DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6640#0026
12
instead of falling vertically, curls up outwards.
Here and there, in the eyeballs and on the lips,
traces of colour were still visible, and were
even quite vivid, but faded away after a few
hours of exposure in the air. Above the head,
the little shrine which is commonly seen in
that kind of capital, and which is particularly
noticeable in the temple of Denderah, is
reduced to a cornice adorned with asps bearing
a solar disk. On the other sides are the
emblems either of Northern or Southern
Egypt, viz., the plant which belongs to each
of these regions. It stands between two asps,
wearing the corresponding head-dress and
placed in such a way that their heads are tucked
along the hair of the goddess. There were
two capitals with Northern emblems, and two
with Southern emblems. The one in Boston is
one of the North capitals. Below this repre-
sentation was a blank space on which Osorkon
II. engraved his cartouche. On the surface
which rested on the pillar, Osorkon I. had a
dedication engraved.
The other group of four Hathor capitals is
smaller and more simple (pi. xxiii. b). The
cornice which is above the hair has no asps;
the sides had no representations of North and
South; they were a blank, and Osorkon II.
engraved on them his cartouche. The best
specimen has been sent to the Museum of
Sydney. When we raised it, the lips were still
covered with a vivid red paint.
These two varieties of Hathor capitals are at
present unique in their kind, especially the
larger ones. The only capital which may be
said to have some similarity, is found in Upper
Nubia at Sedeinga.5 It crowns a column
the single remnant of an extensive colon-
nade. As at Bubastis the head of the goddess
is only on two sides, and there seems to be an
attempt to figure the plant of the North on
the other faces. The workmanship of the
5 Leps. Briefe, p. 257. Denkm. i. 114, 115.
capitals of Bubastis is admirable; but in order
that it may be rightly appreciated the capitals
must be seen some way off. Looking at
them close by, they seem flat, and destitute of
expression; whereas at a distance, the features
come out with a striking liveliness. In fact,
they were meant to be placed at a height
equal to that of the neighbouring columns.
■We are in a complete uncertainty as to the
exact distribution of the hall and to the manner
in which the capitals were disposed. But I
cannot help thinking that the Hathors were on
the top of square pillars, standing alternately
with the columns, so that the arrangement was
quite analogous to the small temple in Deir el
Medineh.8
As to the inequality in height of the two
groups of columns, we often see in Egyptian
temples contiguous colonnades differing in
height,' and following each other either in
the length of the edifice as at Luxor, or in its
width as at Kai-nak, in the great hall. Judging
from the bases of the large columns, I believe
that close to each of them, on the outside, stood
a square pillar bearing a Hathor capita], on the
top of which lay the architrave. Right and
left of the eight huge fulcrums probably stood
two columns with palm-leaf capitals, and two
smaller Hathors, so that the central construc-
tion being the highest, had two lower wings,
as may be seen at Karnak.7 Or the lower
construction was put as a prolongation to the
higher, to which it might serve as a western
entrance, and the whole had an appearance
similar to that of the Ramesseum or that of the
temple of Luxor.8 I must add that north of the
temple, and quite outside, at a distance of about
fifty yards, we met with the two same styles of
columns, lotus-bud and palm-leaf, but on a much
smaller scale. They seem to have belonged to
8 Leps. Denkm. i. 88.
' Maspero, L'arclit'ol. t-'gypt. vigil. 70.
8 Maspero, L 1. vign. 77. Peirot et Cliipiez, Egypte, vign.
213.
instead of falling vertically, curls up outwards.
Here and there, in the eyeballs and on the lips,
traces of colour were still visible, and were
even quite vivid, but faded away after a few
hours of exposure in the air. Above the head,
the little shrine which is commonly seen in
that kind of capital, and which is particularly
noticeable in the temple of Denderah, is
reduced to a cornice adorned with asps bearing
a solar disk. On the other sides are the
emblems either of Northern or Southern
Egypt, viz., the plant which belongs to each
of these regions. It stands between two asps,
wearing the corresponding head-dress and
placed in such a way that their heads are tucked
along the hair of the goddess. There were
two capitals with Northern emblems, and two
with Southern emblems. The one in Boston is
one of the North capitals. Below this repre-
sentation was a blank space on which Osorkon
II. engraved his cartouche. On the surface
which rested on the pillar, Osorkon I. had a
dedication engraved.
The other group of four Hathor capitals is
smaller and more simple (pi. xxiii. b). The
cornice which is above the hair has no asps;
the sides had no representations of North and
South; they were a blank, and Osorkon II.
engraved on them his cartouche. The best
specimen has been sent to the Museum of
Sydney. When we raised it, the lips were still
covered with a vivid red paint.
These two varieties of Hathor capitals are at
present unique in their kind, especially the
larger ones. The only capital which may be
said to have some similarity, is found in Upper
Nubia at Sedeinga.5 It crowns a column
the single remnant of an extensive colon-
nade. As at Bubastis the head of the goddess
is only on two sides, and there seems to be an
attempt to figure the plant of the North on
the other faces. The workmanship of the
5 Leps. Briefe, p. 257. Denkm. i. 114, 115.
capitals of Bubastis is admirable; but in order
that it may be rightly appreciated the capitals
must be seen some way off. Looking at
them close by, they seem flat, and destitute of
expression; whereas at a distance, the features
come out with a striking liveliness. In fact,
they were meant to be placed at a height
equal to that of the neighbouring columns.
■We are in a complete uncertainty as to the
exact distribution of the hall and to the manner
in which the capitals were disposed. But I
cannot help thinking that the Hathors were on
the top of square pillars, standing alternately
with the columns, so that the arrangement was
quite analogous to the small temple in Deir el
Medineh.8
As to the inequality in height of the two
groups of columns, we often see in Egyptian
temples contiguous colonnades differing in
height,' and following each other either in
the length of the edifice as at Luxor, or in its
width as at Kai-nak, in the great hall. Judging
from the bases of the large columns, I believe
that close to each of them, on the outside, stood
a square pillar bearing a Hathor capita], on the
top of which lay the architrave. Right and
left of the eight huge fulcrums probably stood
two columns with palm-leaf capitals, and two
smaller Hathors, so that the central construc-
tion being the highest, had two lower wings,
as may be seen at Karnak.7 Or the lower
construction was put as a prolongation to the
higher, to which it might serve as a western
entrance, and the whole had an appearance
similar to that of the Ramesseum or that of the
temple of Luxor.8 I must add that north of the
temple, and quite outside, at a distance of about
fifty yards, we met with the two same styles of
columns, lotus-bud and palm-leaf, but on a much
smaller scale. They seem to have belonged to
8 Leps. Denkm. i. 88.
' Maspero, L'arclit'ol. t-'gypt. vigil. 70.
8 Maspero, L 1. vign. 77. Peirot et Cliipiez, Egypte, vign.
213.