Wilkinson, John Gardner: The Architecture Of Ancient Egypt: In Which The Columns Are Arranged In Orders, And The Temples Classified; With Remarks On The Early Progress Of Architecture, Etc.; With A Large Volume Of Plates Ilustrative Of The Subject, And Containing The Various Columns And details, From Actual Measurement (Text) (London, 1850)

40 ARCHITECTURE OF E6TPT. PART II.

of four water plants, bound together;. sometimes
of a simple round shaft, and a capital in the form
of a single bud; and from the shaft being cut to
resemble a triangular stalk, it evidently represents
the papyrus. That composed of four plants, bound
together, is the oldest variety of this column ; * it
is found in the rock tombs of Beni Hassan, and is
also represented in the paintings of the very tombs
which have polygonal columns, showing them both
to have been used at the same periods; and it con-
tinued to be preferred to the other varieties, until
the end of the reign of Amunoph III,f when the
simple round shaft came into more general use. It
sometimes consisted of eight, or more, water plants;
instances of which occur in the monuments of
Amunoph III, of Sethos or Osirei I, of Remeses II,
and other kings. %

In the first, § which is the most graceful, variety
(that of Beni Hassan), the shafts come down
straight to the large projecting plinth, without the
curve inwards at their lower end, usual in the
other columns of this order; though the paintings
shew, that those with the shaft curving inwards at
the bottom were also used at the same period.
This variety measures nearly 6f diameters, the
height of the shaft and capital being 15 feet.

At Beni Hassan is a singular architectural fea-
ture, bearing a near resemblance to a pediment,

* Vide Plate v.

t That in the British Museum is of 6 diameters. Its height is ] 3 feet
2£ inches.

t Vide Plate vi, figs. 1,2, 3, 4. § VidePlate v.