EGYPTIAN AND ASSYRIAN ANTIQUITIES. 53 



Eighty parties, comprising about nine hundred and twenty 

 persons, have been personally conducted through the Depart- 

 ment by members of the staff. The parties came from insti- 

 tutions, educational and social, clubs, schools, &c., at Barnet, 

 Battersea, Catford, Deptford, Dulwich, Hornsey, Surbiton, 

 Tottenham, Whitechapel, fee. Parties from the University 

 Extension Society, the Haberdashers' College, and from the 

 Church Army also visited the Department. 



II. — A cquisitions. 



i. Egyptian : — 



1. The mastaba tomb of Ur-ari-en-Ptah, a high official 

 ^^ho flourished in the reign of Pepi II., king of 

 Egypt, about B.C. 3200. This tomb stood at 

 Sakkara, and was regarded by authorities as a 

 fine specimen of the sepulchral work of the period 

 to which it belonged. The sculptured and 

 painted slabs of which it consisted were carefully 

 ta,ken down under the direction of E. Brugsch 

 Bey, Assistant Director of the Egyptian Museum 

 at Cairo, and they have been rebuilt, in the 

 Assyrian Saloon, according to the numbering 

 which he furnished. In its reconstructed state 

 it will form a very instructive example of the 

 small mastaba tombs of the Early Empire, and 

 its painted bas-reliefs admirably illustrate the 

 manner in which such buildings were decorated. 

 The inscriptions on the facade and walls show 

 that the official Ur-ari-en-Ptah was a " royal 

 kinsman," and that he performed the functions 

 of a libationer and priest of Hathor ; he was the 

 overseer of the royal scribes, and was " over the 

 mysteries," i.e., he was a councillor of important 

 rank. On each side of the door is a figure 

 of the deceased in low relief, and the sides 

 of the short doorway are ornamented with 

 several half obliterated scenes in low relief. 

 On the walls of the tomb chamber proper are 

 depicted scenes connected with river transport, 

 farming operations and cattle rearing, religious 

 festivals and sacrifices, &c. The larger of the 

 two false doors in the south wall is inscribed 

 with an interesting list of offerings, and on the 

 sides of it are the names and titles of the 

 deceased; and prayers that sepulchral offerings 

 may be supplied at the proper seasons of festival. 

 The designs and colouring are good, and they 

 are thoroughly typical of the artistic work 

 of the second half of the period of the Vlth 

 dynasty. 



E 2 



