DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1034#0021
ι6
HA WAR A, BIAHMU, AND AJRSINOE.
24. The object of decoration, then, being not piety
to the dead, but pleasure to the living, a great stimu-
lus was given to more artistic productions ; and the
adoption of the trade by Greek workmen at about
this period naturally forwarded a departure from the
purely Egyptian types. The style of decoration on
the mummies preserved above ground, and afterward
buried in the open earth, became first modified by
abolishing the pectoral, which was hidden in the
bandages, and enlarging the head-piece so that it is
more fitly called a bust-piece (see PI. ix., fig. 1). The
sandals, or ceremonial substitutes for them, were far
more changed. A rectangular case of cartonnage
covered over the whole feet of the mummy, and was
so hidden by the bandaging around its edge, that it
appears as if it were only a portion of a whole mummy-
case of cartonnage, the rest of which is hidden by the
swathings. On the top of it are feet in relief, usually
gilded, and appearing to stand on a plinth decorated
with chequer patterns, rosettes, sphinxes, jackals, etc.;
while at the bottom are the outlines of the two feet
with captives on them, as on the soles of the earlier
sandals. In later types there are merely captives in
two rectangles, or even four captives kneeling, repre-
senting the four races of mankind recognised by the
Egyptians ; indeed, nearly always the two captives
are painted different colours, one a pink European,
the other a yellow Asiatic. These foot-cases are
most gaudy and brilliant in their colouring, red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, gilding, black, and
white, being nearly always used ; and sometimes
rarer shades of purple, Indian red, olive, etc. The
earlier style of these mummies, such as is shown in
PI. ix., fig. 1, with only a purely formal face, may be
dated to the later part of the 1st cent. B.C. and begin-
ning of the 1st cent. A.D., judging by what came
before and after it.
But a distinct attempt at portraiture next arose:
the face is made in a more solid manner, modelled in
a mass, and not merely embossed in the stuccoed
canvas. The features are individual in their expres-
sion ; and the different members of a family all
modelled by the same workmen, will be varied and
distinct in their characteristics. Sometimes a slight
beard is shown on the faces of the men, purely
naturalistic, and not following any convention either
Egyptian or Greek. Further, the names and ages of
the persons are often stated on the heads. On one
family were the names on the fillet across the front,
ICIOON LAB (Ision, aged 32), MAPGIC LKA (Mareis,
aged 21 ; see PI. ix., fig. 2), and, written in ink on the
head of another, EZYPOC Η Ρ AK Ά"6Ι. With these
was another, older, small, woman without any name,
perhaps the mother of the family. But most valuable
of all was the case of a man with the name on the
fillet round the back of the head, TITOC ΦΛΑΥΓΙΟΠ
ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΙ!; this can hardly be aught but an error
for Titus Flavius Demetrios, and if he were born there-
fore about 80 A.D., the early ages on these mummies
would point to our dating this example to about
110 A.D. This just accords with what we might
suppose from other evidences, and serves as a valuable
datum to give more precision to the ages of the series
of styles. As will be seen in the bust-piece of
Mareis, the whole surface is covered with paintings
of offerings to gods and sacred animals, ba-birds,
deities, etc.; the face is brilliantly gilt and burnished,
and the inscription incised in the stucco and gilt.
The whole is a solid and heavy piece of work, which
will bear a good deal of pressure. Another style of
mummy, which is contemporary with these, is plainly
bandaged, with peculiar coarse tape outside all, of
Indian red colour; and the face is padded out to a very
strange wedge form, having a straight vertical edge
from top to bottom. These are of the age of the last,
and of the present stage of decoration ; a papyrus
dated under Tiberius being found in the rubbish just
over one. The gilt bust mummies of all stages are
usually buried in graves in the open ground about
6 to 8 feet deep, and apparently without any tomb-
stone or chamber above them. The use of hiero-
glyphs had by this time fairly died out; they are
occasionally found on the gilt-face busts before the
portraiture stage, but nearly always blundered ; and
the only examples on the portrait busts are mere
scrawls bearing a slight resemblance to one or two
usual groups, but used without the slightest sense.
The period of portrait cartonnage may probably be
dated from about 50 to 120 A.D.
25. A still further development of portrait cartonnage
took place. The bust-piece having been more and
more exposed in the bandaging so as to show the
decoration, at last arms were added to it, and all the
scenes of offerings finally died out (see PL ix., fig.
3). The arms are always placed in the same attitude,
the right grasping a wreath, nearly always of red
flowers, and the left below it placed across the chest.
Around the neck is usually suspended a little triad
of Isis, Nebhat, and Horus ; and on the fore-arms are
twisted serpent bracelets ; armlets on the upper arm,
and rings on the fingers and in the ears, are also
often represented. The latest examples were en-
crusted with cut-stones and glass placed in all the
modelled jewellery. These busts are usually gilt
over the face, and front drapery, and arms, while the
HA WAR A, BIAHMU, AND AJRSINOE.
