, necklaces,
finger and signet rings. Bronze statuettes of Eoman
workmanship have also been found in England. We
have likewise a variety of specimens of the articles
( 'L A ,S',s7f VI L A X 77 V 1 .7 7V AX
in metal which the Romans used for domestic pur-
poses when they occupied the country. There are
hesides stamps used by oculists, styles for writing,
coin moulds and coins, cauldrons, leather sandals,
and miscellaneous articles. Other positive records
ROMAN ORNAMENTS FOUND IN BRITAIN.
of the Eoman occupation are to be found in the
specimens of arms.
Among the British and Keltic arms may be
pointed out the .bronze shield with ornaments in red
enamel, found in 1857 in the Thames near Batter-
sea, and the enamelled helmet with horns, also
found in the Thames, but near Waterloo Bridge.
Y
370 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Though found so far apart, it is believed that the
shield and helmet belonged to the same chieftain.
Both are given in the engraving. Father Thames
has yielded up many other specimens of the arms
of Britons and Eomans which had lain for centuries
in his muddy bed. Bosses for the middle of shields,
scabbards, weapons of various kinds, and trumpets
formerly used by the Keltic tribes, have been
picked up in different localities in England and
Ireland. Many horse-bits, mostly ornamented with
enamel, and well made, have also been found. The
earlier specimens may possibly have formed part of
the harness of the 4,000 select chariots of Cassive-
launus, the Briton, who lived in the neighbourhood of
the Thames. But the chiefs who ruled in England
before Caesar conquered it did not limit themselves to
the use of iron and bronze for their armour. They
sometimes wore armour of solid gold. Of this we
have proof, for in the Museum is a golden corslet of
ancient British workmanship, excavated at Mold in
Flintshire. It weighs seventeen ounces ; it is three
feet seven inches long and eight inches broad. This
interesting relic, with which a ghost story is con-
nected, was discovered in 1833.
The Museum affords evidence that the ancient
Britons made lavish use of gold for personal orna-
ments. In the ornament room there may be seen
with the above corslet large hoop-like tores for the
neck, made of thick twisted gold, armlets, rings, and
other decorations. Representations of the tombs of
the primitive race may also be met with, and a rather
ANCIENT BETTISH
HELMET, SHIELDS, AXE-HEAD, CELTS, SWOED BLADES, DAGGERS,
SPEAR-HEADS, ETC. (BRONZE.)
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 371
large collection of their stone and bronze celts (celtis,
a chisel), with moulds for making the latter, and
specimens of pottery. Among the last is the clay urn,
said to be that of Bronwen the Fair, whose burial
took place about A.D. 50. It was discovered in a
barrow on the banks of the river Alaw, in Anglesea.
The Anglo-Saxon antiquities found in England,
though fewer in number than the Keltic and Eoman,
are equally interesting with them in relation to the
ETHELWOLF S RING.
history of our country. The relics are mostly small
objects, and among the personal ornaments (which
preponderate) are to be found gold, enamelled, em-
bossed, and jewelled fibulae ; the cruciform buckle ;
the Greek cross ; and a circular ornament for the
neck, set with precious stones, of which we have
two beautiful specimens. The most important of
all the Anglo-Saxon relics is the ring of Ethelwolf,
King of Wessex, the head of the heptarchy (A.D.
838857), and the father of Alfred the Great. It
is inlaid with niello, and is thus inscribed on the
lower part: E-LI-ELVVLR R. The ring was picked
Y 2
372
A II AS 1)1' -HOOK OF THE BRITISH MUXKUM.
up from a cart-rut in the parish of Lavenftoke,
Hampshire, and it was presented to the Museum
in 1829, by Lord Eadnor. There is a small set
of Anglo-Saxon drinking-cups of thick glass; they
are heavy, and squat in shape. Of the boxes or
caskets, which were fashioned by the Saxons in
a peculiar way, there is a remarkable one in the
Museum formed from a whale's bone. Mr. Franks,
ANGLO-SAXON CASKET, WITH IIUNIC INSCRIPTIONS.
who presented it to the Museum, described the
subjects of the carvings as Eomulus and Eemus
suckled by the wolf; the Decollation of St. John the
Baptist ; the Adoration of the Magi ; the Taking
of Jerusalem by Titus ; and a scene from the legend
of jiEgil. The Eunic inscriptions are thought to be
in the Northumbrian dialect. The weapons of the
same people are well and fully illustrated, side by
side with those of the Danes. Some antiquities
from graves in Livonia and Courland are placed
with the Anglo-Saxon antiquities for the purpose
of comparison.
('LA . Wa \L A NTIQ Ul TI KS.
MEDIEVAL ART.
Daring 1 the last few years, media) val antiquities
and ethnography have been marked off into a dis-
tinct department in the Museum, and greater pro-
gress is now accordingly being made in the acquisi-
IVORY CAUVING.
tion of specimens a progress which would be more
generally appreciated were the Christy ethnographical
collections and the Slade bequest brought side by
side with the other specimens of mediaeval art and
ethnography.
Among specimens of mediaeval art, carvings in
ivory take a prominent place. They were mostly
374 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
the embodiment of religious feeling. Ivory diptychs
(double -leaved tablets) and triptychs (triple -leaved
tablets) were the constant companions of the devout.
The specimens of this class in the Mediaeval Depart-
ment range from about the ninth to the sixteenth
century, and were derived chiefly from the Maskell
and Bernal collections. Scenes in the life of our
Lord and of the Blessed Virgin form the burden of
nearly all these devotional compositions. A tablet
of five tiers from the Maskell collection affords a
beautiful example of the minute work of the ivory-
carver. The largest triptych, in which the Cruci-
fixion occupies the central place, is believed to be
a work of the fourteenth century, and probably
German. Two large carvings of English execution
are interesting from the circumstance of their bearing
the arms of John Grrandison, Bishop of Exeter, 1327
1369 ; they were purchased in 1861 from the Fould
and Soltykoff collections. There are also several
statuettes in ivory, among which the Virgin and
Child frequently appear. A fine piece of work by
Christof Angermair, 1616, represents the Temptation;
and there is an exquisitely-finished Italian relief of
the crucified Saviour, supported by angels engraved
at the head of this chapter. Mirror-cases were also
made of ivory in mediaeval times, and here the sub-
jects change to the romantic and the sportive. Some
writing tablets are also exhibited. One from the
Slade collection shows us hawking and wreath-making
in combination. There is an interesting set of
draughtsmen, some in walrus-tusk, on which we see
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 375
such subjects as Samson carrying off the gates of
Gaza, a knight fighting a snail, and a sign of the
Zodiac. There may also be seen a remarkable set
of chessmen, carved in walrus- tusk, and found at
Uig, Isle of Lewis, Hebrides, of the thirteenth cen-
tury, and evidently the workmanship of a Norseman.
Near the ivories are exhibited a handsomely-carved
casket, made out of Shakspere's mulberry-tree, and
presented to David Garrick on the 3rd of May, 1769 ;
and the punch-bowl of Robert Burns, made from
Inverary marble, mounted with silver a memento
of the poet bequeathed by Mr. A. Hastie. There
are other interesting articles in this department, in-
cluding mediaeval shoes in leather, and exchequer
tallies of the reign of Edward III.
We shall now glance at the ENAMELS. Known
to the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Kelts, Saxons,
and other nations, the art of enamelling did not
attain anything like perfection till the days of the
patient workers of the middle ages, especially those
of Limoges and Germany.
Specimens of various processes of enamelling are
found in the Museum collection. The enamels appear
on caskets, shrines, or reliquaries, in which very often
the bones of saints and martyrs were preserved, pyxes,
crucifixes, croziers, vessels, book-covers of which
there are several in the MS. department medallions,
articles for use, ornaments ; and many of them appear
on metal tablets, as pictures. They are principally
French and German, and of the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries. Several of the specimens are by famous
376 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
enamellers of Limoges. One of the earliest, and
most important historically, is a plate on the half
of which is an effigy in a crouching attitude of
Henry of Blois, the brother of King Stephen,
and Bishop of Winchester. "HENRICUS EPiSCOP,"
is inscribed under the figure, and an inscription runs
round the rims of the plate ; the date is between
1139 and 114G. Another of this century is the
front of a cross on which are painted five types
of the crucifixion from the Old Testament. A third,
of the twelfth century, from Limoges, displays an
attempt at anatomical accuracy in the figure of Christ
on the cross. One of the thirteenth century is quaint;
it depicts the preparation for the Passover, the mark-
ing of the lintels of 'the doors with the blood of the
lamb the accessories, the bunch of hyssop, the bason,
and the lamb, being very distinctly shown. There are
also among the later enamels a large picture of the
crucifixion, remarkable for the variety and brilliancy
of its colours ; and the Twelve Sybils by Leonard
Limousin, as sparkling as if they were fresh from
the hand of the artist. Of the enamels not produced
at Limoges, two may be selected for the information
of the student of English history. One is the stall-
plate of Sir William Parr, Marquis of Northampton,
and brother of Queen Catherine Parr, defaced at his
attainder in 1553. The other has the following in-
scription under the arms, which will tell its own
tale : THE NOBLE AND VAYLEANT KNYGHT SYRRE ED-
WARD SEMER ERLE OF HARTEFORD AND VICONTE BEAV-
CHAMPE OF SOMERSET AND VNKYLL TO THE RIGHT HIGH
\L A XTjq UITIKS. 377
AND MYGHTY EDWARD PBYNCE OF ENGLOND DUKE OF
CORNEWALL ERLE OF CHESTER. 1537. A Sample of the
Russian enamel of the seventeenth century is like-
wise exhibited, with miscellaneous specimens.
The unenamelled metal works of medieval times,
English and foreign, are also represented; they con-
sist of bells, crosses, plates, vessels and other utensils,
arms and armour, medallions, figures, &c., some of
which are inlaid with silver. Many of the CLOCKS
and DIALS are complicated pieces of metal- work. On
some of them the names of well-known horologers
appear. One of the pocket dials is peculiarly inte-
resting as having been carried by Robert Devereux,
Earl of Essex, the favourite of Queen Elizabeth.
It was made by James Kynvyn in 1593. In
this section one of the most attractive objects is
a large towering ship in gilt brass, with a clock at
the base of the main-mast, and on the deck a Grerman
emperor sitting in state, surrounded by his court.
When the works were wound up, a variety of actions
was performed by the dignitaries and crew of the
vessel. This intricate piece of mechanism is believed
to be the automaton galley made for Rudolph II. by
Hans Schlott of Augsburg, about 1581. It was pre-
sented to the Museum in 1866 by Mr. 0. Morgan,
M.P. Mediaeval SEALS, or rather matrices of seals,
are exhibited near the watches.
In the department of manuscripts will be found a
large and particularly interesting collection of seals.
Great seals of the sovereigns of England, from
Edward the Confessor to Queen Victoria, whose great
378 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
seal is a very beautiful specimen ; seals of ecclesi-
astical dignitaries, commencing with Archbishop
Anselm, A.D. 1093 1107; seals of abbots, abbeys,
&c. ; baronial seals, and seals of divers ladies of rank.
Among the gold signet -rings in the Ornament
SEAL OF THOMAS THIRLEBY,
Bishop of Westminster, A.D. 15401550.
Eoom, is one used by Mary Queen of Scots, the
circular engraved crystal being set in a ring of
gold, once enamelled. Side by side with this pre-
cious souvenir there are other interesting objects,
including the snuff-box presented by the emperor
Napoleon I. to the Hon. Mrs. Ann Seymour
Darner, in acknowledgment of a bust of Charles
CLA SSICA L A NTiq VI TIES.
379
James Fox which that lady had chiseled with her
own hands at the request of the emperor. Behind
the snuff-box lies a wax cast said to have been
taken from the face of Oliver Cromwell shortly after
his death, and the Protector's gold watch.
The MAJOLICA the enamelled earthenware sup-
SNUFF-BOX
Presented by the Emperor Napoleon I.
to the Hon. Mrs. Darner.
THE SO-CALLED MASK OF
OLIVER CROMWELL.
posed to have originated in the island of Majorca,
whence its name is another of the arts which was
brought to high perfection in the middle ages. Luca
della Robbia, who nourished about 1400, is recognised
as the first Italian artist who coated terra-cotta with
white opaque enamel, and to this he soon added
colours. The painting of pictures on pottery, after
the invention of Luca, began in Italy about the
middle of the fifteenth century, and lived for about
380 A HANDY- ROOK OF THK BRITISH MUSEUM.
200 years. The paintings, remarkable for the
brilliancy which they still retain, appear on plates,
tiles, basons, jars, and similar articles. The paintings
by Maestro Giorgio and F. Xanto Avelli in the
Museum collection are very fine.
We may notice, before quitting the subject of
pottery, the German stone-ware, which, though sub-
stantial in structure, is handsomely ornamented.
Nothing in this section, however, is comparable with
the work of Wedgwood, whose copy of the Port-
land vase is here, and several of his well-known
medallions. Here also are placed three remarkable
samples of the potter's art the Bow porcelain bowl,
painted by Thomas Craft in 1760; the two vases
made at Chelsea in 1762 ; and the Regency bowl.
With these is exhibited a small collection of Venetian
and German glass.
The finest GLASS in the Museum forms part of
the collection bequeathed in 1868 by Mr. Felix Slade.
This munificent gift is for the present kept apart.
It comprises nearly 1,000 specimens, ranging from
the date of the earliest efforts in glass-making, to
the productions of mediaeval times.
Most of the ancient works in glass, especially the
diminutive bottles, are all more or less shot with the
brilliant metallic colours painted on them by the hand
of Time by the decomposition through a long suc-
cession of years of the surface of the material.
Attention may be directed to two specimens. One,
a double -bottle, small, in which all the delicate hues
of the " precious opal " on a white ground are played
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES.
before the eye; the other, a small single bottle (417)
laden with gold, deep and rich, and other metallic
tints. Of the later manufacture the lace-glass of
Venice is the most choice and beautiful. In the
Slade collection the glass is of many shapes and sizes.
As an engraving is given showing some of the finest
specimens, it will be unnecessary to describe the
various forms. Of the colours, blue, green, ruby,
amber, yellow, olive, and purple, predominate.
PRE-HISTORIC AND ETHNOGRAPHICAL COLLECTIONS.
Independently of the richly-stocked collection
formed by the late Mr. Henry Christy,^) there has
been brought together in the Museum a small yet
instructive series of illustrations of the pre-historic
ages of the stone and bronze periods in the history of
man. Some of the most interesting relics connected
with this period are from a cave at Bruniquel, near
Montauban, belonging to a very great antiquity,
when the reindeer and the mammoth still inhabited
France. Others come from Switzerland remains of
the people who built their habitations on piles in the
lakes. Here, in the Museum, we may see how these
primitive lake-dwellers fashioned their bronze knife-
blades, spear-heads, axe-heads, and chisels ; their bone
implements and arms ; their spindle- wheels and
(*) For want of room in the British Museum, this valuable col-
lection still remains at No. 103, Victoria-street, Westminster. It
can be seen on Fridays by ticket, procurable at the British Museum.
382 .-1 HAXDY-ROOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
reaping hooks ; and their ornaments, such as rings,
armlets, and hair-pins. We may also see samples of
their pottery, and of their articles of food. The
sepulchral urns from the Klemm collection confirm
the theory of the identity in race of the earliest
inhabitants of the European continent and of our
island. Indeed, many instances of affinity in the
shape of bone, flint, and bronze implements, brought
from widely -separated districts, could be pointed out
among the relics in our ethnographical collection.
Near these articles are ranged others, but be-
longing to races later, and having pretensions to
refinement, such as the Chinese and Japanese, and
Indians and Burmese ; but the majority of them
are illustrative of the peculiar worship of those
Asiatic peoples.
From Abyssinia there are specimens of art of a
different kind. ' The accounts which we heard of
king Theodore hardly led us to expect that he
would surround himself with such objects of art as
Mr. E. E. Holmes who was attached to the ex-
pedition as archaeologist on behalf of the British
Museum brought home with him when the troops
returned. Among those objects there were a fine
Limoges enamel of the sixteenth century, depicting
a scene in the life of our Lord ; gold and silver
chalices and patens ; engraved processional crosses ;
silk hangings woven with sacred subjects ; and the
gold mitre and silver slippers of the great high priest
or Aboona. Along with these relics are deposited
the collection made in Abyssinia by the late Sir
CLA 88 fC A L A XTHj 1 7 TIE*.
W. Cornwall Harris, comprising several silver orna-
ments and a cylindrical armlet (a valued decoration
among the chiefs), and a couple of small glass bead
necklaces.
We may notice in connection with these relics, the
ALGERIAN ORNAMENTS.
enamelled silver necklace worn by the Kabyle tribes
of Algeria, presented by the Eev. Or. J. Chester :
and a number of ornaments from Algeria, from the
Christy collection : one set in plain silver, the other
elaborately worked and decorated with coral, enamel,
and various stones. A selection from these is given
in the accompanying engraving. The ornaments worn
384 A HANDY- BOOK OF THE BRITISH
by the peasants of Norway, which will be found
with the above, differ entirely from those just men-
tioned. They comprise clasps or buckles, brooches,
belts, finger-rings, &c., chiefly of silver-gilt. Several
of these specimens were obtained by exchange with
the trustees of the Christy collection.
COINS AND MEDALS.
Our national collection of coins and medals is
not less rich than the famous continental cabinets ;
but to visitors, and to students whose researches are
not immediately connected with archeology, this most
valuable section of the British Museum is scarcely
known.
In addition to his library of MSS., Sir Robert
Bruce Cotton possessed a large number of valuable
coins, mostly Anglo-Saxon and early English; and
Sir Hans Sloane accumulated besides books, manu-
scripts, and objects of natural history medals and
coins, ancient and modern, which consisted " of too
great a variety to be particularly described " in his
will. These two series formed the substratum of our
numismatic collection. From that period to the
present, additions by donation, bequest, or purchase,
have been uninterruptedly made. In 1SG1, the coins
and medals were divided from the various collections
of antiquities, and constituted a separate department,
under the superintendence of Mr. W. S. W. Vaux, the
CLA SSICA L A XTIQ UITIES. 3 S 5
eminent numismatist and archaeologist. Splendid
additions have been made since that gentleman's
appointment as keeper. In 1861, Mr. De Salis pre-
sented his extensive collection of Roman coins of all
metals. In 1862, 395 Greek coins were acquired at
the Huber sale, and specimens from the rich collection
formed by General Haug during a long residence in
Greece. The Greek series received daring that year
some very remarkable additions, and so likewise did
the Roman and mediaeval and modern series. In
1864, Mr. Edward Wigan made the trustees a muni-
ficent gift of imperial Roman gold coins, valued at
not less than 3,200. The Hon. Robert Marsham
presented 217 coins, chiefly of the South American
republics, sixty-five being gold, and many very rare.
In 1865, the great collection formerly in the Bank
of England, numbering, with the Cuff and Haggard
medals, 7,700 pieces, was removed to the Museum.
In 1866, a magnificent collection, 4,099 pieces in
all, chiefly of Roman gold coins, was purchased from
the executors of the late Due de Blacas. During
the same year, part of the valuable series of Greek
coins bequeathed by the late Mr. James Woodhouse
was also received, and 170 specimens of the rarest
Etruscan and Roman money were purchased from
M. Sambon. In 1867, a large collection of the
coins of Edward the Confessor, found at Chancton
Farm, in Sussex, was acquired. Among the more
important miscellaneous coins then received, may be
mentioned a very rare coin of Alfred the Great, with
the Christian monogram on his breast; a silver coin
z
386 A H ANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
struck at Lucknow by the rebels in 1857 ; a very
rare sceatta, attributed to Ethelred, king of Mercia,
A.D. 675 704. In 1868, some interesting additions
were made to the Greek, Eoman, mediaeval, and
modern series. To the English series there were
added a silver penny of Archbishop Jaenberht; a
coin of Offa ; a rare Anglo-Gallic mouton d'or of
Edward III. ; and a rare groat of Eichard III.,
with the arched crown.
Thus, from 1753, has the numismatic collection
grown to its present vast proportions. Some idea of
the rate at which the coins and medals are increasing
may be gathered from the circumstance that, in 1866,
the number of acquisitions reached 1,532, of which
722 were gold, 3,939 silver, 4,988 copper, and 1,883
lead; in 1867 the total number was 1,621, of which
1,142 were silver; and in 1868 it was 1,247, of
which 722 were copper. The aggregate number of
coins and medals received at the Museum during
the last seven years was 28,922, and the entire
collection now numbers nearly 200,000 pieces. .
The specimens are kept in small cabinets fur-
nished with tiers of trays of the thickness of the
pieces assigned to them. Each coin and medal is
accompanied by a label. In these cabinets, which
are placed against the walls of the Coin and Medal
Eooms, the specimens are mainly arranged according
to the plan laid down by Joseph Eckhel, the cele-
brated German numismatist. The divisions may be
cursorily noticed :
First, the ANCIENT, at the head of which is placed
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 387
the Greek series, beginning with the small stamped
silver coins of ^Egina, and with the coins or " staters "
in electrum i.e., gold containing an alloy of silver
GREEK.
which were issued by the Lydians and other in-
habitants of Asia Minor. This series extends through-
out the whole Greek period, and under the Eoman
ROMAN.
rule, when the Greek cities enjoyed the right of
coining. Among the more interesting coins of this
series are those of Alexander and his successors,
giving a valuable collection of portraits.
