Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 2.djvu/385

 332 Primitive Greece: Mycenian Art. Asiatics, whose image and warlike deeds had been skilfully depicted by Oriental artists, for the amusement of the Achaean princes of Peloponnesus. If we look at the contour of the figure, where this is large enough to allow us to follow the line of the profile of the face, we shall see the happy proportions of the head, the fine open eye, the beautiful curve of the mouth, and above all, the straight nose which continues the frontal line without a break, whether on gold and silver vases or ivory plates. These are the leading lines of what is called the Grecian type, that which the masters of the classic age will reproduce by and by (Figs. 359. 362, 363. 366, 373, 374). It has often been averred that there is an exotic air about the bas-relief of the Lions Gate. This may well be, but if so, the theme did not come from Egypt, where the ornameniist, when he opposes two figures, symmetrically arranged, likes rather to put them back to back than face to face.^ It is self-evident, however, that the lions, as well as many images engraved on our gems, recall the group of two fronting each other on countless Chaldaeo-Assyrian cylinders. But nobody has yet come across an example in Oriental art where the palace is epitomized by the fa9ade of the principal gateway, this is made up of an altar, columns, and an entablature, including two lions, who represent the guardians of the royal dwelling. Even allowing that the Mycenian sculptor did in fact borrow the group, when he re- ceived it, it was but an empty form, a commonplace subject, to which he added certain characteristic features, and put into it a meaning which it has nowhere else. Accordingly, he may claim to be the inventor of the symbol. For reasons of size, the features of the face cannot be seen on the images of the engraved stones ; but the leading lines of these bear the stamp of the same tastes as the other sculptured monuments, and are quite distinct from Egyptian and Asiatic glyptics. Thus, the stones which the craftsman likes to engrave have not often been seen elsewhere ; whilst the shapes are neither borrowed from Egyptian scarabs, nor from the cylinders of Anteria Asia, although these penetrated in Cyprus, and were imitated there.^ Some few scarabs have been found in the graves at lalysos and Mycenae, and a cylinder reaches us from Vaphio.^ To sum up. Whether we turn to the engraved stones or other 1 History of Art 2 //,/^. 3 'E^ij/ifpif, 1888.