24. The object of decoration, then, being not piety
to the dead, but pleasure to the living, a great stimu-
lus was given to more artistic productions ; and the
adoption of the trade by Greek workmen at about
this period naturally forwarded a departure from the
purely Egyptian types. The style of decoration on
the mummies preserved above ground, and afterward
buried in the open earth, became first modified by
abolishing the pectoral, which was hidden in the
bandages, and enlarging the head-piece so that it is
more fitly called a bust-piece (see PI. ix., fig. 1). The
sandals, or ceremonial substitutes for them, were far
more changed. A rectangular case of cartonnage
covered over the whole feet of the mummy, and was
so hidden by the bandaging around its edge, that it
appears as if it were only a portion of a whole mummy-
case of cartonnage, the rest of which is hidden by the
swathings. On the top of it are feet in relief, usually
gilded, and appearing to stand on a plinth decorated
with chequer patterns, rosettes, sphinxes, jackals, etc.;
while at the bottom are the outlines of the two feet
with captives on them, as on the soles of the earlier
sandals. In later types there are merely captives in
two rectangles, or even four captives kneeling, repre-
senting the four races of mankind recognised by the
Egyptians ; indeed, nearly always the two captives
are painted different colours, one a pink European,
the other a yellow Asiatic. These foot-cases are
most gaudy and brilliant in their colouring, red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, gilding, black, and
white, being nearly always used ; and sometimes
rarer shades of purple, Indian red, olive, etc. The
earlier style of these mummies, such as is shown in
PI. ix., fig. 1, with only a purely formal face, may be
dated to the later part of the 1st cent. B.C. and begin-
ning of the 1st cent. A.D., judging by what came
before and after it.
But a distinct attempt at portraiture next arose:
the face is made in a more solid manner, modelled in
a mass, and not merely embossed in the stuccoed
canvas. The features are individual in their expres-
sion ; and the different members of a family all
modelled by the same workmen, will be varied and
distinct in their characteristics. Sometimes a slight
beard is shown on the faces of the men, purely
naturalistic, and not following any convention either
Egyptian or Greek. Further, the names and ages of
the persons are often stated on the heads. On one
family were the names on the fillet across the front,
ICIOON LAB (Ision, aged 32), MAPGIC LKA (Mareis,
aged 21 ; see PI. ix., fig. 2), and, written in ink on the
head of another, EZYPOC Η Ρ AK Ά"6Ι. With these
was another, older, small, woman without any name,
perhaps the mother of the family. But most valuable
of all was the case of a man with the name on the
fillet round the back of the head, TITOC ΦΛΑΥΓΙΟΠ
ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΙ!; this can hardly be aught but an error
for Titus Flavius Demetrios, and if he were born there-
fore about 80 A.D., the early ages on these mummies
would point to our dating this example to about
110 A.D. This just accords with what we might
suppose from other evidences, and serves as a valuable
datum to give more precision to the ages of the series
of styles. As will be seen in the bust-piece of
Mareis, the whole surface is covered with paintings
of offerings to gods and sacred animals, ba-birds,
deities, etc.; the face is brilliantly gilt and burnished,
and the inscription incised in the stucco and gilt.
The whole is a solid and heavy piece of work, which
will bear a good deal of pressure. Another style of
mummy, which is contemporary with these, is plainly
bandaged, with peculiar coarse tape outside all, of
Indian red colour; and the face is padded out to a very
strange wedge form, having a straight vertical edge
from top to bottom. These are of the age of the last,
and of the present stage of decoration ; a papyrus
dated under Tiberius being found in the rubbish just
over one. The gilt bust mummies of all stages are
usually buried in graves in the open ground about
6 to 8 feet deep, and apparently without any tomb-
stone or chamber above them. The use of hiero-
glyphs had by this time fairly died out; they are
occasionally found on the gilt-face busts before the
portraiture stage, but nearly always blundered ; and
the only examples on the portrait busts are mere
scrawls bearing a slight resemblance to one or two
usual groups, but used without the slightest sense.
The period of portrait cartonnage may probably be
dated from about 50 to 120 A.D.
25. A still further development of portrait cartonnage
took place. The bust-piece having been more and
more exposed in the bandaging so as to show the
decoration, at last arms were added to it, and all the
scenes of offerings finally died out (see PL ix., fig.
3). The arms are always placed in the same attitude,
the right grasping a wreath, nearly always of red
flowers, and the left below it placed across the chest.
Around the neck is usually suspended a little triad
of Isis, Nebhat, and Horus ; and on the fore-arms are
twisted serpent bracelets ; armlets on the upper arm,
and rings on the fingers and in the ears, are also
often represented. The latest examples were en-
crusted with cut-stones and glass placed in all the
modelled jewellery. These busts are usually gilt
over the face, and front drapery, and arms, while the