DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4689#0030
24
THE OSIREION.
4 and 5. Sculptor's Trial Pieces.—There seems
to have been a school of sculpture in the Temple of
Rameses, for on the plain surface of the walls below
the decoration in that temple are sketches of figures
roughly incised. These trial pieces probably be-
longed to the same school. The first exercise of the
youthful sculptor was invariably the neb sign, giving,
as it did, a straight line, and a semi-circular curve.
It is interesting to see the sign engraved by the
master's hand at the top of the stone, below are
the student's attempts in every degree of badness.
Another piece which was found showed part of a
little scene of the worship of Osiris; it was un-
finished, one figure only having been sculptured, the
rest being merely sketched in in black. This piece
is now at South Kensington. The two pieces shown
in this plate must have been done by advanced
students. No. 4 is the more interesting, as it is not
completely finished, the original drawing in black
ink is still visible at the shoulder. The serpent
seems to have been added so as to fill up the blank
space and not waste the stone.
6. Plaster Casts.—These are casts of the eyes
of statues and of details of decoration ; which, as the
cartouche shows, were probably from the temple of
Rameses. They must therefore belong to the same
school of sculpture as the trial-pieces, and served the
same purpose as the plaster casts in schools of art
at the present day.
7. A Surveyor's Mark.—This is of the Roman
period.
All these objects were, found at the North end, and
in the North passage.
23. In the Hall and South Chamber were found
the Coptic ostrakon (Pl. XXXVII, p. 43), and a
small squatting statuette (Pl. XIX) of limestone.
The statuette was without a head, and was inscribed
both back and front. From the style and workman-
ship it belongs to the XXVIth Dynasty.
In front is a representation of Osiris standing on
a pedestal in a boat, and holding the heq sign,
emblem of sovereignty in his hands. The inscrip-
tions on each side are so corrupt as to be almost
unreadable. That in front of the figure appears to
be merely the name and titles of the god: " Speech
of Osiris, the great god, ruler (?) of eternity." The
inscription behind the figure : " Speech of the lord' (?)
of Deddu. [May he] give funeral offerings which
the gods love."
Down the back of the statuette are five rows of
hieroglyphs, the top part being slightly broken away.
(1) " May the king give an offering unto Osiris-Khenti-
Amentiu, the great god, Lord of [Abydos]; (2) may
he give funeral offerings of bread and beer, oxen and
fowls, incense (?) and ointment, wine and milk; that
which heaven gives, which earth produces, and which
the Nile brings (3) from his cavern, and on which
the god lives, for the ka of the divine father, the
hen-ka priest of the mysteries of the book of eternity
in his month, (4) of the second class and of the
fourth class of priests; of the first class and the
second class of priests in the place of decrees, the
z/^-priest of the Boat of the second class, Hor-se
(5)......son of one of the same rank, Hor-
nekht, true of voice, son of one of the same rank,
Hor-se-ast, true of voice."
The inscription round the base gives the same
name and title as before: "... of the same rank,
Hor-nekht." Another fragment shows that the
mother's name was given, but nothing remains of
the name.
24. Hieratic ostraka. A few limestone ostraka,
inscribed in hieratic, were found. Of nine of these
Mr. Griffith has kindly given the following transla-
tions and notes :—-
1. " Sunre, son of Shesuaf (?), his mother being
Yua, of Pa-shes (?) " " Amu-nefer, son of Rui, his
mother being Huta, of Pa-shes (?) " A memorandum
of the two people named.
2. " How hast thou forgotten the business that I
told thee! " The text is complete, perhaps only a
trial of the pen.
3. " 220 nails (?) worth 9 kite."
4. Possibly a bargain of some sort concerning
sandals. The first word appears not to be sunt.
6. The ape of Thoth seated on a base, a lotus
flower (?) before him, and an obscure inscription
behind.
7. A list of names, Sun-re, Pen-dua, Sety, Amen-
emapt, and amounts, 14, &c.
8. A list of words or names and numbers.
9. Memoranda, with others added, after the stone
had been turned upside down.
25. Demotic ostraka. A very few demotic os-
traka were found, chiefly on potsherds. Professor
Spiegelberg kindly read them, and says that they are
all accounts, (1) oil, (3) wine, (4) salt, (5) gives
measures, but no material is mentioned.
h gives t
THE OSIREION.
