Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 2.djvu/391

Ornament. 357 between the vertical bars he has imitated the appearance of mat walls, and of windows closed by the same contrivances (see Fig. 165). As if to prevent mistakes, he has been careful to introduce the cords, rings, and lath, by which the lower ends of the mats are kept in place. The design of the ornament is quite similar to those produced to this day by the basket or mat- maker. They are squares, lozenges, and chevrons. In the middle of the lozenges we find little crosses or circles of a different colour, which help to lighten the effect. Each mat has a red border at its lower end, which forms a satisfactory tailpiece, and unites it with the straight lath. There are narrow grooves between the mats in which the chains for drawing the latter up and down seem to be imitated. In any case, this latter detail is 'copied from the productions of one of the oldest of civilized industries — that of the blacksmith. -^-' v^:-^^ ^Ai. Figs. 283, 284. — Details from the tomb of Ptah-hotep. Six colours are used in this decoration : black, white, red, yellow, green, and blue. The result is sober, well-balanced, and by no means without harmony. In other parts of the same tomb we find this taste for literal imitation applied to another theme. As interpreted by the ornamentist, lotus and papyrus were sure in time to put on conventional forms, but here those vegetables found are repro- duced with a feelinpf for truth that could not be excelled by a modern flower painter (Fig. 283).^ In Fig. 284 a bird among the lotus-stalks is in the grasp of a human hand. ' Du-MISCHEV, Resultate der Archdolo^^isch-pliofo^raphischcn Expfdition. Berlin, 1869, folio, part i. plate 8.