Jan., 191 2. Antiquities from Boscoreale. 169 



wall and but faintly distinguished from it. At the bottom of the com- 

 partment there is a rather broad horizontal brownish drab stripe rep- 

 resenting the edge of the thick floor. 



A very similar picture occurs at the bottom of the attica in a Pom- 

 peian fresco of the Fourth Style. 1 The chief difference is that in the 

 window there are two bowls, and on the floor a goat. 2 



Height, m. 0.37 ( = 1 ft. 2.56 in.). Width, m. 0.373 ( = 1 ft. 2.68 in.). 



The colors are somewhat faded and in many places are abraded, usually so, 

 however, as not to interfere seriously with the design. 



A coat of yellow ochre was first applied to the entire surface. The browns of 

 the interior were next laid on. Then came the white of floor and sill followed by the 

 drab mat preceding the reddish browns, and after them the other colors. The 

 border was put on, or at least finished, after the interior. In the reddish browns there 

 are frequent differences of tone, which are due partly to unequal thickness, and 

 partly to the effort to represent the play of light on some of the surfaces. 



FRESCO. 24647. [Plate CXXV.] 



Decorative figure of winged male sphinx on yellow background. 

 The monster is represented as flying upward to right. He has the body 

 of a lion, with outspread carelessly drawn legs and long tail, the end of 

 which is curved back. The right wing, which is extended to its full 

 length, has the end recurved. Of the left wing only the upper part 

 appears. It is scantily drawn, and resembles a piece of drapery. 

 About the neck there is a wide collar perhaps meant for a conventional 

 mane. On the head there is a sort of cap with plumes which curve 

 forward and extend from neck to front. The retreating forehead is 

 deeply lined. He has high eyebrows, smooth upper lip and wedge- 

 shaped beard. The face expresses intelligence and energy. 



The figure is for the most part of a greenish gray color, which takes 

 on a reddish tinge toward the ends of the wings. There are some lines 

 of black on the right wing, the lower part of the body and the legs. The 

 light is represented as falling on the figure from the right side of the 

 front, and the parts so touched, particularly the forehead, the shoulder, 

 the wing and the back just behind the wing, are flaked with white. 3 



Height, m. 0.32 ( = 12.59 i n -)- Width, m. 0.317 ( = 12.48 in.). 



The piece is in good condition, but there are breaks in the upper left corner and 

 at the left end of the under side. There are small cracks in the right side. The 

 yellow of the background is somewhat streaked. 



The left, right and upper edges are somewhat incrusted and discolored. 



1 Zahn, Die schoensten Ornamente, etc. Vol. iii, plate 96. 



1 Cf. Roux, Herculanum el Pompii, Vol. ii, plate 20, for a somewhat different window picture. 

 * Similar bearded sphinxes, but in crouching position, are represented on two frescoes published by 

 Roux, op. cit. Vol. iii. plate 132; cf. ibid. ii. 34, and Nicolini, Descriz. Generate, plate 1. 



