Fergusson, James: The illustrated handbook of architecture: being a concise and popular account of the different styles of architecture preveiling in all ages and all countries (London, 1859)

Chap. I.

KOYUNJIK.

177

conseqxiently divided doMTi tlie centre by a wall supporting dwarf
colnmns, forming a centre gallery, to wlrich access was had hy hridge
galleries at hoth ends, a mode of arrangement capable of great variety
and pictnresqneness of effect, and of which I liave little douht that the
huilders availed themselves to the fullest extent. This led into a
court-yard of considerable dimensions, surrounded hy apartments, all
which are too much destroyed hy fire to he intelligible.

Another great palace, huilt, as appears from the inscriptions, by.a
son of Esarhaddon, has heen discovered nearly in the centre of the
mound at Koyunjik. Its terrace-wall has heen explored for nearly
300 ft. in two directions from the angle near which the principal
entrance is pla.ced. This is on a level 20 ft. lower than the palace
itself, wlrich is reached hy an inelined passage nearly 200 ft. in length,
adorned with sculpture on hoth sides. The palace itself, as far as has
heen explored, is similar in its arrangements to those already descrihecl;
hut the sculptures with which it is adomed are more rninute and deli-
cate, and show a more perfect imitation of nature, than the earlier ex-
amples, though inferior to them in grandeur of conception and hreadth
of design.

The architectural details also display a clegree of elegance and an
amount of elahorate finish not usually found in the earlier examples,
as is well illustrated hy the woodcut No. 120, representing one of the
pavement slahs of the palace. It is of the same design, the omaments
are the same, as the earlier examples, but the finish is hetter, and the

120.

Pavement Slab from the Central Palace, Koyimjik.