§77. 



EGYPTIAN AND GREEK DESIGNS. 



301 



extensive to be fully examined here ; and it will be sufficient 

 to notice the earliest instances of some of those with which we 

 are most familiar*, as the so-called Tuscan border (Jig. 1), 

 the zig-zag (the chevron of later days), the scroll {fig. 3 and 

 woodcut 48), the volute {fig. 3, and woodcut 45), and the 

 intersecting circle, (Jig. 4), which are found, with many 



(49.) 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



Ildtt^ ^ )k*S^ — ' Jlk. — ^ A. 



Fig. 3. 



Fig. 4. 



others, in the paintings of the Egyptians executed about 1400 

 years B.C.; and the first four more than twenty centuries 

 before our era.* 



The Tuscan border seems to have been a very general design 

 at all times and places, being found also in China, in Mexico, 

 and other countries; but the origin of several patterns on 

 Greek vases may be traced from those peculiar to Egypt* at 

 a time when it was the dominant country of antiquity, and 

 was looked up to as the most advanced in civilisation. Thus 

 the lotus, the ibex, leopard, ape, Nile-goose, and other animals 

 unknown in Greece, as well as the Sphinx, the harpy, and 

 other conventional creatures which derived their origin from 

 Egypt, were common on the early Greek vases. 



* See my " Ancient Egyptians," vol. ii. p. 125, PI. vn. figs. 4, 6, 7, 14, 20. 