Next, in this ancient division, come the Born an
7 9
/A <C
388 A HANDY-hOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
coins, beginning with the copper the CBS grave
at first a pound in weight, which came into use about
the third century B.C.
The Roman coinage extends to the fall of the
Western Empire, A.D. 476, when the Byzantine may
be said to commence. The latter became an intro-
duction to the currency of the later ages ; because we
find about the time of Justinian, in the sixth century,
that the Goths, Vandals, and other barbaric races went
on coining imitations of the money of the Eoman
emperors. From these emanate various coinages,
such as the Saxon, French, Italian, and the German
from the time of Charlemagne. Following is the
MEDIAEVAL AND MODERN series, including at first only
the money of different sovereign princes of Europe
from not long after the fall of the empire of the
West, but gradually taking in the money of the great
Italian, the Swiss, and other republics. And so by
degrees we come down to the modern period, which
is represented by all the contemporary coinages to
the present day. With reference to ENGLAND, we
begin with the Heptarchy, of which the earliest
specimens belong to the seventh century. Under
the monarchs silver pennies were coined in London,
which already had a mint in the time of the Eomans.
Besides the Anglo-Saxon kings, of whom these coins
give us some peculiarly interesting portraits, the
archbishops of Canterbury and York also coined
money. The Museum contains several specimens of
tiiis archiepiscopal specie. Then we descend to the
English coinages, properly so called. They com-
CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES. 389
prise nothing but silver pennies down to the time of
Henry III. Under Edward I. the groat first makes
its appearance ; and under Edward III. the gold
coinage, of which the chief piece is the noble of
6s. 8d., really commences. . Then various coins come
into use from this king's time till we arrive at the
more complete English s. d. This coinage, how-
ever, was rather miscellaneous at times ; as, for
instance, in the reign of Charles I. The most in-
teresting of Charles's rare pieces is the " Oxford
crown/' As in other countries, numerous coins were
patterned in England that were never minted; and
of these the Museum cabinet has many examples.
Then, last of all, there is the great ORIENTAL
series, including the coins of the Pagan princes of
the East on the one hand, and of the Mohammedan
princes on the other.
In addition to the importance in history, chrono-
logy, and geography of the numerous specimens of
money in the collection, the coins of Greece and
Eome have an especial interest acquainting us as
they do with the various local styles and successive
schools of art. The coins of Greece preserve, very
often, works of famous Greek artists their statues,
bas-reliefs, and the other beautiful monuments which
their genius suggested and executed. The coins ac-
quaint us also with the local varieties of the Greek
religion; and the portrait, almost uniformly given
on the obverse of each of the regal pieces of money,
has an importance in the eyes of the student of
history which can hardly be overrated. To the
390
HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
student of later history the coins and medals of
mediaeval and modern times are scarcely less inte-
resting and instructive.
A good idea of the nature of the collection of
medals will be conveyed by the enumeration of a
selection from the specimens received at the Museum
during, say, the last seven years, 1862 1868. We
will begin with the medals of the International Exhi-
bition of 1862 ; then we meet with a medal given by
ENGLISH.
the Pope to General Lamoriciere's brigade ; a medal
of Dr. and Mrs. Dr. Gray of the British Museum ;
one of Henry Hallam; two medals commemorating
the thousandth year of the existence of the Eussian
empire ; another commemorating the tercentenary of
Shakspere ; another the Hartley colliery explosion ;
and another, the entry of the Princess Alexandra into
London ; medals of Queen Anne, Galileo, Jo. Bapt.
Yico, Sir W. Browne ; very fine and rare medallions
of Commodus, Lucilla, Sept. Severus, Gordianus Pius,
Trebonianus Gallus, and Probus ; medallets of the
peace of Ryswick, 1697, and William III.; a mag-
CLASSICAL AXTTQUITH<:H. 391
nificent medallion of Diocletianus, Tinique in size
and condition; gold medallion of Constantius II.,
Gratianus, and Honorius II. ; a medal of Henri
Christophe as emperor of Hayti ; a unique silver
medal of Richard de Harington, and medallion of
Volusianus ; rare gold medals of Elizabeth, and of
the Elector of Saxony, A.D. 1611 1656; a medallion
of Sept. Severus struck at Ilium in the Troad ; me-
dallions of great interest and value of Hadrian, Verus,
Alex. Severus, and Numerian ; a rare medallion of
Nicolas Cotoner, Grand Master of the Knights of
Malta, 16631680; unique medallions of Edward VI.
(lead), and Anne Blake (bronze) ; eight gold medals
presented at various times to Professor Faraday ; the
gold medals of science and art conferred on Sir G.
Duckett, Bart., and on Captain G. W. Manby, F.R.S. ;
the Prussian order for the battle of Koniggratz,
July 3, 1866; and a silver medal presented by the
Emperor of the French to the Trustees of the British
Museum, for their co-operation in the Exhibition at
Paris of 1867. Commemorative of events and of
persons, and extending over a long series of years,
it will be at once seen how important this collection
is to the historian, the biographer, and the student
of history '
392 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY.
THE foundation of the national library of Great
Britain was laid out principally with the 50,000
printed books, or thereabouts, and the 4,130 MSS.
Sir Hans Sloane collected during his lifetime ; with
the 2,000 MSS. and 10,200 printed books which once
belonged to the library of some of our earlier kings
and queens, and which were presented to the nation
by George II. ; with the MSS., numbering 850, or so,
industriously amassed by Sir Eobert Cotton soon after
the dissolution of monasteries in this country; and
with the 8,000 MSS. and 16,000 charters, rolls, &c.,
which formed the Harleian collection.
Sloane's library was of a miscellaneous description.
It numbered, however, amongst the printed books,
many rare and curious works on natural sciences, and
amongst the MSS. many treatises on chronology and
history, on medical, anatomical, chirurgical, and
general subjects.
The MSS. of the old royal library, dating chiefly
from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries, included
Bibles, psalters, prayer-books, writings of the Fathers,
copies of the classics, many superb specimens of the
illuminator's art, and many richly-bound volumes.
The most precious of all the MSS. in this library is
the CODEX ALEXANDRINUS, with one exception the
most ancient extant copy of the Scriptures. It is
especially valuable as containing the only genuine
copy of the epistle of Clement. Amongst the old
royal MSS. we also find many of peculiar interest,
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY. 393
such as the Meditations composed originally in Eng-
lish by Queen Catherine Parr, and translated into
Latin, Trench, and Italian, by Queen Elizabeth when
princess. The translation, written on vellum, is
wholly in the handwriting of Elizabeth, who dedi-
cates her work to her father, Henry VIII. The
printed books include the unique copy of Caxton's
" Meditacions sur les Sept Pseaulmes Penitentiaulx,"
the first edition of the " Assertio Septem Sacramen-
torum," for which Pope Leo X. conferred upon
Henry VIII. the title of "Defender of the Faith,"
and the beautiful specimens of printing on vellum by
Verard, the Parisian printer, which Henry VII.
delighted to collect.
The Cottonian library contains some of the most
precious documents we possess relating to the earlier
history of our country. Amongst the splendidly-
illuminated MSS., the celebrated "Durham Book "
a folio of the Grospels in Latin with an interlineary
Anglo-Saxon gloss or version ; at once the finest and
richest specimen of Anglo-Saxon illuminative art as
practised at the commencement of the eighth century.
The copy was made and ornamented by a bishop,
Eadfrith of Lindisfarn, between 698 and 720, assisted
by ^Ethelward, Bilfrith, and Aired, the work having
been undertaken " for Grod and St. Cuthbert." Then
there are charters granted by Hlotharius, or Lothar,
king of Kent (A.D. 679), by Eadred, son of Edward
the Elder (A.D. 949), by Canute, king of England
(A.D. 1031), by Edward the Confessor (A.D. 1045), by
Henry I., and by King John (the famous Magna
Charta, A.D. 1215); the original bull of Pope
394 A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Innocent III., receiving the kingdom of England
and Ireland under his protection (1214), and that
of Leo X. conferring on Henry VIII. the title of
Defender of the Faith (1521) ; also the original draft
of Queen Elizabeth's letter to the House of Commons
in reply to the petition relative to the succession, in
which she characteristically reproves the members for
their interference.
The Harleian collection is especially rich in MSS.
that delight the pedigree hunter in heraldic visita-
tions, grants, and displays of arms, creations of
dignities, British and foreign pedigrees and genea-
logies, county histories, registers of religious houses,
cartularies, surveys, &c. ; also in historic MSS.
generally, in biographies, in theology, law, and liter-
ature. It also contains, besides many other interesting
MSS., the manual of prayers used by Lady Jane
Grey on the scaffold (1553-4), written on vellum, and
illuminated with miniatures, and in which Lady Jane
wrote on the margins some lines intended for Sir
John Gage, and for the Duke of Suffolk, her father.
With these rich collections the national library
may be considered as having made a very good begin-
ning. Indeed, the Harleian and Cottonian collections
are the most important accessions of MSS. which it
has ever received at any one time. Fresh contri-
butions were soon made for the purpose of building
up the great book fabric in BlOomsbury. In addition
to valuable presentations by George III. and Mr.
Salomon Da Costa, and bequests by Dr. Birch, Mr.
Speaker Onslow, and Major Edwards, the library
received before the end of last century, Hawkins's
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY. 395
works on music, Garrick's library of plays, Cole's
genealogical and other 'MSS., Tyrwhitt's classical
books, Musgrave's biographical library, Methuen's
books in Italian and Portuguese, and the magnificent
library formed by Mr. Cracherode, which consisted of
about 4,500 volumes, including sumptuously-printed
works, and rare editions of the classics.
But the most extensive accessions in the way of
printed works have been made to the national library
within the present century. A rapid notice of the
.in 'I 1 ' '
SIB, JOSEPH BANKS.
(Statue by Chantrey, in tlieHall of the Museum,.)
more important of these must here suffice. The
House of Commons, in 1807, voted 4,925 for the
purchase of the Lansdowne MSS. Mr. Francis Har-
grave's law library of MSS. and printed books was
bought in 1813 for 8,000, and two years later
Baron Moll's library of 15,000 scientific works. In
1817 the MSS., books, prints^ 1 ) &c., collected by
(*) The prints were transferred to the Museum department of
Prints and Drawings, to which admission can be obtained, with
396 A HAXDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSETM.
the Eev. Dr. Burney, were procured at an outlay
of 13,500 ; and in the same year 1,000 was
given for the Gringuene collection, rich in Italian
literature.
In 1820 the printed book department was enriched
by Sir Joseph Banks's bequest of his natural history
library, comprising 16,000 volumes. In 1823 the
splendid library of Greorge III., including upwards of
65,000 printed volumes,' about 8,000 pamphlets, a
large geographical and topographical collection,^)
and 446 volumes of MSS., was presented to the
nation by his successor. Among the printed books
in the " King's Library " there are choice specimens of
typography, and some rare editions. We may notice
the Mazarine Bible, the earliest complete printed
book known (Grutenberg and Fust, Mentz, 1455) ; the
first book printed in English, and several other
Caxtons. In the same year the library obtained
20,000 pamphlets published in Paris during the
" Hundred Days." This addition was shortly sup-
plemented by the Colt-Hoare bequest; the purchase,,
for 7,500, of the oriental MSS. collected by Mr.
Consul Eich while at the court of the Pasha of
Baghdad ; the Wolley MSS. and charters ; the Kerrich
and Essex MSS. and drawings, mostly illustrative of
Gothic architecture in England; the Egerton (or
Bridge water) MSS. and charters, to which was added
facilities for copying, on written application to the principal librarian,
accompanied by a recommendation from some respectable house-
holder.
( x ) This collection formed the nucleus of the section of maps,
charts, plans, and topographical drawings, which was constituted a
separate department in 1867, when it was placed in the charge of
Mr. E. H. Major, F.S.A., F.G.S., as under-librarian.
TllK NATIONAL LIBRARY. 397
a fund of 12,000 for augmentations. The famous
Shakspere autograph, and the well-known letter
which Nelson wrote to Lady Hamilton on the eve of
the battle of Trafalgar, belong to this collection. In
1830, the MSS. from Lord Guilford's library were
acquired, and the next year those collected by the
Earl of Arundel. Small but important additions in
various branches of learning continued to be made
both to the printed books and MSS. till 1847, when
another large library that purchased by the Eight
Hon. Thomas Grenville for about 54,000 was
added by bequest. It comprises 20,240 volumes,
many of which are the rarest editions of works and
the finest specimens of typography. It includes, for
example, such books as the first printed Psalter ;
Caxton's " Game and Playe of the Chesse," the first
edition of this work and the first book printed in this
country ; the earliest edition of the first Latin classic ;
" Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, and
Tragedies," printed in 1623, the first collected edition
of the great dramatist's plays ; the first edition of
Milton's "Paradise Lost" (1667) ; one of the earliest
specimens of stereotyping (a Sallust, Edinb., 1744);
and other rare works. ( l )
The acquisition of the Grenville library was
followed by that of numerous smaller but still
valuable collections, both in manuscript and print,
such as the Chinese library of Dr. Morrison ; the
Eanuzzi and Yule MSS. ; 4,420 volumes from Dr.
(*) The books and MSS. specially mentioned in this sketch are
exhibited for the most part in the Grenville and Koyal Libraries,
and the MSS. Saloon.
398
A HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Michael's library ; the Bupert and Fairfax correspon-
dence (16401649); Davy's Suffolk collections; the
Lowe and Haldimand papers ; Dawson Turner's
Norfolk collections ; Mr. Consul Taylor's Oriental
MSS. ; the Grantham and St. John papers ; and Dr.
SHAKSPERE.
(From the Portrait by Martin Droeshout, in the folio of 1623.)
Cureton's Syriac and other MSS. Thus we come
down to 1864, but large miscellaneous additions had
for some years been made to the department of printed
books, maps, and music, and to that of MSS. with
the funds liberally voted by the House of Commons
year by year. Tor instance, in the ten years ending
TIT K NATIONAL LIBRARY. 399
the above date upwards of 100,000 were spent in
purchases of books and MSS., the outlay for binding
being about 83,000 ; and during the same decade
more than 300,000 complete works were added to the
department of printed books under the copyright act,
by purchase, and by donation. The broadsides,
ballads, &c., are not counted in this total; they alone
amounted during the ten years to considerably over
600,000. The number of manuscripts, charters, &c.,
acquired during the same period was nearly 14,000.
In 1865 the additions to the national library were
1,6:28 MSS., &c., and 29,686 volumes of printed
books; in 1866 the numbers were, respectively, 1,019
and 34,160; in 1867, 510 and 32,645. In 1868
42,331 volumes and pamphlets, including Dr. Von
Siebold's Japanese books, were added to the printed
book department; 707 manuscripts, &c., to the
European section of the MSS. department, and to
the Oriental 757 Eastern MSS., including those
brought home by our expeditionary army from
Abyssinia.
The treasures of the national library, from the
first opening of the British Museum to the present
time, have been made available to students, and this
inestimable boon is becoming every year more widely
appreciated. For the frequenters of 1759, among
whom were Dr. Johnson, Dr. Lowth, David Hume,
and the poet Gray, " a corner room in the base story "
of Montague House, furnished with a wainscot table
and twenty chairs, was all the accommodation pro-
vided, and it proved amply sufficient for the
400 A. HANDY-BOOK OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
purpose ; but now the spacious and magnificent
reading-room of the institution is the daily resort of
upwards of 300 readers an indication that the utility
and value of the Museum are growing in the estima-
tion of the public with the progress of intelligence^ 1 )
In the early days of the institution the readers
numbered about half a dozen daily, while during the
last three years the daily average has been 342, 354,
and 353, i.e., in 1866 there were 99,857 readers ;
in 1867, 103,469 ; and in 1868, 103,529.
In closing this brief account of the National
Library some reference seems necessary to those who,
in carrying out the wishes and instructions of the
trustees, have exerted themselves to place it in the
unrivalled position which it now holds both in respect
to its treasures and the facilities afforded for study.
In connection with the printed books we may mention
the names of Mr. (now Sir Anthony) Panizzi, Mr.
Winter Jones the present principal librarian of the
Museum and Mr. Thomas Watts, who has but lately
departed from among us ; and in connection with the
MSS. those of Sir Frederick 'Madden and Mr. Bond,
the latter of whom is now actively directing his
efficient staff in the preparation of a classed catalogue.
The name of Sir Henry Ellis is also honourably
associated with the printed book and manuscript
departments.
( J ) Admission to the reading-room is granted to any respectable
person twenty-one years of age, qualified to make a proper use of
the privilege, on written application to the principal librarian, accom-
panied by a recommendation from a respectable householder.
Aalimesnefertari, Queen, 51
Abbeys and Abbots, seals of, 378
Aboo Simbel, 83, 93
Abram, his birth-place, 175 ; his date,
177 ; Abram and Chedorlaomer, 176-7 ;
Abram' s visit with Sarai to Egypt, 38,
43
Abydos, 18, 42, 92, 122 ; the tablet of, 77
Abyssinia, collections from, 38*2 ; engrav-
ing of objects taken from King Theo-
dore, 382 ; manuscripts from, 399
Accad, the Assyrian city, 160 ; Tiglath-
Pileser adopts the title of king of, 165
Accounts, Egyptian, 155
Achilles with Memnon and Hector, vase-
painting, 366
Achilles and Ajax, 366
Acoris, Pharaoh, 108
Acrobatic feats, Egyptian, 142 ; Assy-
rian, 218
Acropolis, the, of Athens, 259
Actseon and his dogs, marble group, 296
Actium, the victory at, 119
Adonis, marble, from the villa of Pope
Sixtus V., 297
Adzes, Egyptian, 140 ; Assyrian and
Babylonian, 189
JEgina, casts of sculptures from, 242 ; the
silver coins of, 387
JSgipan, statuettes of, 303
JStiu, portrait in marble, 323
^Elius, gem by, 356
JEs grave, 388
JSschines, sculptured portrait, 318
.^Esculapius, Egyptian prototype ; see
Imouth. See also Asklepios
Africa, exploration of the coast of, by
Necho, 101
Agarsal taken by the Assyrians, 162
Agesilaus, his engagement by Tachos
and support of JSectanebes II. ; death,
113
Agora, the, of Athens, 258
Agoracritus, head attributed to, 243
Agricultural implements, Egyptian, 136
Ahab of Jezreel, 163
Ahasuerus, nature of his proclamations,
233. See Artaxerxes
Ahaz, King of Judah, 167
Ajax and Achilles, vase-painting of, 365
Akarber of the Ramesseum, 125
Akarur, tablet of, 42
Alcseus, Sappho and, terra-cotta, 331
Alcamenes, the statuary, 244
Alexander the Great, supposed tomb of,
109 ; his possession of Egypt, 113-14 ;
coins of, and his successors, 387
Alexander, Ptolemy, bronze figure of, 123
Alexandra, the Princess, medal of her
entry into London, 390
Alexandria, foundation of, under Ptol.
Lagus, library and museum of, 114
the battle of, 56 ; objects from, 109 '
111, 119, 120, 127; the attributes or
123
Alexandrine Codex, the, 392
Alfred the Great, rare coin of, 385
Algeria, ornaments from (engraving), 383
Algezira (Al-Jezireh), 158
Almakah, god of the Himyarites, 156
Altars, Egyptian, 45, 123, 127; Greek,
260 ; Roman. 314 ; Romano-British,
327
Amam, the coffin of, 149
Amarphal, King of Shinar (Gen. xiv.),
discovery of his name in the cuneiform
tablets, 177
Amasis, as " the friend " of Apries, 102 ;
as Pharaoh, 103-5; anecdotes of him,
103-4 ; his queen's sarcophagus, 105
Amazons, battles of the Greeks and,
subjects of the Parthenon metopes,
252 ; the Phigalian frieze, 2b2 ; the
frieze of the Order of the Mausoleum,
278, 285 ; the bronzes from the Siris,
347 ; gems, 356
Amber carvings, 350
Amenasro, the Ethiopian prince, 69
Amenemha, son of Atai, 49; governor
of the West of Egypt, 50
Amenemha I., Pharaoh, 43
Amenemha III., 47
Amenemheb, his tomb-paintings, 72 et
seq.
Amenhept, statue of, 61 ; tablet (en-
graving), 80
Ameni, memorial stone of, 43; statue, 50
Amenmen, judge, tablet with the queens
of Amenophis I., 51
Amenmes, tablet of, with adorations to
the sistrum of Athor, 123; another
with worship of Thoueris, 126
A A
402
INDEX.
