Mitchell, Lucy M.: A history of ancient sculpture (New York, 1883)

RELIEFS FROM HOSFS TOMB.

31

to the world of shades beyond the setting sun. Unlike the usual stone linings
of the chapels, these reliefs from Hosi's tomb are of wood ; and the tomb itself
was constructed of unbaked yellow brick,—facts which indicate its very great
age, although the artistic skill manifested surpasses that in later reliefs.
Seated or standing, the human figure is taller and more slender than the usual
representation of the people of this ancient empire. The finely formed por-
trait heads, aquiline noses, strongly marked jawbones, thin lips, and arching"
msteps, have nothing in common with the round noses, full lips, stocky forms,
and flat feet, of other tomb-reliefs from the pyramid period. The detailed
anatomy about the collar-

bo

nes is well-nieh

unique in

Egyptian relief, and shows a
tr»ly artistic hand. And yet
these excellences are united
to strange defects. The head,
111 profile, rests on shoulders
111 full front view ; while loins
and legs are twisted back
again into profile. There
seems here an avoiding of
cufficulties, and a simple rep-
resentation of things without
regard to their actual appear-
ance.

In explanation of these

*—*.





m

7

mrml



' Q -*~ i

r -T

■4H

■(

ii

ii



i

1

<*~_

irJl

Fig. 14. Wooden Linings of Doors from Tomb of Hosi. Boolak. Cairo.

aults, so prevalent in all

Egyptian relief, it should be

remembered, that the human

ng"re formed a part of the

lltlng, as may be seen on

th

nese very wooden reliefs

from Hosi's tomb (Fig. 14).

nc human form, thus made

stand for definite ideas, and fixed in faulty forms during the infancy of art,
nd not have been changed without causing" confusion in the meaning. It
°uld, therefore, naturally become, in the course of time, inviolate. Repeated
emPts to introduce a truer profile are seen in reliefs of different ages, but
e '"novations of random artists were not accepted ; and it may, doubtless,
Wlth truth be said, that in relief, at least, "writing killed art." 66

■Throughout these reliefs the colossal form of the all-important tomb-

ner towers up among the minor actors, scattered over the walls; and the

xPlanatory inscriptions among them give the reliefs still more the character