Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 2.djvu/430

 394 A History of Art in Ancient Egypt. fore and hind quarters of a lion. Each arm terminates in a lion's head. A crowned, winged, and hawk-headed urseus, some lotus- flowers, and a sphinx with a vanquished enemy beneath his paws, are carved upon either side of the chair. The scheme of decoration as a whole is a happy combination of sesthetic beauty with allusions to the power and success of the king. These elaborate pieces of furniture are only known to us by the paintings, but when we turn to articles of a less ambitious descrip- tion, such as toys and what are called 6im5eloterie in French, and, Fig. 327. — Chair. From the Description. IG. ^28. — Chair. From Prisse. rather helplessly, "fancy articles" in English, we have many fine specimens to turn to. Of these the most conspicuous are those perfume spoons whose handles so often embody charming motives. The more simple examples are ornamented merely with the buds or open flowers of the lotus (Fig. 329). Others, however, have beautifully carved figures. In Fig. 330 we see a young woman picking a lotus bud. Several stalks crowned with open flowers support the bowl, which is shaped like that of a modern spoon, except that its narrow end is turned towards the handle. The