664 
BAS-RELIEFS. 
was the only form of seat regarded by the ancients as that of 
sovereignty, may be gathered from a variety of authorities ; and 
amongst others, several Grecian coins, where we see Jupiter 
placed in a similar chair ; and nearly all the Parthian money 
that has fallen in my way, bears the same sort of throne, though 
very rudely represented. But what is more curious still, so 
long has the fashion of this chair lasted, and so widely has it 
travelled, that there is hardly perhaps one of my English readers 
who has not seen, in the old hall of some family mansion in 
England, almost a fac-simile of the great high carved chair in 
which the king of Persia sits here enthroned. In this, the two 
favourite symbolical animals of the east form part of the 
ornaments ; we find the feet of the lion in the legs of the chair, 
and those of the bull in the feet of the footstool. In this 
representation of the royal personage, his dress is particularly 
simple, having neither collar nor bracelets ; in his right hand he 
holds the long staff, or sceptre, and in his left the lotos. He is 
evidently sitting in state. Behind him stands the usual at¬ 
tendant with the fan and handkerchief, and his face muffled, for 
probably the same reason as mentioned before. A second 
figure in the short Persian tunic follows, bearing the royal bow 
and battle-axe. Sword, or arms bearers, of whatever sort the 
king might use, were appendages of state all over the East, and 
the custom exists in the court of Persia to this day. The battle- 
axe which presents itself here, is in all probability the sagaris. 
We are told that it resembled the double axe of the Amazons. 
This before us, though a double-headed instrument, wants one 
essential feature of an axe, the pointed or sharp edge on the 
two extremities; but it is not unlikely, that, borne here only as 
a weapon of state, its hostile ends would be blunted, emblematic 
