122 Ptol. Coloured mosaics. Glass. ? Petrie Coll. ” _Ivory._ 123 IV Khufu. Ivory. Abydos. Cairo Mus. 136 124 VI? Girl standing. ” ? Petrie Coll. ” 125 XXVI Lotus flower. ” Memphis. Edin. Mus. ” 126 ” Man with offerings. ” ” ” ” _Wood._ 127 XVIII Bracing of chair. Wood. Tomb of Cairo Mus. 137 Yuaa. 128 ” Chair of Sitamen. ” ” ” ” 129 ” Coffer of Wood ” ” ” Amenhotep III. inlaid. 130 ” ” ” ” ” ” ” 131 ” Couch of Yuaa. Wood. ” ” ” _Plaster._ 132 XVIII Reliefs on chariot. Stucco on Tomb of Cairo Mus. 144 wood. Tahutmes. 133 Ptol. Lion’s head, Plaster. ? Petrie Coll. ” casting. 134 ” King’s head, casting. ” ? ” ” 135 Roman. Man’s head from ” ? ” 146 coffin. 136 ” ” ” ” Kom el Cairo Mus. ” Ahmar. 137 ” Woman’s head from ” ? Petrie Coll. ” coffin. 138 ” Man’s head and skull. ” Hu. British Mus. ” _Clothing._ 139 XVIII Woven patterns, Thread. Tomb of Cairo Mus. 148 Amenhotep II. Tahutmes IV. 140 ” Cut-out network. Leather. ” ” ” Arts and Crafts of Ancient Egypt CHAPTER I THE CHARACTER OF EGYPTIAN ART The art of a country, like the character of the inhabitants, belongs to the nature of the land. The climate, the scenery, the contrasts of each country, all clothe the artistic impulse as diversely as they clothe the people themselves. A burly, florid Teuton in his furs and jewellery, and a lithe brown Indian in his waist-cloth, would each look entirely absurd in the other’s dress. There is no question of which dress is intrinsically the best in the world; each is relatively the best for its own conditions, and each is out of place in other conditions. So it is with art: it is the expression of thought and feeling in harmony with its own conditions. The only bad art is that which is mechanical, where the impulse to give expression has decayed, and it is reduced to mere copying of styles and motives which do not belong to its actual conditions. An age of copying is the only despicable age.