ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, &C. OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 43 



Oscan inscriptions are of great rarity, and tiiis is tlie first which has been acquired for 

 the National Collection. 



X 1 1. — Miscellaneous Antiquities. 



(1.) A leaden cup, 4| inches high, ornamented round the body with a frieze representing 

 Bacchus and Silenus, and the four Seasons, who are personified as four boys. Round ihe 

 middle of the vase is a row of circular vitreous pastes, set so as to imitate gems : on each 

 handle is a paste, with a Gorgon's head in relief. This vase is inscril)ed on one side 

 DOMITILLAE STATILIO CONJVGI; on the other, SALVS GEN[ERIS1 HVM[ANI]. 

 It has been thought ihat the Domitilla whose name is inscribed on this cup is the lady who 

 after having cohabited with Statilius, a Roman Eques, subsequently married the Emperor 

 Vcspjisian. The coincidence of the names is certainly remarkable; at the same time there 

 is no positive proof of the identity of the persons to whom the cup is dedicated with the 

 Roman empress and her paramour. It may be remarked that the inscription, Salus 

 humani generis, occurs on the coins of Galba. On the bottom of the foot of this 

 cup are stamped the letters F.M. AVG, marking the Fabrica, or workshop, where it was 

 made. It is probably an imitation of one of the gemmuta pociila which Pliny describes, 

 which were cups of gold or silver set with precious stones. Published by Gerhard, 

 "Antike Bildwerke," Miinchen, 1828, Pi. LXXKVIL, who supposes that this cup may 

 have contained the ashes of the persons whose names are inscribed on it. 



(2.) A fine collection of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine weights in lead, bronze, and 

 stone. 



(3.) A collection of impressions from seals or dies in lead, one thousand eight hundred 

 and twenty-five in number. Some of these are Greek, the majority Koman or Byzantine. 



(4.) A beam of Italian iarcb, brought up from the bottom of Lake Nemi near Albano by 

 a diver, and believed to be a fi'as>ment Irona an ancient ship. It appears, from a statement 

 in Leo Baptista Alberti, de Re Mdii'- V. c. 12, printed in 1485, that at that date an ancient 

 ship, believed to be have been built by Trajan, was discovered in Lake Nemi. 



In 1535, a diver went down into the lake, and explored certain remains at the bottom, 

 which are described by Francesco Marchi, in his " Architettura Militare," 11. c. 82, as the 

 wrecks of two oi more large ancient ships. Several beams and bronze bolts were then fished 

 up, and are now preserved in the Vatican. 



The piece of timber in the Blacas Collection is thought to have formed part of the floor 

 of an ancient ship, which may have been about 150 feet long. It may be the same beam 

 which once belonged to the celebrated collection of Mr. E. Dodwell, at Rome, and whicli is 

 mentioned by INibby, Viaggio Antiqiiario nei contorni di Roma, II. p. 173. 



XIII. — Egyptian Antiquities. 



ITiese are rather more than 400 in numi)er, and consist chiefly of small objects in bronze, 

 stone, glazed porcelain, and wood, together with some papyri. 



The following are among those most worthy of mention : — 



(1.) A porcelain figure of the god Pthah, under the attributes of Horus. 



(2.) A bronze figure of the goddess Bast or Bubastis, the eyes of which are inlaid with 

 gold. 



(3.) A bronze cat, enclosing a mummied cat, sacred to Bubastis. This bronze cat is 

 unusually large, and in fine condition. 



(4.) A bottle of blue porcelain, with ornaments in outline of a darker colour. 



(5.) Several scarabsei in hard stone or glazed steatite, some of which have the names of 

 Egyptian monarchs. Among the most remarkable of these is one of red jasper, with the 

 name and titles of a superintendent of priests. Another of amethyst, executed in the 

 Ptolemaic or in the Roman period. On this scarabaeus the head-dress of the goddess 

 Athor is engraved in intaglio. 



(6.) Small figure of fine execution carved in wood, representing a female slave carrying 

 a vase on her head, which has served to contain some unguent or cosmetic for the toilet. 

 Such figures are very rare. 



(7.) The hand and arm of a female mummy, on one of t!ie fingers of which is a scara- 

 baeus set in a gold ring. 



(8.) Bronze case to contain the mummy of a snake, surmounted by a figure of the god- 

 dess Merisekar, who is represented as a human-headed snake wearing the pschent. 



(9.) Nineteen sepulchral figures in stone, wood, porcelain, and composition. Most'of 

 these are fine specimens. 



249. G (10.) Six 



