DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17#0123
THE PAINTED FLOOR OF THE PALACE.
103
NTED FLOOR
name, the Queen of Amenhotep III. (Tyi),
thereon. But the pleasure was to come.
We came to Petrie's excavation on the
site of the Royal Palace. Here was laid
bare the floor of the king's chamber, made
of concrete, exquisitely adorned with coloured
hunting scenes, painted in fresco in natural
style more resembling Japanese art than
anything else. It is quite different from
Egyptian, Greek, or Roman decoration.
Wild cattle break into the reeds and dis-
turb a flock of wild fowl. A fishpond is
represented in the centre. A beautiful folinged scroll border surrounds the t
which has aquatic birds and game of every kind, drawn with great spirit and in
delicate colouring. It is the only instance of fresco painting applied to a floor, and
is quite a new idea of decoration, albeit upwards of 3,000 years old. Dr. Pétrie
has figured part of this beautiful floor in his work on Tel-ei-Amarna, but still it
is necessary to see the decoration itself to understand and appreciate its beauty and
originality. Fortunately it is well cared for and protected from violence and from
the elements. The Society for the Protection of Egyptian Monuments erected a
house with a good roof over it. (This had been carried out under the direction of
my kind host at Minieh when he was young in the Government service. He had
not seen it for four years and was greatly pleased, on my return to Minieh, with
my praise of his excellent erection.) There is
abundance of light, and planked ways are bridged
across and above the painted floor so that no
damage can be done. It is well guarded by
several careful custodians chosen by the village
sheikh and all paid by the Government. The
columns which supported the roof were all broken
up or carried off at the time of its destruction,
but many fragments were found under the ruins
and remain to show the scheme of ornament.
They were all covered with exquisite tendrils of
low relief and painted in quiet tints.
We rode across the desert to the cliffs, where the tombs of the officers
of state and some of the royal family are still to be seen. They are full of
carvings and paintings on the walls, representing their intended occupants in
adoration of the One god—as represented by the solar disc. The sun's rays,
DETAIL OF PAINTED FLOOR
(Tel-el -A marn a),
creeping plants and flowers :
103
NTED FLOOR
name, the Queen of Amenhotep III. (Tyi),
thereon. But the pleasure was to come.
We came to Petrie's excavation on the
site of the Royal Palace. Here was laid
bare the floor of the king's chamber, made
of concrete, exquisitely adorned with coloured
hunting scenes, painted in fresco in natural
style more resembling Japanese art than
anything else. It is quite different from
Egyptian, Greek, or Roman decoration.
Wild cattle break into the reeds and dis-
turb a flock of wild fowl. A fishpond is
represented in the centre. A beautiful folinged scroll border surrounds the t
which has aquatic birds and game of every kind, drawn with great spirit and in
delicate colouring. It is the only instance of fresco painting applied to a floor, and
is quite a new idea of decoration, albeit upwards of 3,000 years old. Dr. Pétrie
has figured part of this beautiful floor in his work on Tel-ei-Amarna, but still it
is necessary to see the decoration itself to understand and appreciate its beauty and
originality. Fortunately it is well cared for and protected from violence and from
the elements. The Society for the Protection of Egyptian Monuments erected a
house with a good roof over it. (This had been carried out under the direction of
my kind host at Minieh when he was young in the Government service. He had
not seen it for four years and was greatly pleased, on my return to Minieh, with
my praise of his excellent erection.) There is
abundance of light, and planked ways are bridged
across and above the painted floor so that no
damage can be done. It is well guarded by
several careful custodians chosen by the village
sheikh and all paid by the Government. The
columns which supported the roof were all broken
up or carried off at the time of its destruction,
but many fragments were found under the ruins
and remain to show the scheme of ornament.
They were all covered with exquisite tendrils of
low relief and painted in quiet tints.
We rode across the desert to the cliffs, where the tombs of the officers
of state and some of the royal family are still to be seen. They are full of
carvings and paintings on the walls, representing their intended occupants in
adoration of the One god—as represented by the solar disc. The sun's rays,
DETAIL OF PAINTED FLOOR
(Tel-el -A marn a),
creeping plants and flowers :