Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 2.djvu/190

 172 A History of Art in Sardinia and Judaea. them but for the thick raised line in front of them, which to our knowledge, has not been found anywhere else, with the single exception of lasili-Kaia. M. Guillaume and I puzzled our heads in vain to make out what it stood for : whether it was a cord trimming to the woollen cape slung over the shoulder or the border of an oblong shield. The bar in *' cameo " across the figures, which may be taken for a leather strap to carry the shield, seems to favour the latter conjecture. The next block (13 in plan) had three similar figures, of which the lower part alone remains.' The three or four stones needed to complete this part of the decoration are in all likelihood among those that were used to build the foun- tain ; the damaged state in which we should find them, however, would scarcely repay the trouble or cost of looking for them. We have asked the question, without being able to decide, whether block 14 in plan (Fig. 339) be- longed to this series. Our reason for hesitating is not because it was out of the align- ment, as this might be purely accidental, but because it wants 40 or 50 centimetres to reach the height of the other slabs still in place. On the other hand, the subject would forma fitting pendant to the rams (5 in plan) on the opposite side. It represents an infuriated bull, his head down, preparing to butt. There is little doubt but that it was intended for the sacrifice. But the artist, in order to impart life and movement to his picture, has figured it as though it had just broken loose from its captors. The next block (15 in plan) is in fairly good preservation ; and shows a lion that has just sprung upon a ram, holding him down with his fore-feet. The treatment and general form of the ^ Exploration Archeologique^ Plate LVI. Fig. 4. I'^IG. 337.— Seated Goddess. Eyuk. Plate LXVI.