Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 2.djvu/405

 Glass and Pottery. group belong the vases shaped in the form of men, women, or animals, which are common enough in museums.^ Sometimes a head, recalling that of the god Bes, is sketched in low relief upon a vase, and in a few instances a pair of small arms complete the fanciful design (Fig. 293). Another kind of pottery, that known as Egyptian p07relain, must be noticed in greater detail. This designation is inexact. The proper name would be Egyptian faience. It consists of white sand, gently fused, and overspread with a glaze of coloured enamel. This enamel is composed of flint and soda, with the addition of a colouring Fig. 292. — Red earthenware. British Museum. matter. This faience has been fired with such care that it is able to support the high temperature of a porcelain kiln without damage. Vases of many different kinds, enamelled tiles, statuettes (Fig. 294), sepulchral figurines (Figs. 96 and 97, "ol. I.), neck ornaments and other articles for decorating the person, amulets (Fig. 295), scarabs, rings, and many other articles were made in this material. Vases were generally either blue or apple green. A very small number of them were ornamented with figures of men or animals, always treated in a purely decorative fashion. No vase has yet 1 Birch, Ancient Pottery, Figs. 23 and 25. VOL. 11. ^ B
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