Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/274

 -4^ A History of Art in Sardinia and Jud.-ea. native flora, in order to bring into his composition the needful variety of aspect. Albeit at first the rendering was somewhat frigid, it was never disagreeable, because it bore a stamp of truth and a quaint charm of its own, which ere long developed into a realistic style suggesting budding nature and natural growth. Gold leaf, as a means of enrichment, entered extensively into the decoration of the sanctuary, be it as outline to palms, floor patterns, or entirely to cover winged figures, the yellow metal standing out in brilliant contrast from the sombre hue of the wood on wall and floor. 1 As regards the latter, it is probable that the gold was in the form of listels or strips to hide the joints. 2 According to the same tradition, soft carpets of marvellous tints were strewn about the floor to protect it against the feet of priests and menials told off for the service of the temple. Tenuous chains of gold served to keep in place the veil of the sanctuary, whilst plates of the same shining metal were con- spicuous about the altar of incense, 3 and when caught by the rays of the sun or a thousand lamps, would awake with sudden lustre, diffusing a warm glowing tone over the whole picture. 4 The furniture of the temple was in harmony with the rich Eastern style of its ornamentation. 5 Hence the table of shew-bread — wood or bronze —plated with gold, may be set down as having been of the early type with which Egypt has made us familiar, well seen in our Fig. 160, which is a reproduction of one uncovered at Tell-el-Amarna, exhibiting wine vessels and loaves piled upon it. The same piece of furniture, figured in the triumphal arch of Titus, at Rome, was a copy of that which stood in the last temple (Fig. 161). Comparison of the two exemplars 1 Our version has "covered," "overlaid." Yet it seems impossible that precious woods should have been wholly hidden by gold. A similar procedure, far from enhancing, would have seriously marred the rich effect of the whole. — Editor. 2 l Kings vi. 21, 22 ; 28-32. 8 Ibid. i Ibid. 6 Ibid. vii. 48 ; 2 Chron. iv. 8. The ten tables specified as standing in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left, are deemed an error of the com- piler by Reuss. He thinks that behind the altar was a large table with ten smaller ranged on each side of it. Fig. 160. — Egyptian Table of offerings. De Vogué, Te?nple, p. 33.