Page:A History of Art in Chaldæa & Assyria Vol 1.djvu/330

 ;o8 A HISTORY OF ART IN CIIALD/EA AND ASSYRIA. patience that does him honour. He has preserved for us every detail with the exception of colour. The lotus is not to be found in this embroidery ; its place is taken by the palmette or tuft of leaves (Fig. 137), through which appear steins bending with the weight of the buds they bear. Animals, real and imaginary, are FIG. 137. I'ahr.ette ; from Layard. skilfully mingled with the fan-shaped palmettes ; in one place we find two goats (Fig. 138), in another two winged bulls (Fig. 139). Bulls and goats are both alike on their knees before the palmette, which seems to suggest that the latter is an abridged representation of that sacred tree which we have already encountered and will encounter again in the bas-reliefs, where it is surrounded by scenes of FIG. 138. Goats and palmette ; from Layard. adoration and sacrifice. This motive has the double advantage of awakening religious feeling in the spectators, and of provoking a momentary elegance of line and movement in the two pairs of animals. On the other hand we can hardly explain the motive represented in our Figs. 140 and 141 a motive already met with