Page:History of Art in Phrygia, Lydia, Caria and Lycia.djvu/402

 386 HISTORY OF ART IN ANTIQUITY. bered, exhibited in a bas-relief of Phrygia (Fig. 117) ; whilst the circular shield is not only akin to the examples seen on the earliest vase-painting of Mycsense, but to all the monuments of widely dif- ferent origin in this part of the world, including the Trysa bas-relief, to which we refer the reader (Fig. 274). It is difficult to hazard a guess at the significance of the disc carved in front of and level with the head of the warrior, which a shallow groove, sunk in the stone, separates from his helmet. Is the object hung high up against the wall a shield ? Of the other long slab nothing remains FIG. 278. Tomb, Xanthus. British Museum. Long side. Height, 93 c. but a group occupying about one-third of the surface, and enframed within a border in relief (Fig. 278). It probably had a pendant at the other end, whilst between the two pictures stood the doorway. This sculpture produces one of the themes dear to Oriental art, e.g. the struggle between a man or god and a lion. 1 The two foes stand upright, face to face ; with his left hand the hero clutches the mane of the beast, whilst with his right hand he buries a huge sword in his flank, unconscious the while that the claws of the brute are tearing his shoulders and side. The pose is wholly 1 Hist, of Art, torn. ii. Figs. 322, 337; torn. iii. Figs. 471, 47 2 > tom - iv - Fl S- 266.