78 
DEPAflT5IENT OF ANTIQUITIES. [GEOUND FLOOR. 
black, exhibiting a greater amount of artificial colour than any other 
Assyrian sculpture yet discovered. 
In the middle of the room are four Table-cases, containin<r 
miscellaneous small objects found at Nimroud, chiefly in the 
ruins of the North-west edifice, and probably therefore of 
the age of Sardanapalus. 
The Case towards the South end contains several bronze bowls, with 
embossed and engraved ornaments of great beauty and curiosity, some 
of distinctly Egyptian style, such as winged gryphons, scarabsei, &c. 
The next Case has some more bowls, and a remarkable collection of 
bronze weights, in the form of recumbent lions, on some of which are 
engraved bilingual inscriptions, in the Phoenician, and cuneiform, or 
Assyrian characters. 
In the third Case are several miscellaneous bronze objects, small 
bells, weapons, and articles of furniture ; some fragments of bas-relief 
in a blue material, resembling la^is lazuli, some pieces of alabaster 
vases, with cuneiform inscriptions, and other minor objects. 
The most Northern Case contains some of the most interesting 
articles in the collection. The principal are a series of ivory-carvings 
from the North-west edifice, one having an Egyptian name within a 
hieroglyphical cartouche, and many others exhibiting Egyptian figures 
or decorations, — a conclusive proof of an intimate connection between 
Egypt and Assyria at a very early period ; a large variety of ivory- 
carvings of more purely Assyrian character, found in the South-east 
edifice ; some beautifully-coloured fragments of glass, among which is 
a vase engraved with the name of Sargina, the founder of Khorsabad, 
which may be considered the most ancient specimen of glass manufac- 
ture, bearing a date, which has ever been discovered ; and two eyes, in- 
tended for statues, the smaller of which still retains an iris, of vitreous 
composition, and of a pure blue colour. 
At the North-west angle of this Gallery is a door leading 
into the 
ASSYRIAN SIDE-EOOM. 
In this room, and in the basement room with which it is 
connected by a staircase, are for the present placed some of 
the sculptures procured by Mr. Rassam and Mr. Loftus, after 
the collection obtained by Mr. Layard had been already 
arranged. Until the completion of the new apartment de- 
signed for these later acquisitions, it is impossible to exhibit 
more than a portion of them, or to arrange that portion in 
any consistent order. As the position of the sculptures is 
