Page:A History of Art in Chaldæa & Assyria Vol 2.djvu/221

Chald/Ean Sculpture. iqi allowing the hair and beard to grow, so that their crisp curls should form a close frame for the face. This fashion was in the ascendant when a bas-relief, of which, to our great regret, we only possess a small fragment greatly damaged by fire (Fig. 67), was chiselled. It is remarkable both for the fineness of its work- manship and its curious subject. It shows the upper parts of two figures, entwined. That on the right, from the long hair flowing over the shoulders, must be a woman. The tall horned caps worn by both figures proclaim them to be a royal or divine couple. We find the same characteristics in a fifth monument from the same place, whose composition at least is not wanting in origin- ality. This is a support of some kind, perhaps the foot of a vase, cut in rock so hard, dark, and metal-like in its reflections, that at the first glance it might almost be taken for bronze. Its general form is circular. Above a plinth decorated with roughly chiselled Fig. 102. — Fragment of a relief ; from Tello. Actual size. Louvre. Fig. 103. — Head ; from Tello. Actual size. Louvre. squares and around a central cylinder, sit a number of individ- uals with long beards and hair. Their hands are placed upon their knees ; the attitudes of the limbs and the modelling of the feet remind us of the statues of Gudea ; but these figures are nude and their arrangement has more ease and variety. The general motive is especially interesting ; it is both singular and happy, and proves that art was sufficiently advanced to understand how to decorate common objects by the addition of figures skil- fully grouped and placed in natural and picturesque attitudes (Fig. 104). It can never be sufficiently deplored that none of these monu- ments are either of a fair size or in a good state of preservation. We can only judge of the school by the small fragments we have been describing. What name are we to give to the art of which we thus catch a glimpse ? Is it not better to employ some