DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3350#0025
SCULPTURES OF SIAMEN
IS
of metal had been inserted. Behind the king is a
curious portrait of the high priest wearing a disc
earring with three pendant balls, and carrying a
plant in the hand. Over his shoulder appears the
jackal-head of the official collar. He is called the
hereditary prince, divine father, over the secrets of
heaven and earth and the underworld, going in the
realm of Osiris, priest, great chief of workmen of
Ptah (high priest) Nuter-kheper-ra-mer-ptah (named
after Siamen) called Pupui. On the right is the king
offering to Ptah, and Sekhmet who holds the standard
of their son Noferatum, followed by Ankh-ef-en-mut
who set up all the other lintels. He was son of Aay
scribe of the temple of Ptah and of the accounts of
the cattle of Ptah. This lintel and the whole jamb,
with half of another jamb, are in the Ny Carlsberg
Museum, Copenhagen.
Below this is a whole lintel of the smaller type,
and the nscriptions from three other similar lintels.
These lintels are at the British Museum, Manchester,
Philadelphia, and Pittsburg. Also part of a door-
jamb inscribed by the same official.
Down the right side is the whole jamb with
dedications to Ptah and Hathor, set up by Ankh-
ef-en-mut.
PI. XXV. At the top left is an inscription of
Khaemuas from a column. Here is another instance
of the formula hotep dy Ptah without suten; ap-
parently Khaemuas gives the offering to Ptah instead
of the king.
Below is an interesting tablet with the adoration
of the two ba birds in the doorway of their tomb,
photographed in PI. XVIII and noted in describing
that plate.
At the right is the stone photographed in
PL XVII and noted in description.
CHAPTER VI
THE SMALL OBJECTS.
45 PI. XXII. The work on and around the
temple of Merenptah has produced some fragments
which shew how richly decorated it must have
been, as Herodotos writes in describing this temple
of Proteus.
The glazed tile work comprised :—
Base of cartouche of Sety I (fig. 3) ;
Two pieces of lilac, white and yellow lotus
(figs. 1, 2) ;
Legs of a hawk ;
Piece of leg of figure about 2 feet high ;
Two whole rosettes, and 17 pieces ;
Strips of inlay from a cornice i'2-V$ wide ;
Much plain tile in fragments.
The alabaster work comprised :—
Leopard head from inlay (fig. 14) ;
Inlay of rhomb, vesica, square, rosette, etc.
These shew that there must have been large surfaces
and architectural structure covered with coloured
tiling and alabaster inlays, with figures and patterns
on a large scale.
Pottery of various ages was found. A scrap of
Mykenaean vase, about 1400 B.C. (fig. 4). A handle of
a Cypriote bowl 1300-800 B.C. (fig. 5). Drab pottery
of fine hard body with smooth face, painting of scales,
diagonal lines, and plants (figs. 6, 7). Part of a flat
dish probably of Rhodian origin, red ochre wash on
drab body (fig. 8). Pieces of a rude pottery stand,
with lotus flowers in relief, and the feet, and hand,
of figures (9, 10, 11). It is coloured red with yellow
and black on parts ; of the same family as figures
found last year, and published in upper left quarter
of PI. XLIV, Memphis I. A well-modelled hollow
terra-cotta figure of a lion (fig. 12) also has black
and red paint on it. A little to the south of
the Merenptah temple a sebakh digger found an
alabaster figure-vase (fig. 13), which apparently had
a spout at the left arm, which is missing. Such
hollowed figures of alabaster belong to the XlXth
dynasty in Egypt, but the design of this is obviously
of the Greek island-figure class. All of the objects
from this foreign temple are kept at the Greek
department, British Museum.
46. PI. XXVI. (1) A half of a cylinder of Pepy I
with the ka name " Mery (taui) " was found in a pit
on the west of the city. (Manchester.) Not far off
were copper axes of the Vlth dynasty, and pieces of
stone vases of probably the Ilnd dynasty. It seems
then that the town of the pyramid-builders is quite
accessible above water-level, on that side.
