Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/99

Bronzes, Statuettes, Votive Boats. What tends still more to confirm our view, are the accessories about these figures, recalling the idea of sacrifice. Thus a patera or shallow bowl, used for libations, is exhibited in Figs. 67 and 68 ; whilst in Fig. 88 a devotee, or priest, carries the sacrificial lamb or ram. These criophores are not unfrequent in Phoenicia or Cyprus ; but, no matter where encountered, their significance is always the same. Similarly may be explained the votive objects under notice. Deer peopled then the neighbouring hills, even as they do now, where the natives stalked and shot them for their own use, or as grateful offerings to the deity, as in Fig. 76, where the two deers' heads back to back, between which stands the donor, are certainly in- tended to convey the impression that a brace, and not one victim only, was offered ; the altar occupying the same position in Fig. JJ, recalls yet more distinctly the idea of a religious cere- mony. The devotees, from long usage, were all familiar with the rites performed in the sanctuary ; hence, here and there, they were satisfied with the roughly suggestive indications of Figs. 78 and 79. This applies to the animal forms, such as deer and oxen, excavated at Teti and elsewhere, but especially a small bronze, figuring a wild sheep, with long circular horns twisted about his head, such as exist in the hilly regions of Corsica and Sardinia at the present day. (See last page of this chapter.) The same pre- vailing idea induced soldiers, after a successful affray, to lay before the altars of their gods the swords that had done them such good service in sharp contests ; 1 whilst the boats are clearly ex-votos, 1 These swords, as those of the Scythians {Herod., iv. 62), might be supposed to represent the deity, but for the fact that they were tied into fascia;, as though intended as an offering, the chief being soldered on to a socket, while those of the rank-and-file were presented in bundles. The Sardi, moreover, if roughly, vol. 1. G -Criophore Figurine. Height, Pais, LaSardegna, Plate V., fig. 6.