The XIth dynasty temple at Deir el-Bahari .. - NYU | Digital Library ...

32 THE XiTff DYNASTY TEMPLE AT DEIR EL-BAHARI.
briefly some of the more interesting fragments,
which will give an idea of the peculiar character
of the art of the Xlth Dynasty as exhibited in
this temple.
Some of tliese reliefs are very beautiful in
colour and carving. There are two repre-
sentations of King Neb-hepet-Ra II. (o "vi:^ '^),
with his wife. Queen Aashait, standing beneath
the winged sun. One of these is illustrated
PI. xvii., fig. e. The preservation of the colours
on these reliefs is remarkable, and the feathers
of the winged sun are in the smaller fragment
of the two represented with extraordinary
minuteness of workraansliip and delicacy of
colour. The representation of the atef-crown,
worn by the king, with both feathers at the
back, has not previously been met with. Or-
dinarily it is represented as consisting of the
white crown with the feathers fore and aft
The feathers were really jjlaced at each side,
like wings, as we see from the Osiris figures,
which wear it. The fore-and-aft representation
on the flat was a convention, to show both.
But here, in this single instance, we have an
attempt at a view of the crown seen from the
side, but at the same time sliowing both feathers,
which are represented in a sort of perspecti\e,
the nearer partially hiding the further one.
This is a very interesting little deviation from
the usual conventions of sculptui'e. Interesting
also is the representation of the white crown
itself, which seems to have been made of straw
or basket-work painted white and bound with
golden bands. The lower part seems to have
been also covered with some material, but the
upper was evidently open straw-work, admitting
plenty of ventilation. On these two fragments
the hieroglyphs are sculptured in the new and
previously unknown style of high relief painted
blue on rectangular labels of red. The con-
trast of colour presented by this arrangement,
the red sun-disk with green wings above, and
the white and gold crown of the king below, is
sufficiently remarkable. The inscriptions are
the usual J A formulae.
On these two fragments the faces of the king
and queen are battered out of all recognition,
but on another piece of relief, on which they
are represented in cdrn-rilievo (PL xii. a), their
portraits are perfectly preserved. The king's
young resolute face, with powerful chin and
square nose, is thoroughly Egyptian. We had
one workman very like him on the excavations.
But the queen's thick lips and flat nose make
her look rather Ethiopian in type. Another
relief (in the same style) is of interest, since it
depicted the great noble Masi walking in
the temple ;
one of the octagonal columns of the
hall or ambulatory surrounding the pyramid-
base is represented on the relief close by his leg.
From this representation we know that the
capitals of the columns in the ambulatory were
of the simple square type associated with this
form of column. On another slab (PI. xvii. d) we
have a very quaint representation of the " King's
Favourite, Sadlie," receiving offerings from the
" King's Cupbearer." The cup contains beer.
The small incised inscription above it reads,
seated and wearing the short wig, stretches out
her hands to receive the beverage from the hands
of the obsequious cupbearer, who is followed by a
remarkable young lady of very attenuated form,
who bears in a rather processional manner an
enormous lily on a long stalk. The inscription
above contains the usual prayer for Sadhe.
A large number of fragments of the reliefs
and inscriptions of these chapels have been
found : portions of the gaily-coloured cornices
also, and the green lily-pillars which often
adorned their entrances. It will be an in-
teresting task to try to put all these together
again : the work of assembling the fragments
of the false doors may very well be undertaken
' Or, "for thyself."