Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, April 1900: Vol. 56, Nov. 1899 to April, 1900 — John Shaqi
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, April 1900: Vol. 56, Nov. 1899 to April, 1900Various
History
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, April 1900: Vol. 56, Nov. 1899 to April, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
Some centuries later was made the exquisite jewelry found at Dahshur in
the graves of three princesses. This is a revelation of the delicacy
possible in goldsmith’s work. The soldering of the minute parts of
the gold is absolutely invisible. The figures of hawks are made up
of dozens of microscopic pieces of colored stone--lazuli, turquoise,
carnelian--every one cut to the forms of the feathers, and every piece
having a tiny cell of soldered gold strip to hold it in place, yet the
whole bird only about half an inch high. The finest colored enameling
ever made would be child’s play compared with a piece of this early
jewelry. The exquisite grace of form, harmony of coloring, and sense of
perfection leave the mind richer by a fresh emotion, after seeing such
a new world of skill. Coming down to about 1500 B. C., a large work
has been done in the last six years in clearing the temple of Queen
Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahri, on the western side of Thebes. That great
ruler had there commemorated the events of her reign, particularly
the expedition to the south of the Red Sea to obtain the plants of
the sacred incense and other valued products. The attention shown to
exact figuring of plants and animals makes this valuable as a record of
natural history. This clearance has been made by Dr. Naville for the
English fund. Meanwhile, Franco-Egyptian officials have been clearing
out the Temple of Karnak, on the opposite bank, but with disastrous
effect. The huge columns, built poorly of small blocks by Rameses II,
stand now below the level of the inundation, and, after removing the
earth accumulated around them, the Nile water has free circulation.
This has dissolved the mortar so much that nine of these Titanic
columns of the Great Hall fell last year, and three more threaten to
follow them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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