Amenophis, Pharaoh, I., 51, 71 ; II., 62,
134; III. (Memnon), monuments and
conquests, 63-69; lions killed by him,
152 ; his marriage with Taia, and
extent of his dominions, 152; portraits
of him, 65 ; his column (engraving),
66; colossal statues of, 67, 89 (en-
graving of one, 50) ; sacrificial statue
of, 71 ; stamp with his name, 140
Amen-Ra, the supreme God of the
Egyptians, 21, 48, 52, 59, 70, 71, 05,
125, 129
Ameuti, the four genii of the, 23, 30,
106, 130, 146, 148, 150, 153, 156 (en-
graving of two), 120
Amentuanch, lion re-dedicated by, 69
America, South, coins of the republics
of, 385
Ammon, women of, 141. See Amen-Ra
Ammoiiius, gem by, 356
Amosis, Pharaoh, 51, 141
Amounartis, Queen, 134
A mpelus, Bacchus and, marble group, 301
Amphitrite represented on Parthenon
pediment, 249
Amran, mound of, bowls from, 216
Amset, one of the genii of the dead, 146.
Ste Amenti
Amulets, Egyptian, 129, 152-3 ; Gnostic,
157
Amyrtams, Pharaoh, 104
Anaita, the goddess, 79
Anebni, Prince, 59, 60
Angermair, C., ivory carving by him, 374
Anglo-Saxon antiquities, 371 : coins, 384,
388 ; illuminative art, 393 ; ornaments,
Ethel wolf's ring (engraving), 371;
weapons, 372
Animals, their worship by the Egyptians,
20 ; origin of animal worship, 24, 25 ;
the symbolism, 25 ; representation of
the Egyptian sacred animals, 130, 155 ;
mummies of some of them, 150 ; Greek
and Grseco-Roman terra-cotta, 329 ;
Eoman paintings of, 334 ; small sculp-
tured, 314
Ankh, an Egyptian lady ; sarcophagus
of, made for a man, 112
Ankh, the Egyptian rhetorician, 155
Ankh, the, Egyptian emblem, 65
Ankhhaf, tomb of, 40
Ankhape, his mummy and coffin, 150
Ankhhuunefer, his mummy, 148
Ankhsenhesi, statuette of, and her
husband, 122
Ankhsenpiraneferhat, Queen, 105, 106
Anklets, Egyptian, 151
Aune, Queen, medal of, 390
Annuli, Roman, 353
Anselm, Archbishop, seal of, 378
Antinous as Bacchus, marble bust, 323
Antoninus Pius, worship of Serapis in-
troduced into Rome by, 121 ; sculp-
tured busts of, with engraving of that
from Cyrene, 324
Antony and Cleopatra, their defeat, 119
Anu, the Assyrian god, temple of, 161 ;
place in the pantheon of Assyria, 186
Anubis, the Egyptian god, 23, 30, 40,
42, 59, 81, 106-7, 120-1, 124, 130, 149
Anucis, wife of Noum, 71
Anuphept, tablet of, 79
Anuta, the Assyrian goddess, 186
Aphrodite, Etruscan bronzes (engraving
of one), 338-9 ; engraving of, on an
Etruscan miror, 341 ; marble statuette
of A. Euploia, and small group of A.
and Eros, from the Cyrenaica, 294.
See Venus
Apis, the sacred bull of Egypt, 24, 72,
101, 113
Apollo, statues, archaic, 243 ; the Choi-
seul Gouffier, 243 ; Apollo eitharoedu*,
from the Cyreuaica (engraving, 278),
295; from the Farnese palace, 310.
Heads, archaic, 242; T. 58, 306; the
Giustiniaui and Pourtales (engraving,
305), 306
Apollo, relief of, and Diana, 262 ; with a
fawn, Etruscan bronze, 338 ; bronze
statuettes, 345; vase-painting of, 366 ;
mural painting, 334 ; oracle of Apollo
at Branchidse, 240 ; temple of Apollo
Epicurius at Phigalia, 26l
A pries, an Egyptian functionary, statue
of, 99
Apries (Hophra of Scripture), Pharaoh,
102-3
Apu, statue of, 67
Arab invasion of Chaldsea, 176
Arabia, 14 ; subjugated by the Assyrians,
166 ; renewed hostilities, 168
Aramasau tribes, Assyrian war against,
167 ; their country invaded, 169 ; de-
feated by Sennacherib, 170
Ararat laid waste by the Assyrians, 166 ;
invaded again, 169
Aratus, sculptured portrait of, 318
Archbishops, money coined by, 388
Archelaus of Priene, relief by him, 303
Areopagus, the, 259
Argives, helmet with dedication by the,
342
Argo, the building of the, terra-cotta
relief of (engraving), 33'^
Ariadne, statue of, 330 ; Ariadne on the
shore of Naxos, mural painting, 334.
See Libera
Aristomeues, the governor of Epiphanes,
118
Armenia, 158 ; provinces of, added to
Assyria, 166 ; Esarhaddon's campaign
in, 172
Armlets, Egyptian, 137, 151 ; Assyrian,
224 ; Greek-Roman, 349 ; Romano-
British, 368 ; British, 390; of the Lake-
dwellers, 382 ; Abyssinian, 383
Arms, Armies, and Armour Egyptian,
136 ; engraving, 137 ; Assyrian and
Babylonian, 184, 188-9 ; Greek, Etrus-
can, Roman, 339, 341-3 ; engraving of
a Greek group, 342 ; Romano-Bntish
INDEX.
403
and Keltic, 369-70 (engraving, 370) ;
Swi-s lake-dwellers', 381 ; Anglo-Saxon
and Danish, 372 ; Mediaeval, 377 ;
relief of Dacian and Sarinatian armour,
314
Arueferu, statue of, 67
Arpad, sieye of, by Assyria, 166.
Arrow- beaded writing. See Cuneiform
Arses, son of Ocbus, 113
Arsinoe, Ptol. Philadelphus and (?) gem,
359
Art-works, ancient architectural relation
of, 33 ; see names of countries, &c.
Artaxerxes, name of, on objects in the
Museum, 178.
Artemis. See Diana
Artemisia, the sister and wife of Mau-
solus, 277; statue said to represent
her, 283.
Arundel manuscripts, 397
Asenath, wife of Joseph, 49
Ashdod, Assyrian war with, 169
Ashes of the Dead, 153, 224, 260, 330
Ashmolean Museum, part of a B. M. sar-
cophagus in, 111
Asia, kings of, numerous contemporary
notices of, in the cuneiform records,
178-9
Asia Minor, Greek sculptures from, 264 ;
coins of, 387
Askelon, 168
Asklepios, the Egyptian prototype of,
23 ; draped torso of, 256 ; colossal head
from Melos (engraving, frontispiece),
290
A spasius, gem by, 356
Ass-headed god. See Typhon
Ass-hunt, Assyrian, 209
Assur, city of, revolt in, 164; statue
from, 220 ; the great Assyrian god,
98, 100, 185, 193 ; explanation and
engraving of the symbol of, 226 ; priests
of, 161
Assur-akh-iddin. See Esarhaddon
\ssur-akhi-irba. See Sennacherib
^ssurbanipal (Sardanapalus), his charac-
ter, marriage, events of his reign, &c.,
98, 100, 173-6 ; monuments, 195 ; war
with the Susianians, 198, 200 ; Assur-
banipal and his queen, representation,
203; lion-hunts (engr. 178), 206 ; mono-
gram on dishes, 216 ; epithet of, 231
^ssurbilkala, King of Assyria, date, dtc.,
statue inscribed with his name, 220
^ssurbilunisisu, King of Assyria, date,
&c., 161
Xssurdayan I., King of Assyria, 162 ;
Assurdayan II., 163; Assurdayan III.,
164
Assuremidiln, last of the Assyrian kings,
his end, 175
Assuriddinakhi, King of Assyria, 163
Assuritu, city of> rebuilt, 163
Assurnadin made king of Babylon, 171
Assurnazirpal (Assurizirpal), accounts
of him, 163 ; monuments of, 191 ;
statuette of, 220 ; his throne decora-
tions, 213 ; weights of his reign, 223 ;
ivories from a chamber in hit palace,
213 ; engraving of him, 178
Assurnirari, King of Assyria, 164
AssurrabuamarCO King of Assyria, 163
Assurristilim, King of Assyria, 162
Assurupallit, King of Assyria, and his
daughter, 161
Assyria; the Assyrian collections, 158;
architecture, 211 ; army, 188 ; art, early
period, to reign of Assurnazirpal, 218 ;
transition, reign of Sennacherib, 219 ;
finest period, reign of Assurbanipal,
219 ; banquet, 202-3 ; character of the
king and people, 209 ; chase, the, 204;
chronology, 160 ; colours known to
the Assyrians, 184 ; country, climate,
rivers, soil, trees, animals, &c., 180-1 ;
drinking vessels, 222 ; eponymes, 163 ;
eunuchs, 208; furniture, 212; geo-
graphy, 158, 160; glass, 216; gods and
goddesses, 165, 185-7 ; history, 159, 175,
177, 188, 236 ; hunt of the lion, bull,
ass, deer, gazelle, &c., 204-8 ; ivories,
213 ; kings, 158-75 ; king, the, 184-5,
188, 201-2, 205, 209 ; language, writing,
and literature, 228-237 ; life, Assyrian,
from Assyrian pictures, 180-210 ; me-
chanics, 205 ; origin, 161 ; palace, 183 ;
sacrifices, 202, 208 ; scientific and
other particulars, 223-7 ; sculpture,
218-22 ; seals, 225 ; small objects from
Assyria, 211, 223; soldiers' mess, 200;
story of the slabs, 179-210 ; temple,
185-8 ; warfare, 58, 181, 202 ; weights,
223 ; Assyrians and Egyptians, com-
parison, 234 ; Assy ro -Egyptian kings,
objects, 214 ; Assyrian influence on
Egyptian art, 99. Xee engraving, 178
Astarte (Ashtaroth), figure of, 220
Astragalizontes, part of a marble group,
302 ; Astragalizusa, or Nymph of Di-
ana (engraving), 300-1
Ata, represented with her husband on a
tablet, 42
Ataineb, coffin of, 150
Atai's painted tablet, 48-9
Atau's arragonite vases, &c. (engraving),
134, and bronze vessels, 135
Athene, birth of, and Athene's contest
with Poseidon, subjects of the Par-
thenon pediments, 249 ; chryselephan-
tine statue of, copy of, on a Museum
gem, 247 ; procession in honour of,
illustrated on the Parthenon frieze,
252. ; the olive-tree of, 254 ; temple
dedicated in part to Athene Polias
254 ; head from the Cyreuaica, 294 ;
terra-cotta representing her assisting
in the construction of the Argo (en-
graving), 332 ; Helen seeking refuge
at her altar, mirror, 341 ; Athene
springing from the brain of Zeus,
mirror, 341, 366. See Minerva
Athens, 258; bombardment of, 247 ; mis-
404
INDEX.
cellaneous sculptures from, 254 ; vases
from, 361
Athenian victories over the Persians,
temple commemorating, 256 ; the
pulnic meeting-place of the Athenians,
258 ; Athenian colonisation of Lycia,
264 ; tomb commemorating their de-
feat of the Lacedaemonians, 289
Athletes crowned by Victory, vase-paint-
ings, 364
Athor, the Egyptian Venus, 22, 54, 61,
71, 93, 105-6, 123, 126-7, 129
Athothis, Pharaoh, 18
Atreus, treasury of, at Mycenae, remains
from, 260
Attica, the contest for the soil of, 249 ;
miscellaneous sculptures from, 254
Atu, statue of, 62
Atum. See Neferatum
Atys, small figure of, 327
Augustus, the victory at Actium, 119 ;
portrait of, in marble, 319 ; bust of.
gems, 357 (principal one engraved, 358)
Auletes, Ptolemy, 119
Aura on her husband's tombstone. 49
Aurelius, statue of, 120 ; bust of, 325
Aurora and Kephalos, bronze, 338 : terra-
cotta, 330
Avelli, Xanto, majolica paintings by him,
380
Axes.. 137, 189, 342
Axe-heads, Assyrian, 224 ; from the Swiss
lakes, 381 ; British (engraving), 370
Azariah, King of Judah, Assyrian account
of, 166-7
B
Baal, the Evil Principle, 123, 127
Baal, King of Tyre, attacked by Assur-
banipal, 174
Babel, Tower of, terra-cotta from site of,
218
Babil, the Assyrian name of Babylon.
Nre Babylon
Baboon, mummy, 151
Babylon, palace erected in, by Esar-
haddon, 172; the hanging -garden,
reservoir, and great wall of, 177-8 ;
the "impious feast," 178 ; Babylonia,
geographical position, 158 ; kings of,
and historical notices, 160-178 ; Baby-
lonian history and Jewish history and
prophecy, 159, 237 ; practice of muti-
lating the statues of conquered nations,
58 ; language, writing, and literature,
228-37 ; smaller antiquities from, 211 ;
seals, 225. See Chaldaea
Bacchante, head of, 302 ; ba^-relief of,
&c., 303 ; kidslayer of Skopas (I), 313 ;
figures of, on a vase (engraving), 313;
vase-paintings of Bacchantes, 363
Bacchus, the infant, playing with a satyr
(engraving), 311 ; the boy, statuette,
301 ; bronze from Pompeii, 345 ; en-
graving), 346 ; the youthful, a bronze,
345 ; marbl-e head of (?), early style,
297 ; statue from Gyrene, 294, 310 ;
terra-cottas, 333 ; gem, 356 ; terminal
heads of, 308 ; on a fibula, 849 ; Bacchus
visiting Icarus, relief of, 203 ; Bacchus
and Ampelns, 301 ; and Libera, double
term of, 308 ; music of Bacchus, 314 ;
Antoninus as Bacchus, 323. zee
Dionysos
Baennaa, statue of, 79
Bagamal, the goddess, 176
Bakaa, brothers, their tablets, 122
Baken-Amen, the Egyptian butler, 125
Balasu, his submission to Tisrlath-Pileser
II., 165
Balbillus, governor of Egypt, 125
Bald-headed god of Egypt See Imouth
Ballads, &c., number received during ten
years, 399
Balls, Egyptian, 143 ; Assyrian, 224 ;
Ball-playing, vase-painting, 364
Bandages of mummies, 147-8
Bandlet, Egyptian symbol, 153
Bank of England, collection of coins,
present of, to the Museum, 385
Banks, siege-, of the Assyrians, 190, 195
Banks, Sir J., bequest of his natural-
history library, 396; his statue, by
Cnantrey (engraving), 395
Banks. Mr., and the tablet of Abydos,
78
Banofre. statue of, an^l engraving, 59, 60
" Barbarian captive," head of, 321; chief-
tain, and engraving, 320-1
Barbaric races, money coined by, 388
Bar!>erini vase, notice and engraving,
364-5
Barley, Egyptian, samples, 136
Barons, seals of. 378
B isins, sacrificial and sepulchral, 93, 123,
127, 327 ; majolica. 380
Baskets, Egyptian, 132-3, 138, 140
Bas-reliefs, miscellaneous, in the Elgin
collection, 260 ; collection of Gneco-
Roman, 303. See various collections of
sculpture
Bath utensils, Etruscan, 339 ; Roman,
350 ; Assyrian baths, 224
Battoring-rams, Assyrian, 190, 194 (en-
graving), 178
Battle scenes, vase-paintings of, 364
Bazu, Esarhaddon's campaign in, 172
Beads from Tyre, 157; Etruria, 339;
Egyptian beads, bugles, and bead-
work, 152, 155. See the collection of
glass
Beards of the Egyptians, 89, 132 ; of
mummies, figurative meaning, 111 ;
mutilation of beards on statues, 58
Bedouins of the pyramids, 38, 147
Beechey, Messrs., their discoveries in
the Cyrenaica, 292
Beer, Egyptian, 136
Beetle worship, 126. See Scarabaeus
Beit-el-Walee, 83, 129
Bel, the Assyrian god, 186
INDEX.
405
Bells, Egyptian, 140; Assyrian, 223;
Greek-Roman, 349 ; mediaeval, 377
Bellerophon and the Chimaera, 269, 272,
331
Bellona, the Roman, 124
Belshazzar, notice of him, 178
Beltis, the Assyrian goddess, 186
Belts, ancient, 133, 341 ; of the Nor-
wegians, 384
Belzoni, the excavator, 52, 56, 68, 89, 93,
95, 147
Benhadad. King of Syria, 163
Berenice, temple of, 127
Bernal collection of ivories,- 374
Berodachbaladan. tiee Marudukbaliddin
Besa. See Typhon
Besnefer, statuette of, 121
Bethshemesh, 58
Betmes, statuette of, 40 ; (engraving, 50)
Bible, Septuagint translation of the < >ld
Testament, 114 ; biblical bistory con-
firmed bv Egyptian monuments, 96;
by Assyrian records, 159,160
Bikni, Esarhaddon's campaign in, 172
Biliotti, Mr., his excavations on the
Mausoleum site, 287 ; vases purchased
from, 361
Bilkuduruzur, King of Assyria, 162
Bilnirari, King of Assyria, 161
Binding of printed books and manu-
scripts, amount expended in ten years,
399
Birch, Dr., bequest to the Library, 394
Birch, Dr. Samuel, 46, 59, 97, 116
Birds, Roman paintings of, 334
Birs-Nimroud, terra-cotta from, 218
Bisellium, a, 349
Bit, horse, Assyrian, 224
Bitanna, statue carried off from the
temple of, 176
Bitsahal, deportation of the people of, 165
Bitsilani, Assyrian capture of, 165
Blacas collection, acquisitions, 296; coins,
385 ; Egyptian objects, 155 ; gems,
356 ; head of Asklepios, 290 ; orna-
ments, 354, engraving, 352 ; vases, 361
Blake, Anue, bronze medallion of, 391
Blayds, Mr. T., the Etruscan fibula pur-
1 chased from, 352
Blois, Henry of, enamelled plate of, 376
Boats, portions of Egyptian, 138 ; models
of sepulchral, 155
Bocchoris the Wise, 97
Bond, Mr., 400
Bone-carvings, Egyptian, 140
Bonomi on the Karnak stele, 61
Book of the dead. See Rituals
Book covers, mediaeval, 375
Bottles, Egyptian, 133, 135 ; Assyrian,
216; Etruscan, 339; Greek-Roman,
380 ; Roman found in Britain, 367
Bouchard, M., and the Rosetta stone,
118
Bow porcelain, gpecimen, -80
Bowls, Egyptian, 135 ; Assyrian, 215 ;
English, 380
Bowring, Sir J., 56
Bows and arrows and arrow-heads, Egyp-
tian, 137
Boxes, Egyptian, 135, 139 ; sepulchral,
154-5; Anglo-Saxon, 372
Boxing, representations of, on Assyrian
clay relief, 218 ; in Greek vase paint-
ing, 364
Boy, playing at mora, large bronze, 315";
bronze head of a, Roman period, 347
Bracelets, Egyptian, 151 ; Assyrian, 224 ;
Etruscan gold, 351-2 ; Greek and Ro-
man, 353. See Armlets Ornaments
Bradawls, Egyptian, 140
Branchidse, sculptures from, 240
Bread. Egyptian, 135-6
Breccia from near Thebes. 109
Bricks, Egyptian, 131 ; Assyrian, 212
Bridgewater manuscripts, &c., 396
Bridle, Assyrian, 224
British antiquities : arms, celts, pottery,
ornaments, &c., 369-371 ; engraving,
370
British Museum, sketch of its history
(origin, opening and admission, addi-
tions to the collections, new buildings,
want of space, distribution of the de-
partments, statistics of visitors, 1805-
68, its use), 1-13 ; motto for the Museum,
on title-page
Broadsides, &c., number acquired in ten
years, 399
Bronsted, Chev., bronzes from the Siris
purchased from, 347
Bronwen the Fair, urn of (?), 371
Bronze period, the, illustrations, 381
Bronzes, Egyptian, 122, 129 ; Assyrian,
213, 222, 224; Etruscan, Greek, Ro-
man, 335-348 (engravings, 338, 342-3).
Brocze head from the Cyrenaica, 293
Brooches of the Norwegians, 384. See,
Fibulae
Browne, Sir W., medal of, 390
Brugsch, the Egyptologist, on chron-
ology, &c., 51, *5-6, Ho'
Bruniquel, pre-historic remains from, 381
Brutus and the Lycians, 265
Bryaxis, the sculptor employed on the
Mausoleum, 278
Bubustis. See Pasht
Bucket, silver, with relief of Europa and
the bull, 348
Buckles. See Fibulae, Brooches
Budil, King of Assyria, 161
Budrum, antiquities from, see Mausoleum
Buildings and materials and implements,
Egyptian, 130-1, 139-40 ; buildings cf
the Assyrians, 211
Bullae, Etruscan gold, 351-2
Bulls, colossal Assyrian, 221
Bunsen on Egyptian chronology, &c., 14,
57, 84-6
Burckhardt, 56, 89
Burgou vases, 361
Burmese collections, 382
Burna-buryas, King of Babylonia, 161
40G
JNDEX.
