DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0076
44 EGYPTIAN SCULPTURE.
private and royal tombs, those ambitious mummy-chambers of this empire,
solemn and endless galleries, called syringes by the Greeks, hewn out from the
bowels of the earth, opposite the city of ancient Thebes. Every traveller who
has visited the desolate, wild valley called Bab-el-Moolok, and seen here the
broken cliffs and crumbling rocks of the Libyan chain, pierced by these
numerous royal, as well as private, tombs, has marvelled, as before the pyra-
mids, at the perseverance of a people who spent such labor upon their last
resting-places. Still greater will be his wonder on exploring these galleries
and halls, which pierce over one hundred and fifty meters into the mountain
side, and are lined throughout with sculptures or painting.
In private tombs, soon after entering these subterranean chambers, comes
the chapel where friends once met for offering: farther on, in the remotest
part, in a niche, and raised on a kind of platform, the stiff statue of the
deceased was to be seen, usually accompanied by wife and children, many of
which figures are now in. our museums. When the occupant was possessed
of sufficient means, and the tomb has been undisturbed, the sarcophagus is
found in hard stone, surrounded by numberless shabti, and those strange
vases, canopi, in the shape of the four genii of Ker-neter, or Hades, and hold-
ing the noble parts of the mummy. The covers of these vases have the form
of the heads, either of men, animals, or birds, according to the genius repre-
sented, and abound in every Egyptian collection. On the walls of the tomb,
occasionally appear in relief scenes from daily life, as in the older time; but
generally these have yielded to the speechless, motionless figures of the gods.S2
But these private tombs are of even less interest than those of the kings
themselves. In these the mortuary chamber is, likewise, dug out in the
mountain side, but hidden as completely as possible from public view; while
the chapel, removed to a distance, becomes a gorgeous temple. The tomb of
the great Seti I., with its passages and chambers, extends for one hundred
and forty-five meters into the mountain, its remotest explored end being fifty-
six meters below the level of the valley; and the tomb of Rameses III. has a
length of one hundred and twenty-five meters. All this vast expanse of wall,
ceiling, and pillars, except the chambers of sepulture, is covered throughout
with the creations of the chisel, to which the painter's brush has given an
additional charm. In one of the largest tombs the excavated surfaces have
an area of twenty-three thousand square feet. As no ray of sun penetrates
these passages, all this work must have been executed by torchlight; and yet,
although the sculptors knew that the entrance to these abodes of the mummy
would be permanently concealed, and, if possible, even obliterated, they fin-
ished their decorations with the utmost care.
"Here," to use Mariette's words in describing the tomb of Seti, "the
defunct is no more to be seen in his family: there is no more making of furni-
ture, no more building of ships, no more extensive farm-yards, with oxen,
private and royal tombs, those ambitious mummy-chambers of this empire,
solemn and endless galleries, called syringes by the Greeks, hewn out from the
bowels of the earth, opposite the city of ancient Thebes. Every traveller who
has visited the desolate, wild valley called Bab-el-Moolok, and seen here the
broken cliffs and crumbling rocks of the Libyan chain, pierced by these
numerous royal, as well as private, tombs, has marvelled, as before the pyra-
mids, at the perseverance of a people who spent such labor upon their last
resting-places. Still greater will be his wonder on exploring these galleries
and halls, which pierce over one hundred and fifty meters into the mountain
side, and are lined throughout with sculptures or painting.
In private tombs, soon after entering these subterranean chambers, comes
the chapel where friends once met for offering: farther on, in the remotest
part, in a niche, and raised on a kind of platform, the stiff statue of the
deceased was to be seen, usually accompanied by wife and children, many of
which figures are now in. our museums. When the occupant was possessed
of sufficient means, and the tomb has been undisturbed, the sarcophagus is
found in hard stone, surrounded by numberless shabti, and those strange
vases, canopi, in the shape of the four genii of Ker-neter, or Hades, and hold-
ing the noble parts of the mummy. The covers of these vases have the form
of the heads, either of men, animals, or birds, according to the genius repre-
sented, and abound in every Egyptian collection. On the walls of the tomb,
occasionally appear in relief scenes from daily life, as in the older time; but
generally these have yielded to the speechless, motionless figures of the gods.S2
But these private tombs are of even less interest than those of the kings
themselves. In these the mortuary chamber is, likewise, dug out in the
mountain side, but hidden as completely as possible from public view; while
the chapel, removed to a distance, becomes a gorgeous temple. The tomb of
the great Seti I., with its passages and chambers, extends for one hundred
and forty-five meters into the mountain, its remotest explored end being fifty-
six meters below the level of the valley; and the tomb of Rameses III. has a
length of one hundred and twenty-five meters. All this vast expanse of wall,
ceiling, and pillars, except the chambers of sepulture, is covered throughout
with the creations of the chisel, to which the painter's brush has given an
additional charm. In one of the largest tombs the excavated surfaces have
an area of twenty-three thousand square feet. As no ray of sun penetrates
these passages, all this work must have been executed by torchlight; and yet,
although the sculptors knew that the entrance to these abodes of the mummy
would be permanently concealed, and, if possible, even obliterated, they fin-
ished their decorations with the utmost care.
"Here," to use Mariette's words in describing the tomb of Seti, "the
defunct is no more to be seen in his family: there is no more making of furni-
ture, no more building of ships, no more extensive farm-yards, with oxen,