EGYPTIAN ORNAMENT.


PLATE     VIII.
The whole of the Ornaments on this plate are from Mummy- '
cases in the British Museum and the Louvre, and, like '
those of the last Plate, are mostly composed of the
Lotus-flower and single leaves of the same plant. In
No. 2, above the Lotus-leaves, is a white ornament on
a black ground, very common in the tombs, suggested


.by the interwoven strands of a rope; and in No. 7
we have the chequered pattern, one of the earliest
ornaments, evidently derived from the weaving to-
gether of different-coloured strands. In the lower
part of No. 18 we have another very common orna-
ment, derived from feathers.


PLATE TX


The Ornaments on this Plate are taken from Paintings on
Tombs in various parts of Egypt, from original Draw-
ings. They are chiefly patterns that could be pro-
duced by the loom, and a single glance will show that
this is doubtless the origin Qf most of them.
1-8 are representations of Mats on which the kings stand.
They were evidently formed of interwoven straws of
different colours. The transition from this state to the
formation of patterns, such as 9-12, 17-19, 21, would
be very rapid, and they are most probably only repro-


ductions of woven articles of daily use. Nos. 9 and
10 may have suggested the fret to the Greeks, unless
they arrived at it themselves by a similar process.
20 is from a Ceiling of a Tomb at Gourna. It represents the
Trellis-work of a Garden Walk, covered with a Vine.
It is by no means an uncommon ornament for the
curved ceilings of small tombs, and usually occupies
the whole ceiling of each excavation at the period of
the nineteenth dynasty.
21-23 are derived from Mummy-cases in the Louvre, of a late
period.


PLATE X.


1-5. From Mummy-cases in the Louvre, at a late period.   8, 9. From a .1ummy-case.
Geometrical arrangements of the single Lotus-leaf.  10-24 are from Ceilings
of Tombs in various parts of Egypt.
B. From a Tomb at Thebes. Each circle is formed of four          In Nos.
10, 13-16, 18-23, are various examples of an
Lotus-flowers and four Buds, the intermediate star       ornament representing
the unwinding of a pile of
probably intended for four Lotus-leaves.                 rope, which may
have given the first suggestion of
the volute. In No. 24 the continuous blue line is
7. From a Tomb at Thebes.                                        evidently
from the same type.


PLATE XI.


1, 4, 6, 7, are from Tombs at Thebes, and are further examples
of the Rope Ornament given in the last Plate. Nos.
2 and 3 are varieties of arrangements of Stars, very
common on the ceilings both of tombs and temples.
No. 2 is formed on squares, No. 3 on equilateral
triangles.
9. From a Mummy-case.
10. From the Embroidery on a King's Robe.
1]-16 are varieties of Borders from Paintings in Tombs.
17. From the Dress of a figure in one of the Royal Tombs
of Biban el Moluk. It represents the Scales of the
Armour worn by the Heroes and Gods of Egypt.
18-20 are similar, and most probably were suggested by the
feathers of birds.


21.
22.
23.
24.


Ornament on the Dress of the god Amun, from Aboo-
simbel.
From a Fragment in the Louvre.
Dado from the Tomb of Ramses, Biban el Moluk, pro-
bably representing, in diagram, a Papyrus-grove, as
it occupies a similar position to those dados of a
later period which were formed of buds and flowers
of the papyrus.
From a very ancient Tomb at Giza, opened by Dr.
Lepsius.  The upper part represents the usual
Egyptian torus; the lower portion is from the dado
of the same tomb, and shows that the practice of
imitating grained woods in painting is of the highest
antiquity.


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