Egyptian sculpture

LATE PERIOD 169

It is clearly unfinished, for the figure of the king is not sculptured. What remains is the figure of the god Amon raising a scimitar in his right hand, while in his left hand he holds five cords by which he leads captive five rows of conquered towns. These towns are represented by walled enclosures containing the name, and above the enclosure rises the upper part of a human body with the hands tied behind the back. The sculpture is interesting from the religious point of view, as showing that at this period the king receives his victories and conquests from the god, who presents the captured towns to the king; whereas in the earlier periods the king presents his conquests to the god. The figure of the god Amon calls for little remark, the face is a good example of the period; the hollow relief is not too deep and the outline is fine and delicate. The heads of the conquered cities are distinctly Syrian in type, as would be expected from the fact that they represent Syrian towns. The Egyptian, even at the worst period, had a remarkable faculty for catching a likeness and showing the racial characteristics of any people. These heads have the fine aquiline nose, the full lips, and the forward growth of narrow beard so typical of the Syrian. The outline has clearly been of more importance to the sculptor than the modelling, for in the outline lay the racial character, though in some of the faces the muscles running from the nose to the cheek and forming the “parenthesis” are clearly indicated. In all the figures the ear is invariably set too high. The work is rough, and the general effect of the whole composition is monotonous and spotty (Pl. XLVIII. 2).

The XXVth and later dynasties are remarkable for a series of sculptured slabs, known to Egyptologists as Cippi of Horus. On these the figure of the child-god Horus is carved in such high relief as to be almost in the round. The