Burney, Rev. Dr. ,
and prints, 395-
" Burning Lamps " festival, 22
Burns's punch-bowl, 375
Bursagale, prefect of Gozan, 164
Buzur-assur, King of Assyria, 161
Byzantine series of coins, 388
Caduceus of Mercury, figured in engrav-
ing, 343
Cadyanda, casts from sculptures at, 270 ;
bas-reliefs from, 271
Caeneus, death of, relief, 262
Caesar in Egypt, 119; and Cleopatra,
119 ; marble bust of Csesar (engraving,
316), 318 ; the gem by Dioscorides, 356
Cairo, 38, 106, 110
Calah, the city (Gen. x.),158 ; the builder
of, 161 ; revolt in, 164 ; palace built
in, by Tiglath-PileserTI., 169 ; and by
Esarhaddon, 1 72 ; monuments from,
19-3; ivories discovered in, 213; sta-
tuette from, 220 ; drinking utensils
from, 222; combs from, 224
Caligula, equestrian statue with head
restored as, 319
Callicrates, contractor for the Parthenon,
246
Calliope, terra-cotta figure of, 333
Calneh (Gen. x. 10), coffins from, 224
Calves, sculptured, from temple of
Demeter, 288
Canabyses, his name on objects in the
Museum, 178 ; and his successors in
Egypt, 107 ; Egyptian statues taken
by him recovered from Persia, 114
Cameos. See Gems
Camirus vase, the, notice of, 365 (en-
graving, ^60)
'' Campbell's tomb," 111
Oanaanites, 95
Candelabra, Etruscan, 340 ; Roman, 349 ;
portions of sculptured, 313
Canephora, the, of theTownley collection,
engraving, 308 ; notice, 309
Canino lion-ring, 357 ; vases, 360
Canterbury, Archbishop of, money coined
by, 388
Canute, charter of, 393
Caracal) i, portrait of, 326; sculptures
from his baths, 295 ; statue of (?), 103
Caria, account of the sculptures, &c.,
from, 277-290 ; soldiers of, employed
by Apries, 103 ; represented in battle,
274
Cars, Etruscan bronze, 3a9
Carthage, mosaics and inscriptions from,
315
Caryatides. See Canephora, Karyatis
Caskets, Roman, silver, 354 ; engraving
of one, 355 ; Anglo-Saxon casket (en-
graving). 372 ; mediaeval, enamelled,
375
Cassias and the Lycians, 265
Castanets, Egyptian, 141
Caste*, Egyptian, 15
Casting-net from Thebes, 138
Castor curbing a horse, relief, 304
Cat, mummies, 151 ; Egyptian bronze, 155
Cat-beaded goddess. See Pasht
Cauldrons, Assvrian, 224 ; Roman, found
in Britain, 369
Caviglia, Sigr., 56, 62, 90
Caxton's " Meditaoions," 393 ; "Game
and Playe of the Chesse," 397 ; other
books printed by him, 396
Ceiling, an Egyptian emblem, 130
Celts and celt-moulds, 370; engraving
of celts, 370
Censers, Etruscan, 340
Centaurs and Lapithai, combsts of the,
reliefs of, 251, 261 ("engravings), 233,
261
Cephissus, the river god, 250
Cerberus present in the Egyptian trial
scene, 30 ; see engraving, 50
Ceres, temple of, at Eleusis, remains
from, 260
Chairs from temple of Dionypos, casts of,
260; chair from baths of Caracalla,
314
Chaldsea, geographical position, 158 ; in-
vaded by the Assyrians, 164; Esar-
haddon's campaign in, 172 ; its people
and kings, 175 ; bricks containing
names of kings, &c., 176 ; Assyria once
subject to, but conquered by Sargon
and Sennacherib, 176 ; taken by the
Arabs, 177 ; wisdom of th people, 233;
seals from, 225. S*e Babylonia
Chalices from Abyssinia, 882
Champollion and" hieroglyphic interpre-
tation, 32, 53, 84
Chancton farm, coins found at, 35
Chantrey, his statue of Banks, 395
Chares, ruler of Teichiosa, 239
Chariots, Egyptian, paintings of, 75;
Assyrian, description, 188 (engraving),
178 ; Etruscan, in silver, 339 ; Greek
chariot-races, frieses representing,
286 ; vase-paintings, 363 ; chariot-
group of the Mausoleum, remains of
the, 281-4. For other representations
of chariots, see the Persepolitan, Par-
thenon, and Phigalian relief?, the ter-
ra-cotta reliefs, coins, &c.
Charles I., the Oxford crown, and coinage
of his reign, 389
Charlton (Courten) museum,
Charms. See Amulets
Charters, and manuscripts, number ac-
quired in ten years, 399
Charts, collection of, 396
Chase, the Assyrian, 204
Chastity, the Egyptian goddess of, 23
Chedorlaomer, the contemporary of
Abraham. Se Kudur-Mabuk
Chelsea botanic garden, 3 ; vases, 3*0
Cheops, Pharaoh, his pyramid ad times,
INDEX.
407
35 ; amulet, 152 ; inscription of his
age, 37
Chepher (Cheper), emblem of, 95
Chephren, Pharaoh, his pyramid and
times, 35 ; amulet, 152
Cherubim, the, of Scripture, 221
Chessmen from Uig, 375
Chimsera, representations of the, bas-
relief from Lycia, 269 ; terra-cotta
figures (engraving), 330 ; terra-cotta
relief, 331 ; gold fibula (engr.), 352
Chinese bottle from Nimroud, 216;
ethnographical collections, 382 ; library
of Dr. Morrison, 397
Chisels, Egyptian, 140; Assyrian and
Babylonian, 189 : from the Swiss lakes,
381
Chiun, the, of Scripture, 78
Chlamys, the, represented in engraving
of Mercury, 343
Chnubis. See Noum
Chons, the Egyptian god, 22, 71, 129
Christ with Mary in Egypt, 39 ; Christ
crucified, supported by Angels, ivory
carving (engraving), 373-4
Christophe Henri as Emperor of Hayti,
medal of, 391
Christy collection, the, 381 : ornaments
from, 383-4
Chronology, Egyptian, 32-3 ; importance
of the numismatic collections in, 389
Chushanrishathaim, the, of Scripture,
162
Cilicia, Esarhaddon's campaigns in, 172;
monument said to commemorate the
suppression of a revolt of the people
of, 274
Cistae, Etruscan, 340
Clappers, Egyptian, 141
Clasps of the Norwegian peasantry, 384.
See Fibulae
Classical antiquities, the, 238
Claudius, bust of, 346
Clay figures and tablets. See Terra-cottas
Clementine epistles, the, 392
Cleopatra, 119, 123. "Cleopatra's
needle," 57, 127 ; Mummy and coffin
of a lady of this name, 150
Clocks, mediaeval, 377
Clock-ship, 377
Cloth, Egyptian, 143-4
Club, Egyptian (engraving), 137
" Clytie," the bust commonly called,
297 ; engraving, 298
Cnidus, discoveries on the site of a
temple at, 287 ; dirce from the temple,
34S ; colossal lion from a tomb near
(engr.), 289 ; the Demeter (engr.), 278
Codex Alexandrinus, 392
Coffins, Egyptian, 148; models, 153;
from the Sacred Way, 240; from
Camirus, 331. See Sarcophagi
Coghlan, Colonel, Himyaritic tablets
given by, 156
Coins and medals, the collections of, 384-
391 ; engravings (Greek, Roman,
English), 387, 390 ; coins and coin-
moulds found in Britain, 369
Cole's manuscripts, 395
Colt-Hoare bequest, 395
Columns, Egyptian, 6G, 120
Combats, vase-paintings, 364. See
Friezes
Combs, Egyptian, 133 ; Assyrian, 224
Comedies, scenes from, vase-pain tings, 363_
Commodus, portrait of, in marble, and
portion of a statue, 325 ; medallion o',
390 ; coin with portrait (engraving),
387 ; Commodus and Hercules, 326
Compasses, Greek-Roman, 349
Cones, terra-cotta, Egyptian, 154 ; Assy-
rian, 224
Constantius II., medallion of, 391
Contests, musical, vase-paintings, 363
Cooking, vase-paintings, 363
Copper, its extensive use by the ancients,
336
Coptic inscriptions, 1 27
Corcyra, decrees of the people of, 343
Cord, Egyptian, 136
Corinth, vases from, 361
Corn, cultivation of, in Egypt, 75
Corslet, British, of gold, 370
Cosmetics of the Egyptians, 133
Cotoner, N., medallion of, 391
Cottonian manuscripts, 392-3; Cottonian
coins, 384
Corn-land, antiquities from graves in, 372
Cow-headed g 'ddess. See Athor
Cracherode gems, 356 ; Cracherode
library, 395
Craft, T., Bow porcelain bowl of, 380
Cragus, Mount, 266
Cramps, Greek-Roman, 349
Creator, the Egyptian, 22
Cretan colonisation of Lycia, 264
Criosphinx, 70
Crispina, portrait of, in marble, 323
Crocodile-headed god. See Sebak. Cro.
codile mummies, 151; crocodile ar-
mour, 136
Cromwell, 0., cast said to have been
taken from his face (engraving), and
his gold watch, 379
Crook, the Osirian emblem, 91
Cross, Anglo-Saxon, 371 ; enamelled,
376 ; band of gold, 354. Processional
crosses from Abyssinia, 382
Crown, Egyptian emblem, 130
Crozier, mediaeval enamelled, 375
Crucifixes, mediaeval enamelled, 375
Crucifixion, large enamel of the, 376 ;
ivory carving, 374
Crux ansata, the, 130
Cubit measure, the, 132
Cuff, Mr., his collection of medals, 385
Cufio inscriptions, 127
Cuirass and helmet, Egyptian, 137 ;
Greek, 341 (engraving), 342
Cuneiform writing, 228 ; specimens, 163,
230, 231. The cuneiform proclamation,
183
408
INDEX.
Cupid, in marble, said to be after that of
Praxiteles, 299 ; from Burke's collec-
tion, 299 ; asleep, with a club, 299 ; by
a vase, 299 ; Etruscan mirror with
Cupids, 341 ; .Roman painting of Cupid,
334. See Eros. Cupid and Psyche,
gem, 356
Cups, Egyptian, 135 ; Assyrian, 215
Cureton, Dr., his oriental MSS., 398
Cyaxares. See Medes
Cybele, head of, 296
Cymbals, Egyptian, 140-1, 150; Assyrian,
191
Cynocephalus, sculptured, 71, 93. See
Thoth
Cyprus, conquest of, by Amasis, 104 ;
terra-cottas from, 328
Cyrenaica, the, historical notice, and
sculptures, &c., from, 292
Cyrene, 293 ; revolt of Egyptian soldiers
at, 102 ; statue of the nymph, 294 ; the
nymph crowned by Libya, relief, 295 ;
statue of Bacchus from, 310 ; Apollo,
278
Cyrus, siege of Babylon by, 178 ; his
name on objects in the Museum, 178
D
Da Costa, Mr. S., his donation to the
library, 394
Daedalus flying, mural painting, 334
Daggers, Egyptian, 137 ; Assyrian and
Babylonian, 189; Greek, Etruscan,
Roman, 341 ; British (engraving), 370
Dagon, god of the Philistines, 186
Damascus, Assyrian sieges of, 164, 167
Darner, Hon. Mrs., snuff-box presented
to her by Napoleon I., 378 (engraving),
379
Damietta, 14
Dancing and music among the Egyptians,
75, 76, 141, 142 ; among the Greeks,
vase-paintings, 363
Danish weapons, 372
Darius, 113; his seal, 227; name on
objects in the Museum, 178; and
Sesostris, 84
Davis, Dr., Carthaginian antiquities col-
lected by, 315
Davkina, Assyrian goddess, 186
Davy's Suffolk collections, 398
Dayanassur, an Assyrian prefect, 163
Dead, the, of the Egyptians ; the guar-
dian spirits, 23 ; vases for parts of the,
78 ; inquisition on the, 148 ; the judge,
24 ; Ritual, 28, 30 ; an offering for
the, 136 ; the mummied, 144-151 ;
ashes, 153. See Amenti, genii ; Book of
the Dead. Of the Greeks, inscriptions
relating to the, 259 ; vase-paintings,
364 ; sepulchral urns, with remains
(engraving), 330, 260 ; Roman recep-
tacles for the ashes, 367 ; bones from
Ur, 224
Deities. See Gods and Goddesses
Delia Cella, Dr., and the Cyrenaica, 292
Delta, the, 14
Demeter in a car, Etruscan bronze, 339.
Parthenon statue, 249, 250. Cnidian
statue, 288 (engraving, 278) . As the
Mater Dolorosa, 288. Her temple at
Cnidus, 287
Demosthenes, the so-called lantern of,
255 ; sculptured portrait, 318
Demotic writing of the Egyptians, 28, 32,
115-16, 127-8
Dennis, Mr. Consul, seal found by him,
227. Vases collected by him, 361
De Rouge" s " Monuments," 37
De Salis, Mr., coins presented by, 385
Devereux, E., Earl of Essex, pocket-seal
of, 377
Diadems, Etruscan, gold, 351
Diadumenos, copy of the, 244
Dials, mediaeval, 377
Diana, Egyptian prototype, 23 ; sculp-
tured heads, statue, <kc., of, 262, 301,
309
Dice, Egyptian, 142, Greek-Roman, 349;
dice-throwing, vase-paintings, 363
Didymus, tablet of, 124
Diocletian, column of, 91 ; medallion,
391
Diodorus on the Moeris lake, 45 ; on
Apries' Phoenician war, 102 ; on the
wall of Nineveh, 181
Diogenes, sculptured portrait, 318
Dione, bust, engraving, 304-5
Diouysos, colossal statue, 255 ; Etruscan
bronze, 339 ; vase-paintings relating
to, 363 ; bas-relief from temple of,
258 ; casts of chairs from, 260. Diony-
sia, vases with illustration of the (en-
graving of one), 313. See Bacchus
Dioscorides, gem by him, 356
Diospolis, 52
l->ipoenos, the sculptor, 240
Diptychs, ivory, 374
Diree, collection of, from Cnidus, 287,
348
Dishes, Egyptian, 135; Assyrian, 215,
224
Diskobolos, statue of a, 306 (engraving),
307
Disk-throwing, vase-paintings, 363
Disks, sculptured, 314; Egyptian sym-
bols, 153
Dog-headed god. See Anubis. Mummies
of dogs, 151
Dolls, Egyptian, 142 ; Greek, 331
Domestic life, scenes in, on vase-paint-
ings, 363
Domitia, sculptured portrait of, 319
Dramatic rehearsal, gem, 359
Draperies of the ancients, in marble, 2/6
Draughts and men, Egyptian, 142 ; Me-
dieval, 374
Drawing, Egyptian, with canon of pro-
portions, 155
Drawings and prints, admission to the,
how obtained, 395
INDEX,
409
Dress of the Egyptians, 132; of the
Assyrian kings, 184
Drills and bow, and Egyptians using. 140
Drinking-bouts, vase-paintings, 3b'3 ; cups,
Egyptian, 133 ; Assyrian, 222 ; Anglo-
Saxon, 372
Droeshout's portrait of Shakespeare, en-
graving of, 398
Drums, Assyrian, 191
Duckett, Sir G., medals conferred on
him, 391
Ducks, Egyptian, 136
Dugab besieged in Sape*, 165
Durand vases, 360
Durham Book, the, 393
Dwarf-god, the. See Ptah
Eadfrith, Bishop, and the Durham Book,
393
Eadred, Charter of, 393
Ear-rings, Egyptian, 151 ; Greek and
Roman, 353 (engraving 352)
East, series of coins of the, 389
Ecclesiastical dignitaries, seals of, 378
Eckbel, J., the numismatic collections
arranged on his plan, 386
Eclipse of the sun, B.C. 763, 164
Edom, Esarhaddon's campaign in, 172
Edward the Confessor, charter of, 393 ;
coins of, 385 ; seal, great, 377
Edward I., the groat first coined under,
389 ; Edward III., gold coinage, com-
mencement of, in his reign, 389 ;
mouton d'or of, 386 ; Edward VI.,
leaden medallion of, 391
Edwards, Major, his library, 7, 394
Egerton manuscripts, &c., 396
Eggs from Etruscan tombs, 339
Egypt and the Egyptians. Alexander's
possession of, 114.; animals, 128, 130;
auimal-worship, 25 ; ante-room, 128 ;
antiquities, historical importance, 157 ;
architecture, character, 34 ; arms,
136-7; art, Egyptian; early period, to
Dyn. XII., 35 ; colossal period, Dyn.
XVI1L, XIX., 50, 82; decline, Dyn.
XIX., 94; renaissance, Dyn. XXVI.,
99 ; Greece-Egyptian period, 111 ; Ro-
mano-Egyptian, 124 ; Assyrian wars
with, 98, 172-4, 177 ; Assyrian influence
on Egyptian art, 99; belief, 46, 81,
111, 120, 144 ; bequeathed to the He-
mans, 119 ; bronzes, 122 ; buildings,
materials and implements, 18, 130-1 ;
canals--, 84, 101 ; castes, 15-16 ; central
saloon, 82 ; chronology, 32-3, 84 ; cities,
18; climate, &c., 14; cloth, 143; co-
lonisation, 14; colossal sculpture, 55,
64-5, 82, 88-91, 119; death, 28, 144;
deities, 21, 70-1, 111, 128-9, 153-5;
domestic life, 41, 72-7, 130 ; drawing,
72 ; dress, 76, 94, 132 ; dwellings,
130-1 ; Dynasties IV.-XXXL, 35-113;
Egyptologists, 32 ; emblems, 130 ; emi-
gration, the, under Psammetichus,
100 ; ethnographical collections, 128 ;
first Eg\ ptian room, 129 ; food and
food-products, 135 ; frescoes, 51, 72-7 ;
furniture, 130-2 ; geographical posi-
tion, &c., 14 ; Greek settlements, &c.,
101, 113-14 ; justice, administration of,
54 ; language, 17 ; literature, 138 ;
manners and customs, 128 ; miscel-
laneous objects, 156; mummies, 144-51 ;
musical instruments, 74, 76, 140 ; Nile,
the god of the, 97 ; northern Egyptian
gallery, 42, 50 ; vestibule, 35 ; offices,
125 ; origin, 15 ; papyri, 128, 157 ;
Persian invasions, &c., 107-8 ; 113-14 ;
priests, 93 ; produce and manufactures,
&c., 17 ; Ptolemaic rule, 114-19; pyra-
mids, the, 35 ; registration of the
people, 51 ; religion and religious cere-
monies, 19, 93; rituals, 28, 30, 46;
Roman dominion, 118 ; sarcophagi,
105 ; sculpture, 35 et seq. ; second
Egypt. Room, 153 ; sepulchral section,
144 ; figures, 153 ; monuments, 35 ;
shepherd kings, 50 ; southern Egyptian
gallery, 92 ; stranger kings, 63 ; tombs
and tombstones, 34 et seq. ; tools, 140 ;
upper floor smaller antiquities, 128 ;
Valley of the Kings, 82, 87, 129, 139 ;
vases, 78. 133, 146 ; weapons, 136 ;
women, 132-3; writing and implements,
26, 32, 35, 77, 115, 119, 124, 138, 154.
See names of the Egyptian gods and
goddesses, pharaohs, queens, and
Egyptians, places, &c.
Elamites, the, 176
Elephantine, island of, 64, 91, 104
Elgin Marbles, the, 248; room, 244;
extension, 254; vases, 360; scarabseus,
95 ; engravings, 238, 250
Eliakim made king, 102 (177)
Elis, treaty of two tribes in the neigh-
bourhood of, 348
Elizabeth, Queen, Meditations of Queen
Catherine Parr translated by, 393;
rare gold medal of, 391 ; draft of her
letter to the House of Commons (suc-
cession), 394
Ellis, Sir Henry, 9, 56, 400
Embalming, the Egyptian god of, 23 ;
account of the processes, 145
Emblems, Egyptian, 112, 130, 152, 155
Emp8on, Mr., 9
Enamels, mediaeval, 375
Enchorial writing, 28
Endymion, statue of, 299
England, Roman sculptures, &c., found
in, 327 ; the first book printed in, 397;
English enamels, 376 ; coins, early,
384 ; coinages, 388 ; medal, engraving
of, 390 ; first book printed in, 396
Eni-il, of Hamath, 166
Entertainments, Egyptian, 142; practice
of introducing the mummy and lotus-
flower at, 144
410
INDEX.
