Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/150

 Decoration. 139 enamelled bricks of Susa. Superimposed shapes, with terminal palm, are common to both (Fig. 66), the difference residing in the design of the elements with upward direction. At Susa there is no pretence to a realistic presentment, the flowers being piled one upon the other, after the fashion of volutes. There seems to have been here one of those deliberate modifications of the lotus corolla which formed the delight of the Egyptian omamentist ; we might almost fancy that the ornament was taken from the ceiling of a Theban tomb, where it often exhibits a very similar contour.' It is just possible that Cbaldsean enamellists, the instructors of the riG. 66.- l-rrt^mciii of ilccoratiiin of >uircaie. Luuvie. Dra^vn by .St. blmc Gaulier. Susians, may have seen the form on costly objects which the Persians had brought from the Delta, and transferred it forthwith on to their tiles. The palm often recurs on enamelled bricks, where it serves to compose another design, that in which a band seems to hold together a number of circles of varying hue, and two palms opposed to each other at their base (Fig. 67). Finally, palms are introduced into the composition of the upper and lower scroll border of both the Archers* (Fig. 68) and the Lions' Frieze persistent bases of the petidlaties, prompted the idea of the &haft and ornaments with equitant base arching outwardly at the summit? This, as near as possible, is the aspect ofieved by the trunk of the chanianops." " /fisf. of Art, torn. i. Fig. 541, n 4; Prisse D'Avennes, .ATiWL dettart igy^un, tcm. i. plates entitled " Omameatatioii des I'Lfonds."