Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 2.djvu/240

 2 22 A History of Art in Sardinia and Jud^a. This monument stands absolutely alone in that its construction throughout was effected with massive stones, some of gigantic size, hence we cannot compare it with analogous structures in Cappa- docia in trying to determine its probable destination. Like the remarkable sculpture at Ibreez, this temple was raised on the very edge of the flood, to the god, it would seem, of fresh- water springs, who brings in his wake an abundance of corn and wine and all manner of good things. Was the corresponding figure of the tall god, made taller by his cap (6i c. high), a priest, as at Ibriz, or a goddess, the mother and wife of the god, as at lasili-Kaia ? The altar, stated by Mr. Ramsay to intervene between the twin figures, would coincide in the most admirable way with our hypothesis. But the defaced state of the monument, whose decay is hastened by the wind beating on its face and its proximity to the water, renders it more than problematical whether we shall ever know more in respect thereto than we do at the present hour. In support, too, of this conjecture is the discovery, made three years ago by M. Sterrett, of a huge stela on which four figures, in good preservation, are carved in very high relief, sometimes 70 c.^ The stone lies prostrate on the ground near Fassiler, a village on the south-eastern boundaries of Lycaonia and the district of Isauria. The stela, whose top is rounded off, when standing, measured 7 m. 23 c. in height by 2 m. 75 c. at the base, and i m. 65 c. towards the top. The lower portion is sunk into the soil, but above ground its thickness is 82 c. It cannot be easily set up, by reason of its enormous weight ; consequently no photograph was obtained ; and as the mission was not provided with a draughts- man, apart from exact measurements, a rough sketch or rather diagram, showing the relative position and outline of the figures, was alone attempted. The subject represented on the stela consists of twin lions, back to back, cut in low relief on the lower portion of the stone ; whilst the front part projects beyond it, with a relief of 60 c. Between them are two colossal figures of different size, the taller standing on the head of the other. The personage who serves as living support or pedestal is clad in the usual long robe, the hands are folded high up on the breast and support the chin, and on the ^ Fassiler is not marked in Kiepert's map. It is five hours east of Seidi Sheher, and seven south-west of Eflatoun, on the high-road taken by caravans to Konieh.