Entertainments, Greek, vase-paintings
of, 363
Epicurus, sculptured portrait, 318
Epiphanes, Ptolemy, 115-8
Epitaphs, Greek, 259
" Epitugx," cameo inscribed, 358
Eponymes, of Assyria, 163
Equestrian statue, with head restored as
Caligula, 319
Equestrian statue from the Mausoleum,
281, 286
Erato, the muse, 297
Erech, the Assyrian city, 160
Erechtheum, the, and its remains, 254
Erichthonian serpent, 219
Eros, statue of, from Athens, 256
Eros playing with a goose, bronze relief,
348
Eros and Aphrodite, from the Cyrenaica,
marble group, 294
Eros and Psyche, bronze, 348. See
Cupid
Esarhaddon, King of Assyria, 98-9, 169,
172-3, 182, 216
Essex, manuscripts and drawings, 396
Ethelred, rare sceatta of, 386
Ethel wolf's ring (engraving), 371
Ethiopia, 14 ; the god of, 22 ; Egyptian
immigration to, 100 ; Sennacherib's
war against, 170-1. See Tirhakah
Urdamane
Ethiopians, 58, 96-7, 102, 109
Ethiopic-demotic inscriptions, 127
Ethnographical collections, 381
Etruscan armour and weapons, 341, art,
336; bronzes, 335; coins, 385; cos-
tume, 339 ; gem scarabfei, 359 ; jewel-
lery, 351 ; lion-ring of the Princess di
Canino, 357 ; people, 336 ; vases, so
called, 360 (engravings of two), 361;
weights, 350
Euergetes, Ptolemy, 114
Eunuchs, Assyrian, 208
Euphrates. 165 ; tribes of the, Assyrian
war against, 167
Europa and the Bull, relief of the story
of, 348
European continent and Britain, proof
of the identity of the earliest inhabi-
tants of, 382
Eurytion carrying off Hippodamia, sculp-
tured illustrations of, 252, 262
Euthy kritos, the archon, amphora bearing
his name, 367
Eutychides, epitaph on his daughter,
260
Evelyn's notices of the Sloane and
" Charlton " Museums, 5, 6
Evil-Merodach, King of Babylonia, 178
Evil Principle, the, of the Egyptians, 123 ;
of the Assyrians, 186-7
Exhibition, International, of 1862 ;
medals of the, 390
Eyes, Egyptian symbols, 106, 130, 153,
155 ; from Assyria, 224 ; cosmetics for,
133
Ezekiel on Apries, 102 ; his vision, and
the Assyrian sculptures, 221
Fairfax correspondence, 398
Faraday, Prof., gold medals presented to
him, 391
Farnese Palace, sculptures from the, 295
Fates, the three (?), 249, 250
Faun, head of, gem, 356
Faustina, the elder and younger, por-
traits in marble, 325
Fellah, the Egyptian, 131
Fellows, Sir C., and the Lycian sculp-
tures, 265
Female, early Etruscan bronze, 337 ;
Etruscan marble figure, 339 ; Etruscan
bronze statuette, 339 ; female reclin-
ing, mural painting, 334
Feroher, the, a symbol of the Assyrian
god Assur, 185; explanation and en-
graving of, 226
Festivities, Egyptian, practice of intro-
ducing figures of the dead at, 144 ;
Greek, &c. , represented on vase-
paintings, 363
Fetters, Assyrian and Babylonian, 189.
Fibulse (brooches), Etruscan, gold, 351-2
(engraving) ; Greek and Roman, 349,
354; Roman, found iu Britain, 368,
engraving, 3t>9; Anglo-Saxon, 371
Figs, Egyptian, 136
Figures, sepulchral, 153 ; mediaeval, in
metal, 377 ; clay, see. Terra-cottas
Fingers, embalmed, 153
Fishes, mummied, 151 ; the latus fish,
emblem, 153
Fishing, vase-paintings relating to, 364
Fishing-tackle, Egyptian, 138
Fish-pond, painting of an Egyptian, 75
Fists, colossal, 90, 91
Flageolet from Halicarnassus, 350
Flail, an Osirian emblem, 91
Flask, Egyptian, 140 : Roman, 355
Flaxman, heroic head restored by him,
297
Flute-player, Roman painting of, 334
Flute-playing, representations on vases,
363
Flutes, Egyptian, 140, 141 ; Greek,
found near Athens, 350
Food and food-products of the Egyp-
tians, 135 ; of the Lake-dwellers, 382
Foot, colossal, 119
Foot-races in vase-paintings, 363
Fortuna, statuette of, 296
Fountains, sculptured, 314
Fowling-scene, an Egyptian (engraving),
73
Fowling- sticks, 138
France, pre-historic remains from, 381
French coinage, 388
Frescoes, Egyptian, 51, 72-7
Frescoes from Pompeii, Herculaneum,
and Stabire, 333
INDEX.
411
Fruits, Egyptian, 136
Fruit-stand, Graeco-Roman terra-cotta,
330
Funerals, Egyptian, 148
Furniture of the Egyptians, 130-2; of
the Assyrians, 212
G
Galileo, medal of, 390
Galley, automaton, 377
Gallus, C., first Roman governor of
Egypt, 119
Games, Egyptian, 142 ; Greek, &c.,
vase-paintings relating to, 363 ; gems,
359
Garrick's library of plays, 395
Gaza, Assyrian capture of, 168; Philis-
tines and Egyptians defeated by the
Assyrians near, 169 ; Scarabaaus from,
227
Gazelles, mummies of, 151 ; hunted by
Assyrian kings, 208
Gell, Sir W., on the Parthenon, 249
Gems, invention of the art of engraving,
226
Gems, the Museum collection, 356
Genii of the dead, 130
Geography, importance of the numis-
matic collection in, 389
George II., books and manuscripts pre-
sented by, 392
George III., gift of Egyptian antiqui-
ties, 56 ; donations to the Library,
394, 396
George, Prince Regent, portrait on medal
(engraving), 390
German coinage, 388 ; glass, 380 ; stone
ware, 380
Germanicus (?), gem of, 358
Gezer, city of, a dowry, 95
Gigantomachia, vase-paintings of, 363
Ginguene", books from the collection,
396
Giorgio, majolica paintings by, 380
Gizeh, pyramids of, 35, 39 ; tombs of,
35, 40 ; sarcophagus from (engrav-
ing), in
Glass, Egyptian, 133; Assyrian, 216;
Roman, 367-8 ; Anglo-Saxon, 372 ;
German, 380; Venetian, 380
Glass, the Slade and miscellaneous col-
lections of ancient and more recent
(engraving), 3^0. See Portland vase
Glaucus (?), figure in relief, 268
" Gnaioc," gem inscribed, 359
Gnostic amulets, 157 ; gems, 357
Goats, Roman paintings of, 334
Gods and Goddesses ; of the Egyptians,
21, 129, emblems, 152; Phoenicians,
328; Assyrians, 185; Greeks, pastes
and vase-paintings relating to, 360,
363 ; Romans, goddesses in terra-cotta,
333. For sculptured and other speci-
mens, see names of Gods and God-
Gold coinage of England, 389 ; ancient
and mediaeval gold ornaments, see
Ornaments
Gom, the Egyptian emblem, 130
Gordian I., portrait in marble, 326
Gordianus Pius, medallion of, 390
Gorgon, H.M. corvette, employed in
Budrum expedition, 280
Gorgons, Etruscan bronze, 338
'loshen, the regisn of, 39
Goths, money coined by, 388
Gothic architecture, 'manuscripts and
drawings illustrative of, 396
Gourneh, 52
Gozan, 164, 169
Grfeco-Phoenician coffin, &c., 331 ; orna-
ment, 354 ; Graeco-Roman sculptures
and galleries, 295-327 ; terra-cotta bas-
reliefs, 331
Grain, Egyptian, samples of, 135; gran-
aries, 131
Grandison, J., Bishop of Exeter, ivories
bearing his arms, 374
Grantham papers, 398
Granville, Dr., mummy prepared by,
145
Grapes, Egyptian, 136
Graters, Greek and Roman, 349
Gratian, medallion of, 391
Gray, the poet, a " reader" in 1759, 399
Gray, Dr. and Mrs., medal of, 390
Greaves, ancient, 341 ; specimens en-
graved, 342
Greeks, their influence in Egypt, 101 ;
favoured by Amasis, 105 ; allied with
the Egyptians against Persia, 108 ;
with the Persians against Egypt. 113 ;
their settlements in Egypt, 101, 113-14
Greek collections, the, 238 ; armour and
weapons, 341-42 ; art, 238, evidences
of its origin, 240, specially illustrated
by the sculpture, 239, by the gems,
356, and by the coins, 389 ; bracelets,
353 ; bronzes, 335 ; coins, 385-7 ; com-
bats with Amazons, 262, 278, 285, 347;
inscriptions, 32, 127, 272, 342, 348, 359 ;
ivories, 350 ; manners and customs,
illustr ited, 360 ; metal works, 349 ;
ornaments, 352-3 ; portraits, sculp-
tured, 316 ; religion, local varieties,
illustrated, 389 ; rings, 353 ; sculpture,
239 et s>>q. ; terra-cottas, 328 ; toys,
331 ; vases, 360 ; weights, 350
Grenville library, 397
Grey, Lady Jane, manual of prayers
used by her on the scaffold, 394
Griffins, 92
Groat, its first appearance, 389
Grotefend's cuneiform discoveries, 229
Guichard, his account of the Mausoleum,
sixteenth century, 279
Guilford, Lord, manuscripts of, 397
Gula, the Assyrian goddess, 186
Gutefankh, statue of, 126
Gyges, King of Lydia, 100, 174
Gymnastic exercises, vase-paintings, 363
412
INDEX,
H
Hab, an Egyptian, 136
Hackle, an Egyptian, 143
Hadrian, the Emperor, busts and statues
of (engraving of his statue in military
costume), 322 ; medallion of, 391
Haggard collection of medals, 385
Hair. Egyptian custom of cutting the,
and wearing false, 132 ; hair of mum-
mies, 145 ; hair-pins, Egyptian, 133 ;
Assyrian, 224 ; Swiss Lake-dwellers',
382
Haldimand papers, 398
Haiicarnassus, sculptures, &c., from. See
Mausoleum
Hall of columns, the, 53
Hallam, Henry, medal of, 390
Hamilton collection of gems, 356 ; orna-
ments, 354 ; vases, 3t50
Hammers, Assyrian and Babylonian, 189
Hanata, sarcophagus of, 105
Hanging-garden of Babylon, 177; see 181
Hangings, silk, from Abyssinia, 382
Hanntef, Pharaohs, 43 ; coffin of one of
them, 149
Hanntef, contemporary of Joseph's, his
tablet, 46
Hantef, son of Atai, 49
Hanur, statue of, 62
Hapi, one of the genii of the Dead, 146.
See Amenti, genii of the
Hapimen, sarcophagus of, 106-7
Hapimoou, god of the Nile, 14, 97
Har, mummy of, 149
Hara, tablet of, 52
Haremhebai, mummy of, 149
Haremhebi, Pharaoh, Ram's head of his
time. 70 ; figure of, 71 ; the pylon of,
measure from, 132. The scribe, his
monumental tablet, 54
Hargrave's law library, 395
Harington, R. de, medal of, 391
Harkabh, tablet of, 126
Harleian Manuscripts, 392, 394
Harnetatf, mummy and coffin of, 149
Harpagus, his defeat of the Lycians, 264;
monument commemorating, 273 ; men-
tion of, and his son, 270
Harpocrates, his place in the trial scene,
30 ; bust of, 127 ; ivory carving, 215
Harps, Egyptian, 140-1
Harpy tomb, the, 26
Harris, Sir W. C., objects collected by,
in Abyssinia, 382
Hartley colliery explosion, medal of the,
390
Hatasu, Princess, 135
Hatchets, Egyptian (ei graving), 137;
Assyrian and Babylonian, 189 ; Greek,
Etruscan, Roman (engraving of a
specimen), 342
Haug, General, Greek coins purchased
of him, 385
Hawk, mummy, 151, Hawk-headed god,
tee Muut-Ra
Hawkins's works on music, 394
Hay. Egyptian collection, 51, 56, 137,
139, 143
Hazael, King of Syria, 163, 222
Head, heroic, restored by Flaxman, 297 ;
engraving of one, 304-6 ; bronze head
from Gyrene, 347 ; Heads, Roman
paintings, 334 ; head-rests, Egyptian,
153
Heart, the, an Egyptian emblem, 130,
153, 156
Hearth, an Etruscan, 339
Hebe, represented on the Parthenon
pediment, 249
Hebrew and Assyrian languages, 228
Hecataaus, his visit to the The ban priests,
87
Hecate as the diva triformis, 309
Hecatomnus, satrap of Caria, notice of,
277 ; this name on Cadyandan bas-re-
liefs, 271
Hector, Achilles and, vase-painting, 366 ;
name on cast from Lvcia, 272
Hekali, city of, taken by the Assyrians,
162
Helen at her toilet, 341 ; at the taking
of Troy, 341
Heliopolis, 18, 39. See On
Hell, punishments in, vase - paintings,
364
Hellenic-room, sculptures in the, 239,
261
Helmets, Assyrian, 189. 190 ; Greek, 341
(specimens engraved), 342 ; British,
with horns, found in the Thames, 3o9
(engraving, 370)
Henry I., charter of, 393
Henry VIII., original ball conferring
upon him the title of " Defender of
the Faith," 393 ; work for which the
title was conferred. 394
Heptarchy, money of the, 388
Hera. See Juno
Herakles( Hercules), Egyptian prototype,
22; colossal marble head, 24; repre-
sented on the Parthenon pediment,
249 ; heads, statuette, and terminal
bust of, 299 ; Etruscan bronze statuette,
339 ; head, ffem, 359 ; Herakles punish-
ing the Cercopes, 241 ; Herakles and
the stag, a relief, 304 ; and the Nemasan
lion, an Etruscan bronze, 338 : a vase-
painting, 336 ; subduing the horses of
Diomedes, Etruscan bronze, 339 ; in
the Garden of the Hesperides, large
bronze from Byblos, 345 ; slaying the
Hydra, gem, 3o7
Herculaneum, mural painting from, 333
Herkhen, Egyptian architect, tablet of,
46
Hermaphrodite, terminal figure of, 296
Hermes and Herse, marble group, from
the Farnese Palace, 315. Hermes, see
Mercury
Hermetic books. See Rituals
Hero, head of a (engraving), 304 ; Heroes
INDKX.
413
represented on pastes, 360 ; heroicages,
vase-paintings relating to the, 363
Herodes Atticus (?i, gem, 359
Herodotus on the pyramids, 36; the
labyrinth, 44 ; Moeris lake, 45 ; em-
balming. 145; on Jupiter in disguise,
70 ; Darius and Sesostris, 84 ; the
reign of Apries, 102 ; Amasis, 104.
His visit to the inner sanctuary of
Thebes, 87
Herse. See Hermes and Herse
Hezekiah, Sennacherib's expedition
against, Assyrian account of, 170-72
H ieratic writing of the Egyptians, 27, 128
Hiero I., Helmet with dedication by, 342
Hieroglyphic writing of the Egyptians,
26, 32, 39, 79, 88, 115, 119, 126, 128,
145, 154
Hillah, terra-cottas from, 224
Himyaritic tablets and language, 156
Hind, Mr , Assyrian eclipse verified by
him, 164
Hinges, Greek-Roman, 349
Hippocrates, sculptured portrait of, 318
Hippodamia, marriage of, subject illus-
trated in Parthenon metopes, '252 ;
carried off by Eurytion, 252; --
seized by Eurytiou, 262 ; revenged
by Theseus, 262
Hippolytus denounced by Phaedra, mural
painting, 334
Hippopotamus - headed goddess. See
Thoueris
Hiram of Tyre, 166
History, importance of the numismatic
collection in, 389, 391
Hittites, the twelve kings of the, 169
Hlotharius, charter of, 393
Hoa, the Assyrian god, 186
Hoe, an Egyptian, 136
Holm-s, Mr. R. R , objects collected by
him in Abyssinia, 382
Homer, Head, in marble, 316 ; bronze
head ascribed to, 346; apotheosis
of, relief of, 303
Honorius II., medallion of, 391
Hooks, Assyrian and Babylonian, 189,
224
Hophra, Pharaoh. See Apries
Horace, gem, 359
Horses, colossal, remains of. from the
Mausoleum, 2S1, 283 ; horse-trappings,
Assyrian, 223-4 ; horse-bits, ancient
British, 370.
Horsemen, Etruscan bronzes, 338
Horus, the Egyptian god, 24, 30, 81, 97,
122, 124, 127, 130/139. See Harem-
hebi (Pharaoh)
Hosea, scarab in memory of, 227
Hoshea, King of Israel, notice of him
from the Assyrian records, 168
Huber Sale, coins from the, 385
Hume, David, a " reader" in 1759. 399
Hundred days, the ; pamphlets published
in Paris during the, 39ti
Hunnas, Pharaoh, 134
Hunt, scenes in the ancient, vase-paint-
ings, 3H4
Hunting Implements. Egyptian, 138
Hut, Egyptian, 58, 66. Hut of Latium,
vase in form of, 366
Hydria from Alexandria, 154
Hymen, statue of, 315
Hyperion, the horses of, 249, 251
Hypnos (?) bronze head, 347. See SDTO-
nus
Hystaspes of Kummukha, 166 ; name
on objects in the Museum, 178
Tbis mummy and eggs, 151
Ibis-headed deity. See Thoth
Ibuivul, seal of, 227
Ibsamboul. See Aboo-Simbel
Icarus, visit of Bacchus to, bas-relief,
303 ; Icarus falling from the sky, mural
painting, 334
Ictinus, architect of the Parthenon and
of the temple of Apollo at Phigalia,
246, 261
Idalium, terra-cottas from, 328
Idibihil, an Arab, appointed by the As-
syrians overseer over Egypt, 168
Idolatry, origin of, 20
Idunuea. See Edom
" llgi," Kingof Chaldsea (B.C. 2050), 176 ;
his seal, 225
Ilissus, the river god, 250
Imouth, the Egyptian god, 23, 130
Imprecations, Ureek, 348
Indian ethnographical collections, 382
Ink-pots, Egyptian, 138
Innocent III., Pope, bull of, receiving
England and Ireland under his pro-
tection, 393-4
Inscriptions : Coptic,127, 156 ; Cufic, 127 ;
Egyptian (hieroglyphic, hieratic, and
demotic), 37, 59, 152, 154; Ethiopic-
demotic, 127; Greek, 127, 157, 259,
342, 348: Greek and demotic, 124;
Himyaritic, 156 ; Lycian, &c., 268-9,
272 ; Ogham, 328 ; Phoenician (from
Carthage), 315 ; Runic, 372 ; Sinaitic,
124
Intaglios. S<>e Gems
Ionian s represented in battle, 274 ; Ionian
soldiers of Apries, 103 ; Ionic order of
architecture, the most perfect specimen
remaining of, 254
Irak (Uhaldsea, which see}, 158
Irbavul, King of Assyria, 163
Iris, messenger of the gods, 249, 250
Irish, ancient, slabs inscribed with
characters, 328
Irriya taken by the Assyrians, 162
Isaiah on papyri, 128; on Egyptian
linen, 144 ; on Merodach-baladau, 169 ;
on Sennacherib, 171
Isis, the Egyptian goddess, 24, 30, 42,
79, 81, 109, 122, 124, 126, 130; her
temple at Memphis, 105-6. 132
414
Ismidakan, King of Assyria, 161
Israel, land of, invaded by the Assyrians,
168 ; the exodus of the Israelites from
Egypt, 86, 162; dispersion of the ten
tribes, era of the, 169 ; the Israelites
carried into captivity by Nebuchad-
rezzar, 177 ; relics of them, 216 ;
Alexandria partly peopled by, 114
Istar, the Assyrian goddess, 100, 187 ;
ivory carving of, 214 ; Istar and " Cu-
pid," terra-cotta, 217
Italian coinages, 388
Ithaca, earrings from, 353
J tim.se, a Lycian sculptor, 268
Ivory-carvings, Egyptian, 139 ; Assyrian,
213 ; Greek and Roman, 350 ; mediaeval
(with engraving), 373
Jackals, mummied, 151 ; jackal headed
god, see Anubis
Jaenberht, Archbishop, silver penny of,
886
Japanese ethnographical collections, 382;
the library of Dr. von Siebold, 399
Jars, Egyptian, 135; Assyrian, 215;
majolica, 380
Javelin-heads, Egyptian, 137
Jehoiachin's captivity, 177-8
Jehu, the contemporary of Shalmaneser
II., 163, 222
Jeremiah, the prophet, 58, 102-3
Jerusalem, Shishak's pillage of, 96 ;
Sennacherib's threatened siege of
(Assyrian account of), 171 ; Nebuchad-
rezzar's siege of, 177
Jewellery, Egyptian, 151-2 ; Phoenician,
353 ; Etruscan, 350 ; Greek, 352 ;
Roman, 352-3 ; British (ancient), 370 ;
Anglo-Saxon, 371
Jews. See Israelites
Jewish history and prophecy and As-
syrian literature, 159
John, King, the charter of, 393
Johnson, Dr., a "reader" in 1759, 399
Jonah, the prophet, 159 ; his supposed
tomb, 172
Jones, Mr. J. Winter, 400
Joseph, 38, 44, 45, 46, 49, 135, 147
Josiah, mummy of about his time, 148 ;
his death, 102
Jove. See Jupiter
Judaea, Esarhaddon's expedition against,
172
Judah, Sennacherib's invasion of, the
Assyrian account, 17^-2
Judgment scene. See Trial scene
.lugs, Egyptian, 135; Assyrian, 215
J umping-games, vase-paintings of, 363
Juno, marble head, 308; terra-cotta
figure, 333
Jupiter, the Egyptian Ammon, 21, 52 ;
in disguise, 70 ; sculptured heads, &c.,
of, 308 ; small bronze seated figure,
engraving, 343 ; notice, 344 ; bronze
standing figures of, 344; Jupiter Am-
mon, paste, 360 ; the Paahellenius,
242. tier. Zeus
Justice and Truth, Egyptian goddess
of, 23
Kabyle tribes, necklace worn by, 3S3
Kaha, his tablet, in relief, 78
Kahu, coloured tablet of, 78
Kalah Sherghat. See Assur, city of
Kallirrhoe, water-drawing from the foun-
tain of, vase-painting, 263
Kalu, southern boundary of territory of
Amenophis III., 152
Kanephoroi, 253. See Canephora
Karaissibdas, King of Babylonia, 161
Karakardas, King of Babylonia, 161
Karamles, situation of, 180
Kark, act relating to a temple at, 78
Karnak, and antiquities from, 52 etsey.,
57, 6:3, 82, 96, 110, 128, 129
Karyatis from chapel of Pandrosos, 254 ;
two karyatides from Lycia, 273. See
Canephora
Kasb, Egyptian, 138
Katbti, mummy of, 149
Katiemsaf and his family, 42
Kebhsnauf of the vases, 146. Ste Amenti,
genii
Kekrops and his family, subjects of the
Parthenon sculptures, 250 ; torso of
Kekrops, 250
Keltic remains, 369
Ken, the goddess, 78
Kephalos, Aurora and, terra-cotta, 330 ;
Etruscan bronze, 338
Kerrich manuscripts and drawings, 396
Keys, Egyptian, 131 ; Greek and Roman,
349
Khammurabi, early Chaldaean king, 189
Khasanni, seal of, 227
Khem, the Egyptian god, 22, 78, 129
Kbnum, the Egyptian deity. See Noum
Khonsafankh, mummy and coffin of, 149
Khorsabad, 159, lb'9, 180
Khufu, Pharaoh, 35
Khurdestan, 158
Kinali, capital of Muzir, 165
King's library (Geo. III.'s), present of, to
the nation, 396
Klemm collection of ethnography, 382
Kneph. See Khnum
Knight, Dr. Gowin, 9
Knight, Mr. R. Payne, his bequest, 295 ;
gems, 356 ; ornaments, 354 ; vases, 360
Knives, Egyptian, 137, 140 ; Assyrian
and Babylonian, 189, 224 ; Greek and
Roman, 349 ; of the Swiss lake dwellers,
381
Kohl, Egyptian cosmetic, 133
Koniggratz, Prussian order for the battle
of, 391
Koyunjik, site of Nineveh, which see
INDEX.
