Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/336

 3o6 A History of Art in Sardinia and Jud.f.a. a winged disc or sphere forms a kind of dais, a flower is in his right hand, whilst in his left is carried a long spear. A long fringed robe, recalling the royal Assyrian mantle, covers him down to his feet. In the lower register, a smaller figure in similar attire stands before an altar with widely projecting horns which curve inward, a peculiarity often alluded to in the Old Testament (i Kings i. 50 ; ii. 28) ; his head is bare, and his hands are raised in the attitude of prayer. To avoid confusion as to his identity, the artist took care to write his name beneath — " Selemzabad, priest." The general character and arrangement of the composition are awkward, and betray an unskilful hand. Thus, for instance, a later artist would have placed the deity to whom the sacrifice is offered on the same line with the officiating priest, as in the Giblite stela to which it bears great affinity. 1 Here, however, the disposition may have been induced by narrowness of space. Further to illustrate this art, which certainly derived its models from Syria and Phoenicia, we reproduce the annexed woodcut (Fig. 207), the original of which was discovered in the wall of the castle at Te'ima by Huber, to whom is also due the preceding stela, now both in the Louvre. If the latter had an inscription, which is probable, it is now completely obliterated, but its subject clearly declares its having been put up to commemorate a votive offering. On the left of the picture is a high pedestal, consisting of twin stools placed one upon the other, with seemingly a cushion on the top. Over this is a litter, which served to carry the god in the pro- cessional festivities. The only indication, however, that we have of a figure having been here, is a patch in relief, perhaps the end of his robe. This, though apparent in the stela, is not seen in the imperfect drawing which has reached us. Facing this, on the top of a rude pillar, or pollard date-tree, stands another figure, or part of a figure, for the legs and the end of his short tunic are alone visible, all the rest being broken off. To the extreme right of the bas-relief climbs a conventional vine (or date ?), with clustering grapes of enormous size, whilst huge amphorae, one on each side of the pillar, complete the picture. As incidentally stated, we incline to think that this monument, contrary to the Egypto- Phoenician stelas observable in the Vatican and at Carpentras, was not intended for funereal purposes, but that 1 Hist, of Art, torn. iii. p. 67, Fig. 23.