DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4103#0034
24
ABYDOS II.
shoulder; the same unsymmetrical placing,
though with a plaited tail is in No. 40, fully-
figured on pi. i. All the female figures found
at Hierakonpolis have the hair symmetrical.
3 is the head of a statuette of a king, enlarged
to double size. The whole figure less enlarged
is shown on pi. xiii. He is figured as wearing
the crown of Upper Egypt, and a thick em-
broidered robe. From the nature of the pattern
and the stiff edge represented, it looks as if this
robe were quilted with embroidery: no such
dress is known on any Egyptian figure yet
found. The work belongs to an unconventional
school, before the rise of the fixed traditions ;
it might have been carved in any age and
country where good natural work was clone.
It shows a power of dealing with individuality
which stands apart from all the later work, in
its unshrinking figuring of age and weakness
with a subtle character. It belongs to the
same school of art as figures 1, 4, 5, 17, and 1 9 ;
and these reveal a style which has hitherto been
quite unsuspected, as preceding the more formal
style of the Old Kingdom.
4 is half of a figure of a young boy, in the
same natural style, of excellent modelling.
5 is part of the figure of a woman, witli the
hair in fine ringlets : the work is natural and
delicate.
6 shows different work ; simpler, and limited
by the form of the material; the type of the
man with a short pointed beard seems to belong
to the prehistoric Libyan stock.
7 is a young boy with short, woolly hair,
appearing negroid.
8 (three positions) is an infant boy with
remarkably long flat head.
9, a young girl, is more like the late pre
historic work in the fiat style of the face
and body; a bead collar is shown on the
neck.
10 is a good head of the natural style.
11, an uas sceptre, some pieces of the straight
stem of which were also found.
12, a baboon, does not belong to this chamber,
but was found at a lower level, 190.
13 is a fine head of one of the massive hunt-
ing dogs used in early times, wearing a collar.
14, the head of a boy.
15 is a young bear, with a short curly
tail; the attitude and character of the animal
are well given. This is the only figure of a
bear yet known in Egypt, apart from foreign
importation in the XVIIIth Dynasty.
37. PI. iii, 16, the figure of an ape, is
finely carved ; the legs are completely separated
one from the other. Owing to pressure in the
wet soil the base has been forced askew.
17, 18, 19, are three well-carved figures of
small boys, the large ear on the head of 1 i)
should be compared with the ear of the old king
(pi. xiii) ; the similar form shows that it repre-
sents a peculiar type.
20 (three positions) is a boat, which from
the shortness of the open space seems to have
been a copy of a dug-out canoe.
21 is a boy seated on the ground ; a fragment
of a head probably belonging to it is of delicate
work.
22, a dog of lighter build than the heavy
hound, 13.
23—29, lions used for gaming pieces, like
the lions of Zer (Royal Tombs, ii; vi, 3, 4).
All of these arc later in style than those of Zer,
or of Mena. No. 27 is probably the first here,
and 28 perhaps the next advanced in work.
Both 26 and 28 appear to boa lioness, and have
a collar, showing that the animal* Avas tamed.
29 has an eye accurately cut in chalcedony
remaining in place.
30 is a dish, hollowed out on the back, carved
as a cow with the legs tied together, a motive
which is usual in the XVIIIth Dynasty and late
periods.
PI. iv. These objects are described under the
numbers of the photographs in the following
plates.
38. PI. v, 31. A portion of a band of wall
ABYDOS II.
shoulder; the same unsymmetrical placing,
though with a plaited tail is in No. 40, fully-
figured on pi. i. All the female figures found
at Hierakonpolis have the hair symmetrical.
3 is the head of a statuette of a king, enlarged
to double size. The whole figure less enlarged
is shown on pi. xiii. He is figured as wearing
the crown of Upper Egypt, and a thick em-
broidered robe. From the nature of the pattern
and the stiff edge represented, it looks as if this
robe were quilted with embroidery: no such
dress is known on any Egyptian figure yet
found. The work belongs to an unconventional
school, before the rise of the fixed traditions ;
it might have been carved in any age and
country where good natural work was clone.
It shows a power of dealing with individuality
which stands apart from all the later work, in
its unshrinking figuring of age and weakness
with a subtle character. It belongs to the
same school of art as figures 1, 4, 5, 17, and 1 9 ;
and these reveal a style which has hitherto been
quite unsuspected, as preceding the more formal
style of the Old Kingdom.
4 is half of a figure of a young boy, in the
same natural style, of excellent modelling.
5 is part of the figure of a woman, witli the
hair in fine ringlets : the work is natural and
delicate.
6 shows different work ; simpler, and limited
by the form of the material; the type of the
man with a short pointed beard seems to belong
to the prehistoric Libyan stock.
7 is a young boy with short, woolly hair,
appearing negroid.
8 (three positions) is an infant boy with
remarkably long flat head.
9, a young girl, is more like the late pre
historic work in the fiat style of the face
and body; a bead collar is shown on the
neck.
10 is a good head of the natural style.
11, an uas sceptre, some pieces of the straight
stem of which were also found.
12, a baboon, does not belong to this chamber,
but was found at a lower level, 190.
13 is a fine head of one of the massive hunt-
ing dogs used in early times, wearing a collar.
14, the head of a boy.
15 is a young bear, with a short curly
tail; the attitude and character of the animal
are well given. This is the only figure of a
bear yet known in Egypt, apart from foreign
importation in the XVIIIth Dynasty.
37. PI. iii, 16, the figure of an ape, is
finely carved ; the legs are completely separated
one from the other. Owing to pressure in the
wet soil the base has been forced askew.
17, 18, 19, are three well-carved figures of
small boys, the large ear on the head of 1 i)
should be compared with the ear of the old king
(pi. xiii) ; the similar form shows that it repre-
sents a peculiar type.
20 (three positions) is a boat, which from
the shortness of the open space seems to have
been a copy of a dug-out canoe.
21 is a boy seated on the ground ; a fragment
of a head probably belonging to it is of delicate
work.
22, a dog of lighter build than the heavy
hound, 13.
23—29, lions used for gaming pieces, like
the lions of Zer (Royal Tombs, ii; vi, 3, 4).
All of these arc later in style than those of Zer,
or of Mena. No. 27 is probably the first here,
and 28 perhaps the next advanced in work.
Both 26 and 28 appear to boa lioness, and have
a collar, showing that the animal* Avas tamed.
29 has an eye accurately cut in chalcedony
remaining in place.
30 is a dish, hollowed out on the back, carved
as a cow with the legs tied together, a motive
which is usual in the XVIIIth Dynasty and late
periods.
PI. iv. These objects are described under the
numbers of the photographs in the following
plates.
38. PI. v, 31. A portion of a band of wall