415
Kudur-Mabuk, the supposed Chedor-
laomer of Gen. xiv., his bricks in the
museum, 176
Kyuvyn, Jas., dial made by him, 377
Labyrinth, the, of Egypt, 43
Lacedaemonians, tornb commemorating
their defeat by the Athenians, 2'J
Lac.e-glass of Venice, 381
Lachish, Assyrian picture of the siege of,
170,200 '
Lachrymatories, Greek, and Roman
found in Britain, 260, 367
Lacustrine antiquities, 381
Ladies of rank, seals of various, 378
Ladles, Assyrian, 190 ; Etruscan, 339
Lagus, Ptol., 109, 114
Latuoriciere's brigade, medal given by
the Pope to, 390
Lamps, Romano-Egyptian, &c., 154, 157 ;
Assyrian, 215, 224; from the temple of
Demeter, 288 ; one in shape of a grey-
hound's head, 348 ; miscellaneous an-
cient, 349
Language and literature, the Egyptian
god of, 23
Lansdowne MSS., 395
Lapithte and Centaurs, battles of the,
251, 261, 262 (engravings, 238, 262)
Latin classic, earliest edition of the first,
397
Latona, Egyptian prototype of, 21 ; Par-
thenon figure of, 250
Latus fish, the, Egyptian svmbol, 153
Layard, Mr., 160, 173, 225/2.36
Laz, Assyrian goddess, 187
Lead, pigs of, Roman found in England,
328
Leave-takings, vase-paintings, 363
Lentil seed, Egyptian, 136
Leutulus, Cn., marble portrait, 319
Leochares, the sculptor, 278
Lepsius' first visit to the pyramids, 38
Leto, Parthenon sculpture, 250
Level, Egyptian symbol, 153
Libations, vase-paintings, 363
Libera, statue of, 300. See Ariadne
Libnah, Sennacherib's encampment at,
171
Library, the national, 392 ; additions
made, 1865-68, 399
Libya, 14 ; desert, 38
Life, Egyptian emblems of, 112, 153
Limoges enamels, 376 ; one from Abys-
sinia, 382
Limousin, L., enamel by, 376
Linen, Egyptian, 143, 144, 156
Lions from Assyria, 221 ; Branchidse,
240 ; Cnidus, 289 (engraving; ; Egypt,
69, 91 ; Lycia, 272, 276 (engraving,
264) ; Mausoleum, 281, 284
Lion hunts, Assyrian, (engraving, 178),
204; lion-riugof the Princessdi Canino,
357 ; lioness-headed goddess, see Pastit
Li via (?), gem bust of, 356
Livonia, antiquities from graves in, 372
Locks, Greek -Roman, 349
Locusts, dried, for Assyrian banquet, 198
London, silver pennies coined in, 338
Long, Professor, 53
Looking-glasses. See Mirrors
Lottery, the British Museum, 7
Lotus-flower, the, 47, 74, 76, 130, -J86 r
Louth, Dr., a "reader" in 1759, 399
Love, Egyptian goddess of. See Atbor
Love-scenes, vase-paintings, 363
Lovers' fountain, the, 106
Lowe papers, the, 398
Lubims, the, 96
Luca della Robbia, 379
Lucilla, medallion of, 390
Lucknow, coin struck by the rebels at,
1867, 386
Luxor, 52, 63
Lycia, geographical position, inhabitants,
Persian conquest and government of,
acquired by Alexander, governed by
the Ptolemies and Seleucidae, by the
Romans, extinction of the people,
264-5 ; the language of, 265, 270 ; ex-
plored by Sir C. Fellows, 265 ; a sin-
gular custom among the Lycians, 272 ;
monuments from, 266 ; inscribed
obelisk and inscriptions, 268-9, 272 ;
figures of Lycians, in reliefs, 268 ; the
Xanthian edifice, 273; miscellaneous
antiquities, 272
Lycus colonises Lycia, 264
Lydia and Gyges, 100
Lydians. staters of the, 387
Lyres, Egyptian, 141; an Athenian, 350
Lysikrates, choragic monument of, 255
Lysippus, specimens of his later school
of sculpture, 295, 306
M
Ma, the Egyptian goddess, 23, 30, 54, 130
Mabug. the Assyrian goddess, 176
Macedo, " Son of Osiris," 124
Mace-heads, Assyrian and Babylonian,
189, 224
Madden, Sir F., 400
Magi, wisdom of the, 233
Magna Charta, 393
Mahu, a Pharaoh's bow-bearer, 81 ; ar-
chitect of S. Thebes, 94
Mail, Assyrian and Babylonian, 189
Majolica collection, 379
Major, Mr. R. H., 396
Mallets, Egyptian, 140
Mammiea, Julia, sculptured portrait of,
326
Man, creation of, according to Moses and
the Egyptian monuments, 22
Manasseh taken prisoner by the As-
syrians, 172
Manby, Capt. G. W. 3 gold medals con-
ferred on, 391
416
INDEX.
" Maneros," the Egyptian song, 142
Manetho, the historian of On, 31, 78
Manuscripts, notice of the collections of,
392-400
Maps, collection of, 396, 398-9
Marcellus (?) gem, 358
Mars, the Egyptian prototype of, 23 ;
Etruscan bronze statuettes of, 338-9
Marsham, Hon. R., coins presented by
him, 385
Maruduk-balat-su-ikbi, King- of Babylo-
nia, 164 ; Maruduk-bal-iddin, 165, 169,
170 ; Maruduk-bani- (?), 164 ; Maru-
duk-bil usati, 164; Maruduk-iddin-ak-
bi, 162 ; Maruduk-sapik-ziri, 162
Mary and Child in Egypt, 39
Mary Queen of Scots, her signet-ring, 378
Maskell collection of ivories, 374
Masks, sculptured, 314; Etruscan bronze,
338 ; mask of Mercury, bronze, 344 ;
mask of Cromwell (?), engraving, 379
Matarleh, 39
Mats, Egyptian, 140
Maty, Dr., 9
Mauritania (?) king of, head in bronze,
347
Mausoleum, the ; account of, by whom
founded, date, architects, sculptors,
site, plan and dimensions, merits, over-
throw, destruction of its marbles,
Guichard's notice of, in the XVIth
century, slabs used for the castle of
Budrum, their removal, Mr. Newton's
memoir on, his expedition to Budrum,
and excavations, discovery of the site,
remains from, in the British Museum
their value as works of art, 277-287 ;
^Terra-cottas from the site, 329
"'Mausoleum Room" in the British Mu-
seum, sculptures in the, 281-7 ; engrav-
ing of a slab of the frieze, 278
Mausolus, notice of him, 277 ; his statue,
engraving of, 282
Mautemmen, priestess of Amenra, mum-
my of, 150
Mautemua, Queen, 62-3
Mazarine Bible, the, 396
Medals, notice of the collection, 384 ;
recent accessions, 390 ; engraving of
an English specimen, 390
Medallions, enamelled, 375 ; mediaeval,
377
Media, 158-9 ; war of the Medes on the
Assyrians, 175
Mediaeval collections, 373; series of coins,
388
Medicine, the Egyptian god of, 23
Medinet- Abou, 52
Mediterranean, the, 14, 166
Medusa, bronze head of, 348 ; heads in
amethyst, carnelian, and chalcedony,
359. See Perseus and Medusa
Meet Raheeneh, 90
Meleager slaying the boar, bronze figure
of, 346, engraving, 346
Melos, the inland, 2dO
Melville, Mr. H., on a supposed Assyrian
astrolabe, 200
Memnou, the Egyptian (see Amenophis
III.), Memnonium, the, at Thebes, 89 ;
the vocal Menmon, 68 ; Achilles and
Memnon, Greek vase painting, 366
Memorials, votive, Elgin collection, 260
Memphis, 18, 38, 90, 101, 105 ; the god
of, 22 ; the bull of, 24
Menahem of Samaria, 166-7
Menant, M., Assyrian grammar by, 229
Meuephtah, the Pharaoh of the Exodus,
67, 85. See Seti
Meukare, Pharaoh ; his pyramid, 37 ;
remains of his coffin and of his sup-
posed body, 145 ; amulet with his
name, 152
Mentor the Rhodian, 113.
Meniuaa, statue of, 49
Mentuemmatu, tablet of, 79
Mentuhept, his tablet, 71
Meutuhetp, coffin of, 149
Mentusa, tablet of, 79
Mentuskhem, Egyptian clerk, 125
Merau, statue of. 88
Mercury, the Egyptian (see Thoth) ; the
Assyrian (see Nebo) ; Grseco- Egyptian
bas-relief, 114 ; marble head of (T21),
243 ; small head of, 303 ; statue from
the Farnese palace, 303 ; the Payne-
Knight bronze statuette, engraving,
343 ; notice, 344 ; mask of, bronze,
344. See Hermes
Merewe, tomb of, 269
Merodach, the Assyrian god, 187
Mesopotamia, 152, 158, 162
Metal works of the Assyrians, 213 ;
Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, 335 ; me-
diaeval, 377
Methuen's library, 395
Metopes of the Parthenon, 251 ; one en-
graved, 238. Explanation of the term,
241
Michael, Dr., books from his library, 397-8
Milton's Paradise Lost, the first edition
of, 397
Mimaut, M., and the Abydos tablet, 78
Minara, the village of, 270
Minerva, heads of, 308. See Neith (Egyp-
tian), and Athene (Greek)
Minni (Jer. li.) invaded by Assurbanipal,
174
Mirrors, Egyptian, 133 ; Assyrian, 224 ;
Etruscan (engraving of one, 33) 340 ;
Greek, 341 ; mirror-cases, ancient, 341 ;
mediaeval, ivory, 374
Mithras, statuette and group of, and a
bull, 296
Mitre, gold, brought from Abyssinia, 382
Mizraim, the tribe of, 14
Modern series of coins, 388
Moeris, Lake, 45
Mold, gold British corslet from, 370
Moll, Baron, his library, 395
Monkey, dog-headed. See Cynocephalus
Monoliths, Assyrian, 222
INDEX.
417
Monolithic temple of Sais, 104 ; statue of
Phtah, 105
Montague-house, 7, 9
Moqattam hills, 38
Morrison, Dr., his Chinese library, 397
Morton, Dr., 9
Mosaics, from Carthage, 315 ; small
Roman, 334 ; Roman found in England,
328
Moses, creation of man according to, and
the Egyptian monuments, 22 ; view of
the land out of which he led his people,
' 39 ; Moses and " Pharaoh's" daughter,
51 ; date of his birth, and the reigning
Pharaoh, 84 ; portraits of his contem-
poraries in the Museum, 85 (51) ; the
Pharaoh of the Exodus, and the Red
Sea, 86 ; Moses' connection with the
reigning Egyptian dynasty, 87
Mosque-lamp, glass, engravicg. 380
Mosul, 159, 180
Mottoes, Egyptian, 152
Moulds, Egyptian, 140 ; Assyrian, 217
Mourning, the Egyptian custom, 132
Mueller on the seated Memnon, 68
Mugeyer. See Ur of the Chaldees
Mullers, Egyptian, 138
Mummies, the Egyptian (human, animal,
embalming processes, bandages, co-
verings, and decorations, coffins, figure-
cases for fragments, sepulchral boats,
customs connected with Mummies, &c.,
particular specimens in the Museum),
74, 144-156
Muntra, the Egyptian god, 61, 93, 130 ;
bronze figure of, 155
Muses, heads of, in marble, 297 ; terra-
cotta figures of, 333
Musgrave's library, 395
Musical instruments and musicians :
Egyptian, 74-5, 140-2 ; Assyrian, 191 ;
a musical party, Roman mural paint-
ing, 334 ; collection of music, 398-9
Mut, the Egyptian goddess, 21, 71, 79,
129, 149
Mutaggil-nabu, King of Assyria, 162
Muthis, Pharaoh, 108
Muzir overrun by Tiglath Pileser II., 165
Muzzles, ancient, 342
Mycerinus, Pharaoh. See Menkare
Myra, casts of sculptures at, 270, 272
Myron, the statuary, 244 ; copy of his
quoit-thrower, 307
Mysteries, classic, vase-paintings of, 363
Mythology, correspondence of the Greek
and Roman with the Egyptian, 21. See
Gods and Goddesses
N
Nabonassar, King of Babylon, 165
Nabonidas, King of Babylon, notice of
him, 178
Nabopolassar, his treachery, 175
Nabu-bal-iddin, King of Babylon, 163
Nabu-usappan, crucifixion of, 165
Nadini's submission to Tiglath Pileser
II., 165
Nails, Egyptian, 140; Assyrian, 224;
Greek Roman, 349
Nakon, imprecation on his behalf, 349
Nana, the goddess, recovery of a statue
of, by the Assyrians, 174, 176
Naoi (shrines), 121
Napoleon I., snuff-box presented by, to
the Hon. Mrs. Darner, 378; (engrav-
ing), 379
Napoleon III., medal presented by, to
the trustees of the British Museum,
391
Naskat, sarcophagus of, 126
Naskatu, sarcophagus of, engraving, 110 ;
account of it, 111
Nebi, sepulchral vase-box of, 154
Nebo, the Assyrian Mercury, 187, 220
Nebpu-Osirtasen, 47
Nebta, statue of , 61
Nebuchadrezzar I. , king of Babylon, 162
Nebuchadrezzar II., the great king of
Babylon, 58, 102-3; account of his
reign, 177 ; relics of the Jews led cap-
tive by, 216
Necho (the Nechoh of scripture), King
of Egypt, 101 ; made supreme king of
Egypt, 172 ; assists Tirhakah against
Assyria, 173
Necho II., 134
Necklaces, Algerian, 383 ; Abyssinian,
383; Assyrian, 224; Egyptian, 151,
155 ; Etruscan, 351 ; Greek, 353 ;
Phoenician, 353 ; Roman, 353 ; Roman
found in Britain, 368
Nectanebes I., Pharaoh, 108 ; sarcopha-
gus of, 108 ; obelisks, 109 ; figure of,
111
Nectanebes II., 113
Needles, Egyptian, 143 ; Assyrian, 224 ;
Greek -Roman, 349
Neferari, memorial of, 81
Neferatum, the Egyptian god, 23, 130
Neferba, basin of, 93 ; tablet, 121
Neferber, Egyptian librarian, 125
Neferbes, the Pharaoh's counsellor, 125
Neferha, his tablet, 71
Neferhebf, statue of, 62
Neferset, memorial stone of, and her
husband, 40
Neith, the Egyptian Minerva, 22, 104,
105, 129
Nelson's letter to Lady Hamilton on the
eve of the battle of Trafalgar, 397
Nemki, an Egyptian chief, tablet of, 45
Nephercheres, Pharaoh, 134
Nepherites, Pharaohs I., II., 108
Nephthys, the Egyptian goddess, 23, 30.
42, 79, 106, 109, 126, 130
Neptune in the water, Mosaic head, 315.
See Poseidon
Nereides of the Parthenon, 249 ; of the
Xanthian monument, 275 ; engr., 2b'4
Nergal, the Assyrian god, 187, 226
Neriglissar, King of Babylon, 178
B B
418
INDEX.
Nero, portrait in marble, 319 ; engraving,
316
Netnub, an Egyptian lady, 42
Newton, Mr. C. T., his expedition to
Budrum, and excavations on the site of
the Mausoleum, 280
Niebuhr, 110
Niffer. See Calneh
Nike, goddess of victory, 249 ; apteros,
249, 256 ; slab from temple of (en-
graving), 257
Nikokrates, the archon, amphora bear-
ing his name, 367
Nile, the river, 14 ; god of the, 97 ;
and Red-sea canal, 101
Kilometer, emblem, 112, 130
Nimroud (the Calah of Genesis), 158,
180 ; smaller antiquities from, 211 ;
pottery, 215
Nin, the Assyrian god, and his consort,
186
Nineveh, situation, &c., 159, 180 ; Sen-
nacherib's palace at, 170 ; Esarhad-
don's, 172 ; site of the latter dis-
covered, but not excavated, 172-3 ;
extent of the city, site, wall, &c.,
180-1 ; the city in time of war, a
sketch, 181 ; the fall of, 175 ; monu-
ments, 195 ; vessels (one with sweet-
meats) from, 216
Ninipakhusr, seal of, 227
Ninippalzara, King of Assyria, 162
Ninituram, seal of, 227
Nisroch, the god, 185-6
Nitocris, 105
No-Ammon, 52
Noble of Edward III., 389
Nola, vases from, 361
Nollekens, terra-cotta reliefs purchased
from him, 331
Norfolk, Turner's collections relating to,
398
"Normans of Asia," the, 210
Norris, Mr. E., Assyrian dictionary by,
229-30
Norway, ornaments from, 383
Nouberntech, princess, 135 ; the Egyp-
tian god, 22, 64
Noum (or Khnum), 70-1, 95, 123, 129
Nubia, 14
Nuharsi, 47
Numerian, medallion of, 391
Numidia, king of (?), head in bronze of,
o47
Numismatic collections, 384 ; arrange-
ment, and rate of increase, 386 ; im-
portance of, 389
Nupe, the Egyptian goddess, 81
Nymph of Diana (?), engraving, 300-1
O
Obelisks, Egyptian, 57, 109, 110, 129;
Assyrian, 222 ; Lycian, 269
Ocbus. See Artaxerxes III.
" Odd and even," Egyptian game of, 142
Offa, coin of, 386
Offerings, vase-paintings of, 363
Ogham characters, slabs with, 328
Ointment-vases, Egyptian, 133
Olympic games, visit of Greeks to Egypt
oniene g., 102
Othrbnnctutelary god of, 21. See Heli-
opolis
Onouris. See Typhon
Onslow, Mr. Speaker, his bequest to the
library, 394
Oppert, M.. Assyrian grammar by, 229,
231
Ore from Egyptian mines, 140
Oriental series of coins, 389
Orien crossing the sea, Etruscan mirivr,
341
Ornaments, Abyssinian (engraving), 382 ;
Algerian (engraving), 383 ; Anglo-
Saxon (engraving), 37l ; Assyrian, 224 ;
British, 370 ; Egyptian, 151, 155 ;
Etruscan gold (engraving), 351 ; Grseco-
Phoenician, 354 ; Greek gold (engrav-
ing), 352-3; Mediaeval, 375 ; Norwegian,
383 ; Phoenician, 353 ; Koman gold,
352-3; silver, 355; Romano-British
(engr.), 368-9 ; Swiss lake-dwellers', 382
Osiris, the Egyptian god, representations,
offices, &c., of, 24, 30, 42, 4*, 45, 59,
75, 79, 81, 97, 105, 120, 122, 123, 124,
146, 148, 150; see engravings, 50
(trial scene, seated figure, left^i, SO
Osiris Onnophris, 126 ; Ptah-Socharis-
Osiris, 154
Osirtasen I., Pharaoh, 44 d seq., 135
Ostrich-feather, goddess with the. See
Ma
Osymandyas, 82
Ouols (head-rest), 93, 132, Ic3
Ox, mummied, 151
Oxford crown of Charles I., 389
Padi, king of Philistia, 170
Padlocks (Greek-Eoman), 349
Pai, tomb of, 52
Paiafa, tomb of ; notice, 268 ; engraving,
264
Paints from Egypt, and implements,
138-9; Assyria, 244; paintings,Theban,
72-77 ; copies of Egyptian and Nubian
paintings, 128-9 ; Roman paintings,
333. See Vases
Palace, an Assyrian, 183
Palettes, Egyptian, 138
Pamphylius, gem by him, 356
Pan, the Egyptian prototype, 22 ; playing
on the syrinx, Etruscan bronze, 338 ;
mask of, gem, 359
Panathenaic procession, illustrated on
Parthenon frieze, 252 ; engraving of
portions, 238 ; amphorae from Athens
and the Cyreuaica 366-7
Pandarus, story of, on the Harpy tomb,
267
INDEX.
