ARCir.EOLOGY. 



33 



1200, ami 809 n. c. Another seal has the effigy 

 of the Egyptian divinity Anuhis, and an in- 

 scription in Phoenician. Most of the seals still 

 remain pierced by the bar on which they 

 turned; those of gold are nearly perfect and 

 highly ornamented, while the silver ones are 

 black and much corroded; the majority are in 

 the latter metal, which was probably in that 

 age more precious than gold. Among the first 

 objects brought to light in the gold-room were 

 two massive gold rings, bands with overlap- 

 ping ends, probably armlets, with the inscrip- 

 tion in the ancient Cypriote dialect, " Ereavdpof 

 rov Ila^ou 'Baatfaus ," Eteander, King of Paphos, 

 npon each of them. This king lived, it is sup- 

 posed, in the sixth or seventh century before 

 Christ, and as these were probably an offering 

 made by him to the deity of the temple, they 

 assist in fixing the date of the deposit. A large 

 number of coiled rings were found, some of 

 them witli the asp's head at the ends, in gold, 

 silver, and bronze, some of which were too 

 small to fit on any finger ; and hence Gener- 

 al di Cesnola conjectures they were a kind of 

 ring-money. Many richly-ornamented finger- 

 rings display designs of exceeding beauty ; 

 some of them still retain their gems' of stone 

 or antique paste ; remains of enamel are seen 

 on others, both in the ancient method, with 

 imposed bands, which is called cloisonne, and 

 in the champ-leve method, with incised field. 

 Numbers of the gold clasps and pendants are 

 beautifully incrusted by the granulated pro- 

 cess, familiar in Etruscan jewelry. Several 

 necklaces are exceedingly elaborate and beau- 

 tifully designed ; one of them has clasps repre- 

 senting lion's-heads, of masterly execution. 

 Thin diadems of gold, such as were found in 

 some of the tombs clasped about the foreheads 

 of skulls, were found in the first vault. 



A calyx of thin gold, five and a half inches 

 in diameter, is engraved within with circular 

 bands, on which are traced in wavy lines 

 figures of stags and huntsmen, with palm-trees 

 and water, designed in the conventional Egyp- 

 tian manner; it is a design of singular beauty 

 and rare interest, and is in a perfect state of 

 preservation. Many of the large rings and 

 other articles were produced by overlaying 

 silver or copper plates with coats of gold ; but 

 in the case of such specimens the oxidation and 

 consequent distention of the inclosed metal 

 have burst the outer coat and destroyed the 

 ornament. This class of articles is still worse 

 preserved than those made of solid silver, 

 which, though blackened and wasted, are some 

 of them still quite strong and heavy. A cor- 

 nucopia, about fifteen inches in length, is made 

 of thin silver overlaid in spots with gold plate. 

 In the silver collection the most perfect speci- 

 men is a large bulb-shaped lecythus or unguent- 

 tlask, with the lip and handle preserved, seven 

 and five-eighths inches in height, with parts of 

 its surface still bright and smooth, but with 

 most of its ornamentation gone. Very im- 

 portant and interesting is a large patera in 

 VOL. xvi. 3 A 



silver gilt, with engraved and repovue pat- 

 terns the gnilloche, fillets, and conventional 

 Egyptian designs of trees, animals, deities, and 

 cartouche patterns. A calyx, five inches in 

 diameter, retains traces of a vine pattern. 

 Another patera has a gold boss in the centre, 

 and a circling band of honeysuckle and lotus 

 ornament. Several others have repoune flut- 

 ing and engraved geometrical ornaments ; and 

 one finely -preserved specimen has a circle with 

 star-points in the centre, and lines radiating 

 from the points. The action of oxygen has 

 caused a pile of pateras to cohere in one solid 

 mass, so that they cannot be separated. 



The most beautiful, interesting, and valuable 

 portion of the treasure is the collection of en- 

 graved stones, some of which are perhaps 

 superior to any specimens of the glyptic art in 

 existence. The materials are carnelian, col- 

 cedony, sard, onyx, agate, and jasper, the usual 

 stones employed by ancient engravers. The 

 finest of these are: a sard, seven-eighths of an 

 inch in its longest diameter, representing 

 Boreas abducting Zephyr, a masterpiece of 

 bold artistic treatment and fine moulding of 

 the nude figure; a specimen of the archaic 

 manner representing the rape of Proserpine, 

 rendered with strikingly forcible naturalistic 

 effect ; a bathing Venus with streaming hair, 

 and a Mercury, boldly-drawn figures of ex- 

 quisite finish, in the most perfect Greek style. 

 Several intaglii in hard stones represent Egyp- 

 tian deities and priests adoring the winged 

 orb and serpent-head of the Egyptian triad. 

 It would seem from the style, designs, and in- 

 scriptions, on many of the objects, that they 

 were of Egyptian and Assyrian or Phoenician 

 work, although it has always been supposed 

 that those peoples, except the Babylonians, 

 were ignorant of the art of cutting hard stones 

 in intaglio. Alabastra in rock-crystal and 

 alabaster very finely cut were also discovered ; 

 one in crystal, of handsome form, six and a half 

 inches long, has finely-curved handles and a 

 neck fitted with a gold cap and stopper, con- 

 nected with a fine chain, and is finished inside 

 with a high degree of polish. Some in ala- 

 baster bear Phoenician inscriptions. There are 

 others in terra-cotta with inscriptions in the 

 same language painted upon them. A fine 

 sceptre head is carved out of onyx, as are also 

 numbers of small amulets, representing the 

 tortoise, an emblem of Venus, the patron god- 

 dess of the island. Of the bronze objects there 

 were five hundred objects, consisting for the 

 most part of lamps, lamp-stands, mirrors, and 

 various other utensils. A magnificent vase, 

 four feet in height and six in circumference, a 

 wonderfully fine example of the archaic Greek 

 style, was discovered in fragments, but has 

 been very perfectly restored. A bronze sceptre- 

 head is formed of three bull's-heads, with eyes 

 of glass, and stones inserted in the foreheads. 

 A finely-worked mirror-case is ornamented 

 with concentric circles. Bronze mace-heads 

 are ornamented with the lotas design. Among 



