Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 2.djvu/429

Woodwork. 393 upper classes of Egypt lived a life that was refined and elegant as well as civilized. A great lord of the time of a Thothmes or a Rameses was not content, like a Turkish bey or pacha, with a divan, a few carpets, and a mattress which, after being locked up in a cupboard during the day, is spread upon the floor for his accommodation at night. He had his bedstead, often inlaid with metal or ivory, and, like a modern European, he had other articles of furniture besides. Several pictures are extant in which Egyptian receptions — Eg}-ptian salons — are represented. The company is not crouched upon the earth, in the modern Oriental fashion. Both men and women are seated upon chairs, some of which have cushioned seats and backs. ^ ^': F.G. 326. — C' ffer for sejulchral statuettes. LouTe. The elegance of these seats may be guessed from the two examples on the next page, one from the tomb of Rameses III. (Fig. 327), the other from that of Chamhati (Fig. 3-^)- They are both roval chairs, or thrones. The smaller chair figfures among a number of things presented by Chamhati to his master. Pharaoh, and we need feel no surprise that among the supports of both these pieces of furniture, those crouching prisoners which be- came about this time such a common motive in Eg}ptian ornament, are to be found. In the one example, they are incorporated with the carved members which support the seat, in the other they are inserted between the legs, which are shaped respectively like the ^ See the illustration which Ebers calls A Reception in Ancient Egypt. {JEgyptitt, vol ii. p. 276.) VOL. II. t E