419
Pandrosos, temple dedicated to her, 254
Paniskoi, statues of, 301
Panizzi, Mr. (Sir Anthony), 10, 400
PanopHs, the god, 22
Pantheon, the Egyptian, 21, 129
Panther, from the Mausoleum, 284
Papyri, 128, 138, 157 ; engraving, 50
Parr, Queen Catherine, composition of,
translated by Elizabeth, 393; - SirW.,
Marquis of Northampton, stall-plate
of, 376
Parthenon, the, account of, 245 ; en-
graving, 246 ; view of, 259 ; the eastern
and western pediments, subjects and
style of the sculptures, 249-251; the
metopes, 251 ; the frieze of the cella,
subject, dimensions, &c. ; Flaxman's
criticism, 253 ; inventory of articles
deposited in the temple, 259 ; en-
graving of sculptures, 238
Pasheti's altar, 52 ; sepulchral tablet, 125
Pasht, the Egyptian goddess, statues,
attributes, &c. , 23, 64 e.t seq. ; statue
with name of Shishak, 9(3 (engraving),
50; 107, 130
Passover, preparation for the, enamel, 376
Pastes, antique, 360
Patarbemis and Apries, 103
Patens, from Abyssinia, 382
Paterae, Assyrian, 215 ; Romano-Egyp-
tian, 154
Pattern coin-pieces, 389
Paur, prince, statue, 85 ; an Egyptian
official, 125
Pausanias, on the vocal Memnon, 58
Pectoral ornaments, Egyptian, 148-9,
155 ; Etruscan gold, 351
Pehlevi inscriptions and language, 227-8
Pekah, Assyrian notice of him, 167-8
Peleus, the surprise of Thetis by, vase-
painting (engraved), 360, 364 ; terra-
cotta, 330
Pelops (and Hippodamia), 241
Pehmum, taken through cats and dogs,
107
Penamoun, mummy of, 148
Pendants, Greek-Roman, 349
Peneterhent's sarcophagus, 92
Pennies, silver, of England, 389
Pens, Egyptian, 138
Pentapolis. See Cyrenaica
Pepar, sarcophagus of, 111
PepiseUei or lies, 42, 139
Periander, sculptured portrait of, 316
Pericles, 245 ; marble portrait of (en-
graving), 317
Persephone, 249, 250; statue of, from
Cnidus, 288
Persepolis, sculptures, inscriptions, &c.,
from, 227
Perseus, 294 ; and Medusa, 241, 331, 356
Persia, geographical position, 158; the
gulf, 165 ; invasion of, by htolemy III.,
114 ; names of kings of, on objects in
the Museum, 178 ; seals from, 225 ;
ewer (engraving), 380. See Persepolis
(ancient capital), Pehlevi (early lan-
guage). Persian invasions of Egypt,
105, 108, 113; practice of mutilating
statues of enemies, 53 ; end of the rule
in Egypt, 113; invasion of Lycia, &c.,
264 ; the monument commemorating
this, 273-4 ; Persian horseman, colossal,
from the Mausoleum, 2S6 ; Persians
represented in battle, 274; their de-
feat by the Athenians commemorated,
256 '
Pes, the Egyptian, 138
Petenesi, sarcophagus of, 107
Petiver's botanical collection, 6
Pettlgrew, Mr., 147
Phsedra denouncing Hippolytus, mural
painting, 334
Phanodikos, his gift to the Sigeans, 259
Pharaohs, a favourite pastime of the,
108 ; names of, on vases, 134, on amu-
lets, 152 ; bust of one, 28th dyn., 124.
For accounts of particular Pharaohs,
see their names
Phials, Etruscan, 339
Phidias, the Greek sculptor, 88, 244, 262,
336
Phigalia, temple of Apollo Epicurius at,
account of, and of the bas-reliefs from,
261 ; engraving of a slab, 261
Philadelphus, Ptolemy, 114, 272, 359
Phil*, 14
Philip of Macedon, head of Herakles said
to portray him, 299
Philistia. See Padi
Philistines, Assyrian war against, 167-8;
defeated by 8argina, 169
Philocles. architect of the Erechtheum,
254
Philosopher, sculptured head, 318;
bronze seated statuette, 346
Phcenicia, seamen of, employed by Ne-
cho, 101 ; Pharaoh Apries' war against,
102 ; Egyptian alliance with, against
Persia, 113 ; reduction of, by the Per-
sians, 113, by Sennacherib, 170 ; Esar-
haddon's campaign in, 172
Pho3nidan inscriptions from Carthage,
315 ; neck'aces, 353 ; other ornaments,
353 ; seals with inscriptions, 227 ;
terra-cottas. 328 ; vases, 362 ; Phoeni-
cian Greek coffin, 331
Phryne unveiling herself, mural painting,
334
Physkon, Ptolemy, 118
1 iaai, the scribe, statue of, 85
Picks, Assyrian and Babylonian, 189
Pigs, sculptured, from the temple of
Demeter, 288
Pinara, ruins of, casts of sculptures at,
270-1
Pindar, bronze head of (?), 346
Pins, Egyptian, 133
Pin-money of Egyptian queens, a source
of, 45
Pipes, reed, Egyptian musical, 140-1 ;
Assyrian, 191
S B 2
420
INDEX.
Pmeus, the, 258
Pirithous, scenes from the subject of his
marriage, 251, 232
Pixodarus, Greek and Lycian inscriptions
referring to, 271
Plans, collection of, 395
Playfair, Colonel, Himyaritic tablets
given by, 156
Plough, hand, an Egyptian, 136
Plumes, Egyptian symbol, 153
Pnyx, the ; slabs from, and account of,
258
Poet, head of a Greek, bronze, 346;
poets, two (?), Roman painting, 334
Polishing stones, Assyrian, 224
Polledrara, bronze and other objects
from, 339
Polycletus, the statuary, 244
Polygnotos, vase with name, 366
Polyhymnia, statue of the muse (?), 256
Polyzelos, the archon, amphora bearing
his name, 367
Pomegranates, Egyptian, 136
Pomona, bronze statuette, 346
Pompeii, mural paintings from, 333
Pompey, 119 ; " Pompey's Pillar," 91
Poole, Stuart, oa the Testimony of the
Egyptian monuments, 93
Porcher, Capt., R.N., his explorations in
the Cyrenaica, 293
Portland Vase, the (engraving), 364
notice, 365
Portraits, ancient. See collections of
sculpture, gems, and coins and medals
Poseidon and Athene, contest of, subject
of Parthenon sculptures, 249 ; part of
torso of, 249
Posidonios (?; gem, 359
Potidsea, battle of, epitaph from monu-
ment commemorating, 259
Potiphar, 44
Pottery, Egyptian, 135 ; Babylonian and
Assyrian, 215 ; Etruscan, Greek (en-
gravings), 360 ; Roman (engraving), 157,
368 ; British, 371 ; Lacustrine, 382 ;
mediaeval, 379 ; modern English, 380
Pourtales collection, acquisitions from
the, 296 et seq. ; engraving of head of
Apollo from, 305 ; bronze seated
Jupiter from, 343 ; vases, 361
Praxiteles and the Cnidian sculptures, 288
Prehistoric collections, 381
Priapus, figure of, whence copied, 71 ;
block from colossus of, 88
Priests, Egyptian, and music and the
dance, 142 ; bust of a priestess, 126
Printed books, sketch of the history of
the collections, 392 ; number added to
the library 1865-8, 399
Prints and drawings, admission to the
department, how obtained, 395
Probus, medallion ef, 390
Processions, Egyptian, 141 ; Greek vase-
paintings of, 363. See the bas-reliefs
Projecta's trousseau, 354 ; her casket
engraved, 355
Propyljea, the, 256, 259
Prosodion, imprecation of, 349
Prudhoe lions, the, 69
Psalter, the first printed, 397
Psammetichus I., 98, 100, 174 ; II., 102;
III., his daughter, 105
Psammuthis, 108
Pschent, the Egyptian, 58, 155
Psyche, Cupid and, gem, 356
Ptah, the Egyptian god, 22, 97, 129, 150 ;
temple of, at Memphis, 105 ; Ptah-
Socharis-Osiris, 154
Ptahmes, a royal secretary, figure of, 81 ;
writing-palettes of the time of, 138
Ptolemais, 293
Ptolemies, the, 53; Ptolemy I., 109, 114;
II., 114, 272, 359 ; III., 114 ; IV., 115 ;
V., 115-18; VI.-XL, 118; XII., XIII.,
119 ; Cleopatra, 119
Ptolemaic period, specimens of the art
of the, 119, 124, 127; papyrus, 50
(engraving)
Pul, the Biblical, 164
Pyramids of Egypt, the, 35-39; bricks
from, 131 ; casing-stones from the
great one, 35 ; the causeway, 36 ; se-
pulchral monuments from the neigh-
bourhood of the pyramids, 35
Pytheus (or Pythios), architect and
sculptor, employed on the Mausoleum,
277 ; specimens of his work, 281-4
Pyxes, mediaeval enamelled, 375
Q
Quoit-thrower, Greek, statue of, 306 ;
engraving, 307
Ra, the Egyptian god, 21, 54, 125-6
Rabshakeh and the Semitic affinities of
his language, 228
Ram, the, in Egyptian mythology, 70 ;
ram's head, colossal, 70 ; as an emblem,
85 ; mummies, 151
Rameses, Pharaoh, I., 82 ; II., his pro-
totype, 44 ; ancestral tablet of, 77 ;
account of him, 82 et seq. ; his colossal
Nubian portrait, engraving of, 83 ; and
Darius, 84 ; colossi of, at Memphis,
84 ; Moses born in his reign, 84, 87 ;
his daughter who adopted Moses, 51,
85 ; statue of one of his sons, 51, 94 ;
statue with his name, 85 ; colossal
busts of, 88-90 ; cast from a Memphite
colossus, 90 ; fist from, 90 ; his con-
quests illustrate 1, 129 ; statues of,
91, 92 ; lion dedicated to, 91 ; vases
and models with his name, 134-5 ;
successors of the name of Rameses, y5
Ranuzzi minuscripts, 397
Rata, Egyptian priest, 155
Rawlmson, Sir H. C., his cuneiform dis-
coveries, &c., 160, 229, 231, 236
Readers, accommodation provided for, in
TXDEX.
421
1759 and 1869, 399, 400 ; statistics of,
400
Reading-room, admission, how obtained,
400
Reaping-hook from the Swiss lakes. 382
Receptions in vase-paintings, 363
Redcliffe, Lord S. de, 279
Red Sea and Nile canal, 101
Regency bowl, the, 380
Rehoboam, 96
Renpu, the god, 78
Rensankhu's tablet, 79
Repousse" work, 347
Republics, money of various, 388
Revels, vase-paintings of, 363
Rezin of Syria, 166-7 ; his dominions
desolated, 168 ; his death, 168
Rhetoric, Egyptian, instructions in, 155
Rhind, Mr., 154
Rhodes, vases from, 361
Rich, Mr. Consul, his oriental MSS., 396
Richard III., rare groat of, 386
Rings, Egyptian, 151 ; Assyrian, 224 ;
Etruscan, 351-2 ; lion-ring of the
Princess di Canino, 357; Greek and
Roman, 353 ; iloman, found in Britain,
368; British, 370; Swiss lake-dwellers',
382 ; Ethelwolfs ring (engraving), 371 ;
ring of Mary Queen of Scots, 378 ;
miscellaneous signet rings, 378 ; Nor-
wegian, 384
Rituals, the Egyptian (Book of the Dead),
28, 30, 46, 107, 121, 128, 148-9, 153-4
Rivets, Egyptian, 140
Rock-tombs, Lycian, 266
Romans, Greece-Egyptian alliance with
the, 114 ; their power under Ptolemy
VI., 118 ; obtain Egypt by bequest,
118; establish Auletes on his throne,
119 ; sculpture in Egypt during their
occupation, 124-7 ; mummies, 149-50 ;
miscellaneous objects, 156 ; their pro-
vincial sculpture, 124 ; an emperor
adoring Egyptian deities, 124; statues
of Horus at their temples, 127 ; wor-
ship of Serapis at Rome, 121
Roman collections : armour and weapons,
341 ; art specially illustrated by the
coins, 387-9 ; bottle (engraving), 380 ;
bracelets, 353 ; bronzes, 335 ; cande-
labra, 349 ; coins, 385, 387, 389 ; cos-
tume, civil, 322-3, military, 322 ; ear-
ring, a favourite design, 353 ; ivories,
350 ; metal work, 349 ; mural paintings,
333 ; necklaces, 353 ; ornaments, 352-3,
368-9 ; portraits, sculptured, 316 ;
remains found in Britain and Ireland,
367 ; rings, 353 ; sculptures, &c., found
in England, 327 ; terra-cottas, 328 ;
toilet-service, silver, 354 ; weights, 350
Rope-ladder, Egyptian, 136
Rosellini, 84
Rosetta, 14 ; the Rosetta Stone, account
of it and its inscriptions, 32, 115-19
Royal library, George II.'s, 392 ; George
ILL'S, 396
Ru's monumental tablet, 40
Rui, Egyptian pontiff, 125
Ruka, shrine of, 94
Rukiptu of Askelon, 168
Ruma, his tablet, 81
Runic inscriptions, 372
Rupert correspondence, 398
Russell, Earl, vases presented by. 361- -
Russian empire, medal commemorating
the 1000th year of, 390 ; enamel, 377
Rutkar, tablet in memory of, 42
Ryswick, Peace of, medallet, 390
S
Sabacos, the Nubian, 97
Sabean tribes, sub j ugation of, by Assyria,
168
Sabina, Julia, portrait in marble of, 323
(engraving, 316)
Sacred Way. See Branchidse
Sacrifices, vase-paintings of, 363
St. John papers, acquisition of, 378
St. John, Knights of, and the remains of
the Mausoleum, 278
St. Nicholas, casts from his burial-place,
272
St. Peter, castle of, at Budrum, remains
of the mausoleum used for the build-
ing of, 278 ; removal of mausoleum
slabs from, 279, 285
Sais, the Egyptian city, 100, 103-105;
the goddess or mistress of, see Neith
Sakkarah, tombstone from, 72
Sala, figure of the god, Assyria despoiled
of, 162
Salamis, island of, 258
Salzmann and Biliotti, excavations by,
on the site of the Mausoleum, 287 ;
vases purchased from, 361
Samaria, Assyrian capture of, 169. See
also Menahem
Sambon, M., rare coins purchased from
him, 385
Samian ware, 157, 367-8
Samsi, Queen of the Arabs, Assyrian
war against her, 168
Samsivul I., King of Assyria, 161
Samsivul II., 163
Samsivul III., 164
Sandals, Egyptian, 133, 156; Roman,
found in Britain, 369. See Shoes
Sape", Assyrian siege of, 165
Sapiya. Marudukbaliddin's journey to,
165
Sappho and Alcseus, terra-cotta, 331
Saracus, King of Assyria, 175, 182
Sarapani, Assyrian capture of, 165
Sarcophagus, -gi, Assyrian,224; Egyptian,
67, 91, 92, 105-6, 108-9, 111-12, 126,
148 ; Graco-Egyptian, 112, 120 ; Graco-
Roman, 314 ; Lycian, 272 ; Roman
found in England, 327
Sardanapalus. See Assurbanipal
Sarduri, prince of Ararat, 166
422
INDEX.
Sargina, King of Assyria, 169, 176, 182,
208 ; his vase, 217 ; weights, 223
Sarpedon, Lycia colonised by, 264, figure
of(?) relief, 263
Satenahames, Qaeen, 51
Sati, the Consort of Noum, 22, 71, 129
Satyr, head of, from Lycia, 273 ; statue
of, dancing and playing cymbals, 312 ;
other marble representations, 302 ;
satyrs engaged in a vintage, vase-relief,
314 ; satyr playing with infant Bac-
chus, marble group (engraving), 311
Satyrs and Bacchante, relief of, 303 ;
vase-paintings of satyrs, 363
Satyric figure playing a flageolet, 302
Satyrus, architect employed on the
Mausoleum, 277
Saiilmugina, brother of Sardanapalus,
174
Saws, Assyrian and Babylonian, 189,
224 ; Egyptian, 140
Saxon coinage, 388 ; remains found in
Great Britain, 367
Saxony, Elector of, 1611-56; medallion
of, 391
Scabbards, Assyrian and Babylonian,
189 ; Roman, 343 ; ancient British, 370
Scarabseus, -i (Egyptian baetlo), 95, 148,
152, 153, 155; gems, chiefly Greek,
357, 359
Scemiophris, the Queen, 47
Sceptres, Assyrian, 224 ; Egyptian, and
the symbols, 65, 138, 153, loo
Schlott, H., automaton galley made by,
Scoriae from Egyptian mines, 140
Scribe, tha Egyptian, 138
Sculptures, from Assyria, 218; Caria
(Mausoleum), 277, (Cnidus), 287, (tomb
near Cnidus) 289 ; the Cyrenaica, 292,
Egypt, 35 etseq.; Greece (Parthenon),
239, (various places), 257, (Phigalia)
261 ; Greece and Rome (various places)
295 ; Lycia (Xanthian monument, &c. ),
264; Melos, 290; Persepolis, 227;
Roman found in Britain, 327
Scylla, head of, terra-cotta, 331
Scyllis, the sculptor, 240
Scythians, their ravages in Asia, 175
Sea-nymphs, statues of, from Lycia,
275
Seals, Egyptian, 139, 151 ; Assyrian,
Babylonian, Chaldsean, and Persian,
225-7 ; seal recovered from Babylon
by Sennacherib, 170 ; mediaeval, 377
at, Roman metal, 349
Seb, the daughter, f, 126
Seba, statuette of, 94
Sebak (Sevek), the Egyptian god, 23,
130
Sebakaau's tablet, 79
Sebaksi's sarcophagus, 112
Sebekaau, tablet of, 46
Sebeknefru, the Queen, 47
Sebeksen and his wife, 47
Sebeksi, the Egyptian, 49
by
Seat
Sebi, the Egyptian, 141
Secundus, trousseau of his bride, 354 ;
engraving of casket, 355
Sekhet. See Pasht
Selene, and horse of, with engraving,
249-251
Selinus, temple of, 241
Selinutine marbles, &c., 241
Semneh, fortress at, 44 ; tablet from, 67
Senathar's tablet, 47
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, account of
his reign, 169-172; monuments of, 195 ;
his state seal, 226 ; his monogram, 216 ;
preparation for war, 182 ; his subjuga-
tion of the Chaldees, 176 ; his arms
resisted by Tirhakah, 98 ; receiving
prisoners and spoil, 198 ; his examina-
tion of the prisoners from Lachish
(representation), 201 ; Assyrian gods
recovered by him, 162 ; the king and
his queen, 226, 227 ; his death, 172
Sentmut, statuette of, 121
Septuagint translation of the Old Testa-
ment, 114
Serannut, tablet of, 48
Serapis, slab from a temple of, 114 ; foot
from a colossal statue of (?), 120 ; altar
dedicated to, 121
Serpent, the, Egyptian symbol, 89, 121
Serra, the Marchese, mausoleum slab
purchased from, 285
Sesostris. See Rameses It.
Set, Seth. See Typhon
Setau, Prince, his coffin-lid, 91
Seti, or Sethos, Pharaoh I., 82, 128, 136 ;
Pharaoh II., 94; the Setheum, 81, 88
Setnecht, Pharaoh, 67
Severa, sculptured portrait, 327
Severus, Sept., statue of (?), 120 ; marble
bust, 326 ; medallions of, one struck at
Ilium, 390-91 ; Alex., medallion of, 391
Seymour, Sir E., Earl of Hertford
enamelled plate, with inscription re-
lating to, 376
Seymour, Mr. Danby, donation by, 77
Shaaernwafr or uas, Prince, 85, 94
Shaembekhen's tablet, 51
Shafra, Pharaoh, 35
Shakspere, his autograph, 397 ; copy of
his portrait engraved by M. Droeshout
398 ; the first collected edition of his
plays, 397 ; casket made out of his
mulberry tree, 375 ; tercentenary
' medat of, 390
Shala, the Assyrian goddess, 186
Shalmaneser I., King of Assyria, 161, 163,
223-4 ; Shalmaneser II., 163, 220, 222;
Shalmaneser III., 164 ; Shalmaueser
IV., 169, 182
Shamas, the Assyrian god, 186
Shebek. See Sabacos
Sheep, the Egyptian use of, 70
Sheikhoo (died A.D. 1356), rnosque-lamp
with his name, engraving, 380
Shell, engraved, from near Rachel's tomb,
157
1XDEX.
