Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/464

 440 History of Art in Antiquitv. spread, and its success on the soil of Persia was so marvellous, that the Middle Ages, and even modern times, looked upon Persia as the country of its birth ; yet when Darius undertook to build a palace at Susa, it was just then creeping in ; and two generations had scarcely elapsed since first the Persians had entered into relations with Chaldaea, the real home of an art which, more than any other, has its secret ingredients, the successful application of Fig. 212. — Susa. Head of one of the lions. which depends upon a turn of the hand. Why should Darius have called Persian artisans to Susiana, when he found ready prepared at Susa workshops for moulding, painting, and firing ? He had only to express a wish and as many craftsmen as he required would forthwith set to work to clothe the building with a silver, gold, or azure veil. If, however, artificers were gotten from alien sources, he went to Babylonia for them. Whether Susian or Chaldaean, the technical skill of the enamellists was sufficiently Digitized by Google