Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 2.djvu/138

 ii6 A History of Art in Ancient Egypt. contained within the four sides of the abacus, which it touches at their centres The four angles of the abacus, therefore, stand out well beyond the upper part of the capital, uniting it properly to the architrave, and giving a satisfactory appearance of solidity to the whole. This peculiar form of capital has generally been referred to the individual caprice of some architect, anxious, above all things, to invent something new.^ But the same form is to be found in the architectural shapes preserved by the paintings of the ancient empire (Fig. 59) which seems fatal to this explanation. It is probable that if we possessed all the work of the Egyptian architects we should find that the type was by no means confined to Karnak. It was, however, far less beautiful in its lines than the ordinary shape, and though ancient enough, never became popular. The Egyptians were not always content with the paint-brush and chisel for the decoration of their capitals, they occasionally made use of metal also. This has been proved by a discovery made at Luxor in the presence of M. Brugsch, who describes it in these terms : " The work of clearing the temple began with the part constructed by Amenophis III. and gave some very unexpected results. The capitals of the columns were overlaid with copper plates, to which the contour of the stone beneath had been given by the hammer. They had afterwards been painted. Large pieces of these plates were found still hanging to the capitals, while other pieces lay among the surrounding debris. Thus a new fact in the history of Egyptian art has been established, namely, that stonework was sometimes covered with metal."2 This process was not generally, nor even frequently, employed, as we may judge by the vast number of capitals painted in the most brilliant colours, which remain. If the surface of the stone was to be covered up such care would not have been taken to beautify it. The fact that the process was used at all is, however, curious ; 1 Wilkinson, vol. i. p. 40. In the Description de I'Egypte {A/itiquitcs, vol. ii. p. 474), we find this shape accounted for by opposition of two lotus-flowers, one above another. Such an explanation could only be offered by one who had a theory to serve. 2 Extract from a letter of M. Brugsch, published by Hittorf in the At/iena;um Francais, 1854, j). 153.