Ancient art and its remains, or, A manual of the archaeology of art / By C.O. Müller.

  • Karl Otfried Müller
Date:
1852
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ancient art and its remains, or, A manual of the archaeology of art / By C.O. Müller. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    249/664
    metal was an Egyptian art, at least in later Alexandrian times; and the fabrication of variegated glass-ware flourished in Alexandria, and probably even among the ancient Egyp- tians. Carving on wood was indeed restricted in Egypt by 5 the scarcity of material, yet there were wooden images of gods and men in great numbers, of which we can form some idea from the covers of mummies. 1. Egyptian pots, Descr. ii. pi. 87 sqq. v. pi. 75. Canobus is properly the actual appellation of a deity (§. 220,3.), the Agathodtemon Knuph who was represented as a pitcher for the filtering of the Nile-water (Suidas 8. V.) with a human head. Hence all similar pots—very different in size and materials—are called canobi. The canobi, with four heads (§. 232, 3), along with the mummies, are often filled with figures in enamel, often also solid. There are many such terracotta figures, Descr. v. pi. 67 sqq. Chinese vases in ancient Egyptian tombs, J. F. Davis in the An- nali d. Inst. ix. p. 321. [An American, who lived long in China, assert- ed that he immediately recognised to be Chinese, certain vases of this de- scription which he saw in the house of the English consul-general in Egypt. There are several also in the Egyptian collection at Florence. Wilkinson also thinks he has found Chinese smeUing-bottles in Egyptian tombs. Lepsius, according to report, declares this to be a mistake.] 2. The Egyptians used many signet rings. Even sacrifices were sealed by the sphragistes. On the aCpQuylh; of the Ethiopians, which they engraved with a sharp stone, Herod, vii, 69. The scarabasi are found along with mummies, on strings on the breast, but more commonly loose between the bandages ; sometimes large, evidently amulets, sometimes smaller for stringing on threads, in immense number, often with kings' names. Of 1,700 at Turin, there are 172 with the name of Thutmosis. S. Quintino's theory (Lezioni int. a div. argom. d'archeol. vi.) that these latter are small coins, is in some measure confirmed by the Ps. Plat. Eryxias, p. 400. Engravings in Descr. v. pi. 79 sqq. Steinbllchel, Scara- bees Egypt, figures du Musee des Ant. de S. M. I'Empereur, Vienna, 1824. Bellermann iiber die Scarabseen-Gemmen. B. 1820. 21.—Necklaces also, and other ornaments in enamel, are found not unfrequently in mummies. There is an immense quantity of them in public and private collections in France [Italy, Germany, Holland,] and England. Vases, bottles of gold, silver, glass and other materials, Edinb. New Philos. Journ. 1838. Apr. Jul. p. 101, from Wilkinson. [Wilkinson, Manners and Customs of the anc. Eg. vol. 2. ch. 7, p. 342 sq. 2. ed. On art and works of art generally, vol. 3. ch. 10, p. 264 sq.] 3. There appear to be no accounts of brazen statues in Egypt; Hero- dotus (ii, 172) mentions a golden one. The sacred gifts of gold and sil- ver in Diodorus prove nothing as to statues. In collections from Egypt there are often found small bronze figures of gods and sacred animals, wrought with sharpness and precision. The enigmatical figure of Horus 1, standing on crocodiles, and crushing together scorpions and wild animals with his hands, is also often to be found in bronzes as well as in stone and terracotta; but it always bears the look of being of late origin. Small golden plates with the eye, the uracus, served as amulets.