A History of Art in Ancient Egypt, Vol. 2 (of 2)Perrot, Georges
History
A History of Art in Ancient Egypt, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Perrot, Georges
Art -- Egypt -- History; Egypt -- Antiquities
Certain buildings in Memphis seem to have been decorated in the same
fashion. "The most curious thing brought by me from Mitrahineh,"
writes Jomard, "is a fragment of enamelled and sculptured terra-cotta,
which probably belonged to a wall lined with that fine material. It is
remarkable for the brilliant blue, the blue of the lapis-lazuli, which
covers it.... The outlines of the hieroglyphs are as firm, and their
edges as sharp as if they were the work of a skilful carver, and had
never been subjected to the heat of a furnace. They are of blue
stucco, inlaid into the body of the enamel. I look upon this kind of
decoration as analogous to that of the Cairo divans, in which we see
walls covered with earthenware tiles which are painted with various
ornaments and subjects."[372] Now that attention has been attracted to
this kind of decoration, traces of it will no doubt be found at many
other points of Ancient Egypt.[373]
[372] _Description, Antiquités_, vol. v. p. 543, and _Atlas_,
vol. v. plate 87, Fig. 1.
[373] The collection of M. Gustave Posno, which will, we hope,
be soon absorbed into that of the Louvre, contains many
enamelled bricks from decorative compositions like those in the
stepped pyramid and the temple of Rameses III. (Nos. 8, 9, 11,
20, 58, 59, 60, 61 of the Catalogue published at Cairo in 1874).
One of these, which has a yellow enamel, bears in relief the
oval and the royal banner of Papi, of the sixth dynasty. Another
has the name Seti I.; others those of Rameses III. and Sheshonk.
The reliefs upon which prisoners' heads appear must have come
from Tell-el-Yahoudeh.
These enamels were not always used upon stone or faience; their
charming varieties of tone are also found upon wooden grounds. M.
Maspero mentions as an example of this the fragments of a mummy case
in the Turin Museum. An inscription upon the wood is surrounded by
faience ornament of a very rich colour. Mariette also mentions bronzes
in which the remains of enamel and of _pietra dura_ inlays are yet to
be seen.[374]
[374] MARIETTE, _Notice du Musée de Boulak_, p. 69.
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