DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11638#0175
1$$ TRAVELS IN UPPER
observe on it ihepersea and two serpents; above
the whole is the disk of the moon. In each hand
is a bouquet composed of prolific plants. My illus-
trious friend, Citizen Millin, preserver of antiques
at the National Museum, and distinguished Pro-
fessor of Archeology, assured me, that he had never
observed any thing resembling this, on any Egyp-
tian monument, but only on an Etruscan vase.
What is to be more particularly remarked is, that
these prolific flowers produce plants of a nature
sometimes different. For example, at the extremity
of the stalk supported by the left hand, a flower of
one piece produces a flower in several divisions.
The head of the second personage in this Isiac
procession is dressed somewhat differently, but
what he holds in his hand has something still
more extraordinary than the branches of the first.
This is an Arabesque which has never been seen
yet on very ancient monuments, except on those
which are called Etruscan. It is well known that
these ornaments came from Asia ; but you do not
find any very ancient specimens of them but on
painted vases. Amongst the flowers of this Ara-
besque there are birds which appear to be aquatic
and palmipedal, and probably geese, which formed
a favourite nourishment of the Pharaohs, of the
higher classes, and of all those of the sacerdotal
frder.
To
observe on it ihepersea and two serpents; above
the whole is the disk of the moon. In each hand
is a bouquet composed of prolific plants. My illus-
trious friend, Citizen Millin, preserver of antiques
at the National Museum, and distinguished Pro-
fessor of Archeology, assured me, that he had never
observed any thing resembling this, on any Egyp-
tian monument, but only on an Etruscan vase.
What is to be more particularly remarked is, that
these prolific flowers produce plants of a nature
sometimes different. For example, at the extremity
of the stalk supported by the left hand, a flower of
one piece produces a flower in several divisions.
The head of the second personage in this Isiac
procession is dressed somewhat differently, but
what he holds in his hand has something still
more extraordinary than the branches of the first.
This is an Arabesque which has never been seen
yet on very ancient monuments, except on those
which are called Etruscan. It is well known that
these ornaments came from Asia ; but you do not
find any very ancient specimens of them but on
painted vases. Amongst the flowers of this Ara-
besque there are birds which appear to be aquatic
and palmipedal, and probably geese, which formed
a favourite nourishment of the Pharaohs, of the
higher classes, and of all those of the sacerdotal
frder.
To