423
Shepherd kings, 50
Sheshonk, or Shishack I., 95, 96 ; statues
of Pasht with his name on them (one
engraved, 50), 96; Sheshonk, high priest,
statue dedicated hy, 97 ; the Sheshonk
family, 97 ; Sheshonk, the chamber-
lain, 103
Shields, Assyrian, 189 ; Greek, &c., 341 ;
engraving, 3 r2 ; British found in the
Thames, 339 ; engraving, 370 ; bosses
from, 370; Abyssinian (engr.), 382
Ship, clock in form of, 377
Shoes, mediaeval, 375. See Sandals, Shoe-
making, vase-paintings of, 363
Shrewmouse, sacred to Mut, 2o
Shrines, Egyptian, 94, 121 ; procession
of the, 117 ; mediaeval, 375
Shushan. See. Susiania
Sicily, vases from, 361
Sickle, Egyptian, 138
Sidon stormed by Apries, 102
Siebold, Dr. von, his library, 395
Sigean inscription, the, 259
Silence, the god of, 127
Silenus with a basket, bronze, 345, en-
graved, 346
Sin, the Assyrian god, and his consort, 186
Sinaitic inscription, 124
Singers and singing, Egyptian, 141-2 ;
Greek, vasa-paintings, 363
Sirens, Etruscan bronzes, 338
Siris, the bronzes from, 347
Sistra, Egyptian, 123, 140-1
Skhai, the Egyptian scribe, 138
Skins, inflated, Assyrian use of, 192
Skopas, the sculptor, employed on the
Mausoleum, 278
" Skulax," gem inscribed, 359
Slade collection of glass, 380 ; specimens
engraved, 330
Sleep, god of (?) bronze head, 347
Sling-bullets, ancient, 342
Slippers, silver, from Abyssinia, 3S2
Sloane, Sir Hans, biographical sketch,
2 ; his portrait (engraving), 3 ; statue
by Eysbrach, 5 ; his collections. 5 ;
library, 6, 392 ; disposition of his trea-
sures, 6; their purchase, 7; the Sloane
coins, 384
Smirke, Sir Robert, 9
Smith, Mr. George, the cuneiform de-
cipherer, 161, 164, lu6-8, 176
Smith, Capt. R. M., attached to the Bud-
rum expedition, 280 ; his explorations
in the Cyrenaica, 293
Smyth, Mr. Piazzi, on the construction
of the pyramids, 37
Snakes, mummy, 151 ; snake-case, bronze,
155
Snuff-box presented by Pius VI. to
Napoleon, 357 ; by Napoleon to the
Hon. Mrs. Darnar, 3/8 ; engraving, 379
Soleb, 64, 69
"Solitaires," Etruscan gold, 351
Solomon's Egyptian wife, 95
Solon, 51
Solymi, the, 2o4
Somnus (?), torso of, 310. See Hypnos
Songs, Egyptian, 142
Sophocles, sculptured portrait, 317
Sotar, Ptolemy, 109, 114 ; the Theban
archon, coffin of, and his daughter's
mummy. 150
Soumautf, 146. See Amenti, genii
Sovereigns, great seals of, 377
Spangles, Egyptian emblems, 153
Sparring, relief, 218 ; vase-paintings, 364
Spartan mercenaries, 113
Spearheads. Egyptian, 137 ; Assyrian and
Babylonian, 189 ; Greek, Etruscan,
Roman, 341 ; engraving of a specimen,
342 ; from the Swiss lakes, 381 ; British,
engr. 370 ; Egyptian fishing-spears, 183
Sphinx, the great, and parts of, 33, 39,
62 ; sculptures from the sphinx's tem-
ple, 62 ; head of a, late period, with
engraving, 120-1 ; sphinx from vicinity
of the great one, 124 ; avenues of
sphinxes, 53, 63 ; crio-sphinx, 70 ;
Assyrian sphinxes, 221 ; Etruscan, 338 ;
from the Sacred Way, 210 ; consulta-
tions of the Sphinx, Greek vase-paint-
ings, 363
Spindle-wheels from the Swiss lakes, 381
Spinning implements, Egyptian, 143
Spoons, Egyptian, 135, 139 ; Greek-
Roman, 349
Spurs, Assyrian, 224 ; Greek-Roman, 349
Stabiae, mural paintings from, 333
Stability, Egyptian emblems of, 112, 153
Stamps, Egyptian, 139-40 ; Roman found
in Britain, 339
Standard-bearer, a Pharaonic, statue, 94
Standards, heads of Egyptian, 94 ; Assy-
rian, nee Bas-reliefs
Stands, Egyptian, 140 ; engraving of one
in arragonite, 134 ; Assyrian, 224
Staters of the Lydians, 387
Staves, Egyptian, 137
Steelyards, ancient, 350
Stele, from Karnak, 61 ; from Lycia, 269
Stereotyping, one of the earliest speci-
mens of 397
Stone, quarried, first use of, IS ; stone
period, illustrations of the, 381 ; stone-
ware, German, 380
Strabo on Egyptian animal-worship, 25 ;
on the vocal Memnon, 68
Stranger kings, the, 63
Strategi, Athenian, cast of chair of one
of the, 260
Strigils. See Bath Utensils
Strozzi, gems from the cabinet, 357
Styles, Assyrian, 224 ; Roman found in
Britain, 369
Suffolk MS. collections, 398
Sukkiims, the, 96
Sumir, adoption by Tiglath Pileser II. of
the title of king of, 165
Sun-god of the Egyptians (see Ra) ; ark
of the, 54 ; sun- worship, 126 ; sun-dials,
127, 260, 314
424
INDEX.
Suphis, Pharaoh, 35
Surappi, the river, 165
Sururu, statue of, 67
Susa (Susianians), Assurbanipal's war
against, 174 ; representations of, 170,
198, 200 ; execution of the king, 202 ;
statue of Nana recovered from, by the
Assyrians, 174, 176 ; Susianian and
Median alliance, 175 ; smaller anti-
quities from, 211
Swiss lake antiquities, 381 ; Swiss repub-
lic, money of the, 388
Swords, Assyrian and Babylonian, 189 ;
Greek, Etruscan, Roman, 341 ; speci-
men engraved, 342 ; Roman sword
found at Mayence, 343; British, en-
graving, 370. See Arms
Sybils, the twelve, enamel, 376
Syene, 100
Symbols, Egyptian, see Emblems. Of
Assyrian deities, 185
Syracuse, stater of, 387
Syria, Assyrian wars with, 163, 166-168
Ta-aiemhept, her tombstone, 127
Tablet of Abydos, the, 77 ; inscribed
tablets from Cnidus, 348 ; votive
tablets, sculptured, 315
Tahennu, the, 128
Taia, Queen, 152
Takeloths I. and II., 97
Tali, females playing at the game of, 329
Tallies of Edward III., 375
Tarn, Egyptian symbol, 130
Tambourine, Egyptian, 141
Tarbazu, deportation of the people, 165
Tasetenhesi, Queen, 105
Tat, Egyptian emblem, 112, 130
Tau, Egyptian emblem, 112, 130
Tax-gatherers' receipts, Egyptian, 156
Taylor's Oriental MSS., 398
Tazza, a, 313
Tebt, tomb of the lady, 40
Teichiosa, relief from, 241
Tekar, Egyptian sailor, 139
Telkamri, city rebuilt, 165
Temple, Hon. Sir W., his bequest, 295
Temptation, the, ivory carving, 374
Tent, an Egyptian lady, 40
Teos, Pharaoh, 112
Terminal figures, use of, 243
Terpsikles, a sculptor, 240
Terra-cottas, Athenian sepulchral urn,
engraving, 330 ; Assyrian, 217, 224,
227 ; Cnidian, 288 ; Egyptian, 156 ;
Greek and Greece-Roman, 288, 328-
333, engraving, 332 ; Manufacture, 331;
Vase, with female head, engraving,
330
Teshr, the Egyptian, 58, 66
Teta, tomb of the lady, 40
Teuchira, 293
Thalia, statue of, 297; engraved, 296;
terra-cotta figure, 333
Theatre, gems relating to the, 359
Thebaid, Deities of the, 21, 22
Thebans, complexion of the, 94
Thebes, 18, 21, 52, 57, 63, 87, 98, 101,
102, 106, 111, 118, 122, 139, 173
Theodore, King, art-treasures collected
by him (engraving), 382
Theseus, the statue of, 249-50; engraving,
of, 238 ; revenging Hippodamia (?),
bas-relief, 262 ; attacking an Ama-
zon, relief, 263 ; the boat of, mural
painting, 334 ; Hippolytus denounced
before, mural painting, 334 ; casts from
and account of the Theseion, 257-8
Thetis, the surprise of, by Peleus, illus-
trated on vases, notice, 364-6 ; engrav-
ings, 360, 364; the subject in terra-
cotta, 330
Thiasos, the Dionysiac, 304, 363
This, the city, 18
Thmei. See Ma
Thoth, the Egyptian god, 23, 30, 54,
109, 124, 130
Thothmes, Pharaoh I., 52 ; II., 52, 57;
III., 52, 55, 57-59, 61, 62, 71,88, 91, 134,
140, (155) ; his sister or mother-in-law,
57, 59 ; IV., 62 (155) ; his queen, 62
Thothmes, the Memphite gate-keeper, 72
Thoueris, the Egyptian goddess, 23, 93,
126, 127, 130
Thrasyllus, choragic monument of, 255
Thread, Egyptian, 143
Throw-stick, the Egyptian, 138
Tiberius, sculptured portrait of, 319
Tiglath-ninip I., King of Assyria, 162,
177 ; II., 163
Tiglath-pileser I., King of Assyria, 162,
163, 182. 223, 230; II., 164-169, 182,
193
Tigris, the river, 158, 165, 180, 181
Tiles, Egyptian enamelled, 155. Majo-
lica, 380
Timotheus, sculptor, 278
Tippet, Egyptian, 122
Tirhakah, the Ethiopian, 69, 97, 98, 172,
173
Tlos, casts of sculptures at, 270
Toilet-boxes, Etruscan, 340 ; service,
354 ; scenes, vase-paintings, 363
Tombs and tombstones, see names of
countries, &c. ; visits to tombs, vase-
paintings, 364
Tomb-cones, Egyptian, 154. Assyrian,
224
Tools, Egyptian, 140
Topographical drawings, collection of,
396
Tores, British gold, 370 ; engraving (on
a Mercury), 343
Torsoes, marble, from Claudos, Crete,
Rhamnus, and Rome, 243 ; from the
Mausoleum, 284
To-sor, the Lord of, 59
Tower of Babel. See Babylon
Townley collection of sculpture, 295 ;
ornaments, 354 ; gems, 356 ; rases, 360
INDEX.
425
Toys, Egyptian, 142, 143 ; Greek, 331
Trajan, sculptured portrait of; notice
and engraving of, 320
Trapezophora, sculptured, 314
Trays, Egyptian, 140
Trebonianus Gallus, medallion of, 390
Tree of Life, and the fruit, 185, 186 ;
engraving, 178 ; model of the fruit-
basket, 224
Tremilse, the, 264; language, 270
Triads, Egyptian, 21
Trial scene, the Egyptian, 21, 30, 50
(engraving), 150
Triglyphs, explanation, 241
, Trinkets. See Jewellery
Tripods, Etruscan, 339
Triptychs (ivory), 374
Triton from Delos, 243
Trojan war, scenes in the, 242. See
Vases
Trooes, the,'270
Troy, Helen at the taking of, 341 ; war
of, vase-painting, 363
Trumpets, ancient British, 370
Trustees of the British Museum, 7;
Medal presented to them by Napoleon
III., 391
Truth, the Egyptian goddess of. See
Ma
Tryphera, epitaph on, 260
Turn, the Egyptian god, 79
Tumbling, vase-paintings, 364
Turanian (Tatar) language, 228
Turks, sarcophagus used by as a fountain,
106 ; as a bath, 109 ; the Turks and
the Parthenon, 248
Turner's Norfolk collections, 398
Turuspa, siege of, by the Assyrians, 166
Tutamu, King of Muzir, 165
Tutu, the sandal-maker, 123
Tweezers, Egyptian, 133 ; Greek-Roman,
349
Tyche, 123
Typhon, the Egyptian god, 24, 80, 97,
123, 130, 141 ; the associate of, see
Thoueris ; the vanquisher of," 23
Tyre, Apries' sea-fight with the king of,
102; glass beads, &c., from, 157;
Hiram, King of, 166 ; Mentenna, 168 ;
Baal, 174
Tyrwhitt's classical books, 395
Uaprehet, statue of, 99
Ukni, the river, 165
Uls. See Ouols.
Ulysses passing the Sirens (Roman
fresco), 334
Unas, Pharaoh, 134
Unnefer, tablets of Egyptians so named,
121, 123
Ur of the Chaldees, 175, 176; imple-
ments and sepulchral remains from,
224
Urams serpent, the, 121
Urania, terra-cotta figure of, 333
Urdamane, King of Upper Egypt, 98 ;
his invasion of Lower E^ypt and defeat
by Assurbanipal, 173
Urns, Greek cinerary, in the Elgin col-
lection, 260 ; large bronze urn found
near the Piraaus, 260 ; Athenian gilded
urn, with remains and obolos (engraved),
330 ; Roman urns found in Britain,
367 ; urns of the earliest inhabitants
of Britain and the continent, identity
of, 382
"Urukh," King of Chaldea, 176
Usersi, an Egyptian girl, 49
Userur, an Egyptian sculptor (his tablet),
48
Usk, the Egyptian, 122
Utensils, Roman, found in Britain, 367,
369; medieval (enamelled, &c.), 375,
377
V
Val-lat (?) -ani, Assyrian prefect, 163
Vandals, money coined by them, 388
Vararanes IV., seal of, 227
Vases, Anglo-Saxon (glass), 372 ; As-
syrian and Babylonian, 215, 224 ;
British, 382 ; Camirus vase, the, notice
of, 365 ; engraving, 360 ; Dionysiac
(Bacchic), 312; one engraved, 313;
Egyptian, 49, 78, 122, 133, 135, 146,
157 ; emblems, 153 ; engraving, 134 ;
Elgin collection, 260; " Etruscan,"
339 ; engraving, 361 ; Greek, 330, 360 ;
choice specimens, 366 ; Grseco- Egyp-
tian, 154 ; Grseco-Roman, 312 ; large
krater in the hall of the Museum, 314 ;
terra-cotta, 329; Keltic, early, 362;
Manufacture, in vase-painting, 363 ;
Paintings, subjects of the, 363 ; vari-
ous styles, 362 ; Panathenaic, 366-7 ;
Periods, 363 ; Portland Vase, the (en-
graving), 364 ; notice, 365 ; Roman
found in Britain, 367 ; terra-cotta
vases (various), 329 ; one with female
head, engraved, 330. See Glass;
Amenti, genii of the
Vassarmi of Tabal, deposed, 168
Vaux, Mr. W. S. W., 384
Venetian glass, collection of (engr.), 380
Venus, the Assyrian, see Istar ; Egyp-
tian, Athor, Ken ; Etruscan, en-
graving, 338 ; notice, 339 ; Greek and
Roman, statue (" Townley Venus,'')
notice, 304 ; engraving, 304 ; Venus of
the Capitol, copy, 310 ; small statue of
Venus disrobing, 302 ; torso from
Richmond-house, 300 ; small torso of
Venus attiring, 300 ; diminutive statue
of, from Lycia (torso), 273 ; head of,
from the Hamilton collection, 300 ;
bronze statuettes of, 344 ; remains from
her temple at Daphne, 260 ; Venus in
the air (Roman fresco), 334 ; Venus
architis, veiled term, 296. Phoenician,
the, 220
426
INDEX.
Verard, wovks printed on vellum by, 393
Verus, Lucius, sculptured portraits of,
as a youth and a man, 325 ; bronze
bust, 346 ; medallion, 391
Vessels used in the Roman bath, 350 ;
mediaeval, 375, 377. See Vases
Vico, Jo. Bapt., medal of, 390
Victims, Egyptian emblems, 153
Victoria, Queen. Bust of a Pharaoh pre-
sented by Her Majesty, 124; Roman
tomb of tiles, &c. (engraving), 368.
The great seal of, 377
Victory, the Parthenon figures of the
winged and wingless, 251 ; casts of,
from the temple of Nike apteros (one
figure engraved), 257 ; Victory immo-
lating a bull (engraving), 315 ; Pom-
peian painting of a figure of, 334 ;
Victory driving a quadriga, gem en-
graving, 359
Vine, story of the birth of the, marble
group, 301
Viols, Egyptian, 140
Virgin and Child, ivory carvings, 374
Vitruvius, site of the Mausoleum indi-
cated by him, 281
Volusian, medallion of, 391
Vul, the Assyrian god, 161, 162, 186
Vulcan, Egyptian prototype of, 22
Vulci, vases from, 361
Vulnirari I., King of Assyria, 161 ; II.,
163; III., 164
Vyse, Col. Howard, 56, 145
W
Waagen, quoted, 55, 69
Wady Mokatteb, the, 124
War," the Egyptian god of, 23
War-axes, Egyptian, and engraving, 137
Washing, Greek vase-paintings, 363
Watches, 377, 379
Water-drawing, vase-paintings, 363
Waterloo medal, engraving, 390
Watts, Mr. Thomas, 400
Weapons. See Arms
Weaving implements, Egyptian, 143
Wedgwood, copy of the Portland vase,
medallions, &c., by, 380
Weighing-machines, ancient, 350
Weights, Assyrian, 223; Greek, Roman,
Byzantine, and Etruscan, 350 ; weights
from Egypt, 157
Wheat, Egyptian, 136
Whetstone from Nineveh, 224
Wigan,-Mr. E., his gift of gold coins, 385
Wigs, Egyptian, 132
Wilkinson, Sir J. G., 56
William III., medallet of, 390
Withington, Roman mosaics from, 328
Witt collection of Bath utensils, 350
Wolley MSS., 396
Wood-carvings and statues, Egyptian,
87, 140
Woodhouse collection of ornaments, 354 ;
coins, 385
Works, number cf complete, added to
the library in ten years, 399
World's childhood exemplified, 34
Wreaths, Etruscan gold, 351
Wrestling, vase-paintings, 364
Writing, inscriptions, &c. ; Assyrian,
Babylonian, Chaldsean (cuneiform),168,
228, 230, 231 ; Coptic, 127, 156 ; Cufic,
127 ; Demotic (Enchorial), 28, 32, 115,
124, 154 ; Egyptian, see Demotic, Hi-
eratic. Hieroglyphic; Etruscan (in-
scriptions on mirrors, &c. ) ; Greek, 32,
115, 124, 156; Hieratic, 28, 155;
Hieroglyphic, 26, 28, 32, 79, 115, 154 ;
Himyaritic, 156; Lycian, 268-9, 272;
Phoenician, 227, 315 ; Sinaitic, 124
Writing implements, Assyrian, 224 ;
Egyptian, 138, 139, 156
Writing-tablets, Egyptian, 156 ; mediae-
val, 374
X
Xanthus, 264 ; its destruction, 264-5 ;
Sir C. Fellows' s description of its ruins
and site, 265 ; decree given from, by
Ptol. Philadelphia, 272 ; the monu-
ment of, &c., discovery, history, date
of erection, style of art, dimensions,
subjects of the friezes, the statues and
lions. 273-275. See engraving 264
Xerxes, his name on objects in the
Museum, 178
Yaballa, deportation of the people of,
165
Yoke, an Egyptian, 136
York, Archbishop of, money coined by,
388
Young, Dr., and hieroglyphic interpre-
tation, 32
Young, the poet, on sculpture, 238
Yule MSS., 397
Zaba taken by Assyrians, 162
Zabibi, Queen of the Arabs, 166
Zabus, the river, 180
Zagare-sum-iddin, King of Babylonia,
162
Zedekiah's captivity, 177
Zeus, 52; Egyptian prototype, 21. See
Jupiter
Zirbanit, the Assyrian goddess, 187
Zodiac on coffins, 150
Zythus, Egyptian beer, 136
CASSELL, FETTER, AND GALPIN, BELLE SAUVAGK WOKKS, LONDON, B.C.
PREFACE.
IT is believed that this volume will supply a want much felt
and often expressed the want of a work which should put
the public in possession of desirable information respecting
what may be called the permanent departments of the British
Museum ; a work combining with appropriate illustrations of
the more important accessions, recent as well as early, par-
ticulars of the nature and historical value and sequence of the
treasures of art and knowledge which for more than a
century have been accumulated in the National Museum.
The work is not an a official " publication ; in so far as the
text is concerned, it has been prepared during the author's own
leisure moments, from notes taken on personal examination
of everything in the collections which he has mentioned. A
familiar acquaintance with the original objects enables him to
bear testimony to the general truthfulness of the engravings,
the drawings for which were, without exception, executed in
the Museum. The Index has been made rather copious, as
much with the view of indicating the description of objects to
be found in the Museum as of pointing out the contents of
its " Handy-book."
To the heads of departments and other gentlemen who
have been so good as to look over the proofs, the writer begs
to return his best thanks. At the same time he takes entirely
upon himself the responsibility of any errors of statement or
shortcomings that may be discovered in the volume.
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CASSELL'S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE,
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numerous Educattonal Works. This Catalogue is supplied gratis by all Book-
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/
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77
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