Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/155

 144 History of Art in Antiquity. and jewels ? Then, too, the pose and grouping of lions which the monuments of Chaldxa and Assyria have rendered famih'ar, are faithfully reproduced here. Now the animal is seen stretching his neck towards his slayer, whose spear is about to enter his side (I'ig. 52) ; ' now it is his turn to slay a bull whose vain struggles arc pitiful to behold (Plate XI.) elsewhere, in the lofts of the palaces, lions march in file, exactly as they do in the Fig. 70. — Penepoli». Fragment of tomb No. la Flandi.n and Coste, Ftru andennt^ PUte XCIV. concentric zones of the bronze bowls of Assyria (l'i,c^. 70).' AtJ^ain, in the upper part of the parapet ol staircases, lions, raised on their hind legs, stand on either side of a winged disc (Fig. 65).* The bull is allotted by far the largest place in Persian decoration. If in the lower portion of the edifice he never appears, except as the vanquished of an unequal contest, his powerful and dignified head looks down from the summit of every colomn ; whilst, im- movable and colossal, he watches at the threshold of the palace. ' Hist, of Arf, torn. ii. Fig. 332 ; torn. iii. Figs. 471-474. S44» 5S«« » li'iJ., totn. ii. Fig. 443 ; torn. iii. Figs. 475, 476, 544, 624, 639. • JbiJ., loin. ii. Figs. 407, 415 ; torn. iii. Fijj. 555. 4 Ihid^ torn. V. Figs. 64, 79, 84, 192, xio, 122. Digitized by G