4 and 5. Sculptor's Trial Pieces.—There seems
to have been a school of sculpture in the Temple of
Rameses, for on the plain surface of the walls below
the decoration in that temple are sketches of figures
roughly incised. These trial pieces probably be-
longed to the same school. The first exercise of the
youthful sculptor was invariably the neb sign, giving,
as it did, a straight line, and a semi-circular curve.
It is interesting to see the sign engraved by the
master's hand at the top of the stone, below are
the student's attempts in every degree of badness.
Another piece which was found showed part of a
little scene of the worship of Osiris; it was un-
finished, one figure only having been sculptured, the
rest being merely sketched in in black. This piece
is now at South Kensington. The two pieces shown
in this plate must have been done by advanced
students. No. 4 is the more interesting, as it is not
completely finished, the original drawing in black
ink is still visible at the shoulder. The serpent
seems to have been added so as to fill up the blank
space and not waste the stone.
6. Plaster Casts.—These are casts of the eyes
of statues and of details of decoration ; which, as the
cartouche shows, were probably from the temple of
Rameses. They must therefore belong to the same
school of sculpture as the trial-pieces, and served the
same purpose as the plaster casts in schools of art
at the present day.
7. A Surveyor's Mark.—This is of the Roman
period.
All these objects were, found at the North end, and
in the North passage.
23. In the Hall and South Chamber were found
the Coptic ostrakon (Pl. XXXVII, p. 43), and a
small squatting statuette (Pl. XIX) of limestone.
The statuette was without a head, and was inscribed
both back and front. From the style and workman-
ship it belongs to the XXVIth Dynasty.
In front is a representation of Osiris standing on
a pedestal in a boat, and holding the heq sign,
emblem of sovereignty in his hands. The inscrip-
tions on each side are so corrupt as to be almost
unreadable. That in front of the figure appears to
be merely the name and titles of the god: " Speech
of Osiris, the great god, ruler (?) of eternity." The
inscription behind the figure : " Speech of the lord' (?)
of Deddu. [May he] give funeral offerings which
the gods love."
Down the back of the statuette are five rows of
hieroglyphs, the top part being slightly broken away.
(1) " May the king give an offering unto Osiris-Khenti-
Amentiu, the great god, Lord of [Abydos]; (2) may
he give funeral offerings of bread and beer, oxen and
fowls, incense (?) and ointment, wine and milk; that
which heaven gives, which earth produces, and which
the Nile brings (3) from his cavern, and on which
the god lives, for the ka of the divine father, the
hen-ka priest of the mysteries of the book of eternity
in his month, (4) of the second class and of the
fourth class of priests; of the first class and the
second class of priests in the place of decrees, the
z/^-priest of the Boat of the second class, Hor-se
(5)......son of one of the same rank, Hor-
nekht, true of voice, son of one of the same rank,
Hor-se-ast, true of voice."
The inscription round the base gives the same
name and title as before: "... of the same rank,
Hor-nekht." Another fragment shows that the
mother's name was given, but nothing remains of
the name.
24. Hieratic ostraka. A few limestone ostraka,
inscribed in hieratic, were found. Of nine of these
Mr. Griffith has kindly given the following transla-
tions and notes :—-
1. " Sunre, son of Shesuaf (?), his mother being
Yua, of Pa-shes (?) " " Amu-nefer, son of Rui, his
mother being Huta, of Pa-shes (?) " A memorandum
of the two people named.
2. " How hast thou forgotten the business that I
told thee! " The text is complete, perhaps only a
trial of the pen.
3. " 220 nails (?) worth 9 kite."
4. Possibly a bargain of some sort concerning
sandals. The first word appears not to be sunt.
6. The ape of Thoth seated on a base, a lotus
flower (?) before him, and an obscure inscription
behind.
7. A list of names, Sun-re, Pen-dua, Sety, Amen-
emapt, and amounts, 14, &c.
8. A list of words or names and numbers.
9. Memoranda, with others added, after the stone
had been turned upside down.
25. Demotic ostraka. A very few demotic os-
traka were found, chiefly on potsherds. Professor
Spiegelberg kindly read them, and says that they are
all accounts, (1) oil, (3) wine, (4) salt, (5) gives
measures, but no material is mentioned.
h gives t