Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/410

 336 History op Art in Antiquity. furnished by Chaldsea.^ If we are left in some uncertainty with r^ard to the extent of work executed in the round by the Persian sculptor, we know, on the other hand, that in obedience to the examples set him by his Oriental predecessors, he often modelled figures in very high relief for the builder, nearly approaching to statuary, at least in the foreparts made to project far out beyond the anta or the side-posts of doorways, whilst the body was carved in flat relief on the lateral faces of the wall. From Chaldaea and Assyria also were borrowed the human-visaged, winged bulls (Plates II., III.). It is just possible that many of these animals were originally grouped about the esplanade, but their smaller size caused them to be more easily destroyed. Of the four colossi that remain, two stand at the entrance gate or Propylaea, and the other two at that of the Hall of a Hundred Columns. Imitation is written in unmistakable language on their faces. Thus, on their heads, instead of the coiffure of the kings of Persia, is the high Assyrian tiara adorned with bull's horns. But while the sculptor appropriated this symbolic type, he was no slavish imitator, and the changes he introduced into the colossi have the twofold result of assuring a more pleasing aspect and bringing them in excellent harmony with the surrounding figures. He discarded the singular conventional device resorted to by the Ninevite sculptor in order to endow the monster with a double attitude by giving him five instead of four paws, so that he appears to be walking when seen sideways, and at rest when seen full face. Nothing of the kind occurs here ; the quadruped has the right number of limbs and a normal posture. To judge from the legs, which are accurately drawn, he is free from the want of breadth which characterizes the Ninevite bulls. As to the heads they are too far gone to lend themselves to a comparison.' Then, too, he has improved on his model and imparted a more elegant curve to the wings, which is that of the griffins and sphinxes of Phoenicia. Finally, the proportions of these animals are in perfect accord with the height of the palaces at the threshold of which they are set as guards* and far exceed the dimensions they ever attained in the country of their birth. In height, those at the Propylxa measure ^ Vmdidadt trandated by J. Dwrmesteter, ch. xxx. torn, il p. 82. by the French explorer confirm in full his written testimony ; it is the same with Stobtc's photographs {Ptr$^ii, Plates LV., LXXXVII., LXXXVIII.). Digitized by Google
 * DiEULAFOY, L'Art aiiiifiig, etc., torn; iii. pp. 91, 9a. The photographs jHiblithed