Page:A History of Art in Chaldæa & Assyria Vol 2.djvu/132

 ii4 A History of Art in Ciiald.fa and Assyria. recognize such a purpose in a fine fragment brought from the palace of Assurbanipal to the British Museum. It is all that is left of a relief in terra-cotta. The grain is much finer and the colour far redder than in statuettes from the same place. In its present state this slab is about a foot high, and mutilated as it is, its subject may be recognized as an incident in the royal hunt, the rest of which helps to fill the Assyrian basement room. The FlG. 50. — Statuette of a priest. Louvre ; from Ileuzey. >' ■/. '>/ &W1 Fig. 51. — Dagon. British Museum. Actual size. larger part of the principal figure is wanting, but enough of him remains to leave no doubt as to the character of the scene ; it represents a king attacked on two sides by lions, and defending himself with his lance. The firm and precise execution of the lions' paws and of the king's body should be noticed. According to the scale obtaining in the sculptures preserved this model was carried out on a half scale. So little of the group is left that we cannot make sure whether the reliefs now in London contain the