Page:History of Art in Phrygia, Lydia, Caria and Lycia.djvu/187

 SCULPTURE. 1 7 1 enable us to give a name to the twin knights, but the meaning of the symbol they embody is easily grasped. The part the warriors enact is analogous to that which the gods and heroes of Assyria and Persia are made to play, whether on cylinders or sculptures adorning the portals of Chaldaean palaces, where they are seen strangling a lion, or plunging their sword in the griffin's throat. Here their function is sharply defined by the situation they occupy, which is that of protecting genii of the grave ; they guard the dead against the demon. Of the monster, nothing remains but an immense head, drawn full face ; the outline, it would seem, of the Medusa of Greek statuary. That the rudi- mentary, rough style of the image was intentional the eyes are not even indicated is proved by the surrounding parts of the sculpture, which declare a far more advanced stage of art. The horseman on the dexter hand of the doorway ' alone remains in position (Fig. 117).* The other half of the stone is broken, save the chip bearing the arm which holds the spear, and which we reproduce from the joint efforts of MM. Ramsay and Blunt in Fig. 118. Despite the smallness of the size of the frag- ment, a certain restoration is rendered possible by the position of the spear, the end of which protrudes beyond the bay. 3 The perfect resemblance of limb and feature between the two actors in the scene extended to their attitude, which was the exact counterpart one of the other. The bare arm is well drawn, the movement natural and satisfactory ; it stretches out well. The lower part of the figures is wanting ; one was cut across the chest by the fall of the stone which formed the north-west corner, and the other is banked up to a little above the knee. The lower edge of our illustration breaks off somewhat above this place, the reason of which will be found in footnote. Hence we cannot say whether the legs were encased in gaiters ; but the other items of his armour are those which the epos and ancient Greek pottery 1 The position of the remaining horseman has been corrected from the errata. TRS. a M. Ramsay admits that our illustration (Fig. 117) gives a better idea of the relief than his engraving (Fig. 9, Journal, ix. p. 363). He observes that the ringlets of the Gorgon are on the side, and not on the edge of the relief, for the simple reason that details so disposed would not be seen in a figure drawn full face. 8 M. Ramsay, during his visit in 1881, took a sketch and measurement of the fragment, from which the skilful pencil of M. Blunt produced the original of Fig. 118. It should be observed that the worn part of the stone is left out.