(2) A remarkable steatite plaque was sold to me
at Memphis. One side has five columns with 22
strokes in each. The other has two men seated with
knees drawn up, and one arm of each raised and
meeting between them. This is completely in the
style of the button-seals which belong to the Vlth—
VHIth dynasties, on which the geometrical reduction
of men and animals to straight-line devices is usual,
and which are clearly foreign. Below these figures is
a true labyrinth. On completing the corner it appears
that there were five false turns to be avoided before
IS
of metal had been inserted. Behind the king is a
curious portrait of the high priest wearing a disc
earring with three pendant balls, and carrying a
plant in the hand. Over his shoulder appears the
jackal-head of the official collar. He is called the
hereditary prince, divine father, over the secrets of
heaven and earth and the underworld, going in the
realm of Osiris, priest, great chief of workmen of
Ptah (high priest) Nuter-kheper-ra-mer-ptah (named
after Siamen) called Pupui. On the right is the king
offering to Ptah, and Sekhmet who holds the standard
of their son Noferatum, followed by Ankh-ef-en-mut
who set up all the other lintels. He was son of Aay
scribe of the temple of Ptah and of the accounts of
the cattle of Ptah. This lintel and the whole jamb,
with half of another jamb, are in the Ny Carlsberg
Museum, Copenhagen.
Below this is a whole lintel of the smaller type,
and the nscriptions from three other similar lintels.
These lintels are at the British Museum, Manchester,
Philadelphia, and Pittsburg. Also part of a door-
jamb inscribed by the same official.
Down the right side is the whole jamb with
dedications to Ptah and Hathor, set up by Ankh-
ef-en-mut.
PI. XXV. At the top left is an inscription of
Khaemuas from a column. Here is another instance
of the formula hotep dy Ptah without suten; ap-
parently Khaemuas gives the offering to Ptah instead
of the king.
Below is an interesting tablet with the adoration
of the two ba birds in the doorway of their tomb,
photographed in PI. XVIII and noted in describing
that plate.
At the right is the stone photographed in
PL XVII and noted in description.
CHAPTER VI
THE SMALL OBJECTS.
45 PI. XXII. The work on and around the
temple of Merenptah has produced some fragments
which shew how richly decorated it must have
been, as Herodotos writes in describing this temple
of Proteus.
The glazed tile work comprised :—
Base of cartouche of Sety I (fig. 3) ;
Two pieces of lilac, white and yellow lotus
(figs. 1, 2) ;
Legs of a hawk ;
Piece of leg of figure about 2 feet high ;
Two whole rosettes, and 17 pieces ;
Strips of inlay from a cornice i'2-V$ wide ;
Much plain tile in fragments.
The alabaster work comprised :—
Leopard head from inlay (fig. 14) ;
Inlay of rhomb, vesica, square, rosette, etc.
These shew that there must have been large surfaces
and architectural structure covered with coloured
tiling and alabaster inlays, with figures and patterns
on a large scale.
Pottery of various ages was found. A scrap of
Mykenaean vase, about 1400 B.C. (fig. 4). A handle of
a Cypriote bowl 1300-800 B.C. (fig. 5). Drab pottery
of fine hard body with smooth face, painting of scales,
diagonal lines, and plants (figs. 6, 7). Part of a flat
dish probably of Rhodian origin, red ochre wash on
drab body (fig. 8). Pieces of a rude pottery stand,
with lotus flowers in relief, and the feet, and hand,
of figures (9, 10, 11). It is coloured red with yellow
and black on parts ; of the same family as figures
found last year, and published in upper left quarter
of PI. XLIV, Memphis I. A well-modelled hollow
terra-cotta figure of a lion (fig. 12) also has black
and red paint on it. A little to the south of
the Merenptah temple a sebakh digger found an
alabaster figure-vase (fig. 13), which apparently had
a spout at the left arm, which is missing. Such
hollowed figures of alabaster belong to the XlXth
dynasty in Egypt, but the design of this is obviously
of the Greek island-figure class. All of the objects
from this foreign temple are kept at the Greek
department, British Museum.
46. PI. XXVI. (1) A half of a cylinder of Pepy I
with the ka name " Mery (taui) " was found in a pit
on the west of the city. (Manchester.) Not far off
were copper axes of the Vlth dynasty, and pieces of
stone vases of probably the Ilnd dynasty. It seems
then that the town of the pyramid-builders is quite
accessible above water-level, on that side.
(2) A remarkable steatite plaque was sold to me
at Memphis. One side has five columns with 22
strokes in each. The other has two men seated with
knees drawn up, and one arm of each raised and
meeting between them. This is completely in the
style of the button-seals which belong to the Vlth—
VHIth dynasties, on which the geometrical reduction
of men and animals to straight-line devices is usual,
and which are clearly foreign. Below these figures is
a true labyrinth. On completing the corner it appears
that there were five false turns to be avoided before