41 



Besides this, vases, gems, glass, mirrors in bronze and copper^ 

 plaques, figurines, terra cotta bas-reliefs and statuettes were pro- 

 duced in enormous quantities for thousands of years. The size of 

 many of these objects contributed to preserve them from destruc- 

 tion. More numerous and better sheltered beneath the sand of 

 Egypt than the heroic masterpieces of fine art, they survived when 

 many of the latter perished, and made us acquainted with the 

 Egyptian modes of thought and of life. The little statutettes 

 which were in continual use in Egypt for religious and other pur- 

 poses give us the most precise and accurate information as to 

 dress and social customs, and sometimes afford particulars of 

 divinities and of rites which were but imperfectly described in the 

 writings of classic authors. 



Except in Architecture, sepulchral and religious, which I do 

 not attempt to touch on much to-day, the Art of Egypt is entirely 

 connected with the tombs and the pictures, bas-reliefs, and objects 

 found in those which have been opened. The paintings in the 

 tombs are very vivid and interesting, but are executed without 

 any idea of perspective. The plans of houses, palaces and temples 

 were executed by the artist in a rather child-like manner as can be 

 seen, for instance, in a photograph of the plan and front of a 

 house from a tomb in Tel-el-Amara. The colours are very vivid 

 and the different foliage of the trees is closely followed, but they 

 are shown as lying flat on the green which, however, is not a bad 

 manner of expressing the ground-plan. Their temples were of 

 noble proportions with a style of architecture peculiar to them- 

 selves and were richly decorated by scenes of battle carved on the 

 walls. The Pavilion of Medinet Abou restored by Chipies, an 

 artist and architect, is an example. 



But in the short time at my disposal to discuss the Art of 

 Egypt I desire to go more into the pure Art itself as shown in the 

 figures, paintings, and the innumerable objects, all of which come 

 from the tombs. 



In the tombs artists, painters, and sculptors worked at the 

 decoration with figures of their gods, heroes, and warriors as in 

 ancient Greece Zeus, Apollo, and Pallas were so greatly honoured. 



In sepulchral architecture the ancient Empire at Memphis is 

 the most original and characteristic. In the new Empire at Thebes 

 novel forms of belief had modified the Art. In Memphis simplicity 

 and grandeur found expression in the tombs of this period of 

 which Tis is the best example. 



During the 4th dynasty of the ancient Empire the greatest 

 masterpieces were produced, including the two famous statues 

 found in a tomb near Meidoum. The one, a slide of which is 

 shown, represents Ra-Hotep, Prince of the Blood, a General of 

 Infantry. The other is a woman — Nefert — or the Beauty. She 

 was related to the King, but we know not whether she was the 

 wife or sister of Ra-Hotep. But the interest is increased by our 

 certainty of the very great antiquity, about 4700 B.C. In the 



