Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/96

 ;S A History of Art in Sardinia and Jud/ea. exhibiting two huge rings at the side, and a dagger sheathed to the hilt on one of the faces ; three clamps, still visible, indicate that the blade was riveted to an ivory or wood handle. On the lower face three styles of the same length as the dagger were carved ; but the sheath was replaced by longitudinal rows of uncouth, irregular rings through which the stilettos were slipped, kept in place, and prevented from running through by the knobbed upper end. It is self-evident that such weapons were not meant for use ; they are not arms in the strict sense of the word, but imitations of those carried on the breasts of Sardi warriors (F"igs. 52, 62). Real daggers and stilettos have been recovered in this repository and elsewhere, exhibiting the same forms as these ; ' and differing toto cœlo, from those of a purely fanciful nature, wherein practical use was not contemplated ; such would be Fig. 86, a specimen of the long-hiked, diminutive daggers, furnished with a hoop for suspension, closely resembling those of statuettes (Figs. 59 and 6i The guard, straight on one side, is deeply curved on the other, investing the monument, which is but eight centimeters long, with a cross-like appearance. It is impossible to guess the purpose of the hoop seen under the curved salience. Neither shall we linger to describe other remains, such as chips of combs, buttons, fibular, and armlets in bronze, dug up on various occasions at Teti, for we deem them of little importance, compared with a fig. 86. —Votive thorough grasp of the general characteristics dis- i884 Ser Plate V.' played in the figures, weapons, etc., found in this fig ' 8 ' repository. 2 Contrary to some who supposed them fragments of a foundry, as that at Forraxi-Noi.we incline to the belief that the Teti hiding-place was a sanctuary, selected by the central tribes for its secluded and strong position which could be easily defended, where the natives, during the lapse of centuries, were wont to bring their propitiatory offerings for benefits received in the past, or for others they hoped for in the future. We main- tain that such an hypothesis, better than any hitherto proposed, coincides with the facts before us. The enormous quantity of pig metal discovered at Forraxi, in 1 Bolletlino, Plate V. figs. 4, 5, 9, and 10. 2 Ibid. Plate VI.