well moulded; but the crouching statuette of a “ Scribe,”— celebrated
at the Louvre as “ le petit bonhomme” — is the crowning
masterpiece of primitive art revealed through Mariette’s exhumations.
It is from this venerable tomb of the Yth dynasty, 5000
years old, which the later constructors, (above 2000 years ago,) of the
ancient Avenue of Sphinxes leading to the Memphite Serapeum had
cut through and walled-up again. The material is white limestone,
colored red ; which even to its trifling abrasions is reproduced as a
most appropriate frontispiece to this work [Plate I.]. The profile
view [Plate II., fig. 1] exhibits the .excellence of its workmanship,
no less than the purest type of an ancient Egyptian. Beneath it
[fig. 2], Mr. Gliddon has repeated the same head, with the sole
addition of the moustache and short beard, and the mutation of the
head-dress into the quilted-cotton skull-cap of the modern peasantry ;
and thus we behold the perfect preservation of a typical form of man
through 5000 years of time, in the familiar effigy of a living Fellàh !
f‘ We are not reduced to mere conjectures,” comments the Conservator of the Imperial
Louvre Museum, “ concerning the figure of the crouching Scribe, placed in the middle of
the hall (Salle eivile.y1 It was found in the tomb of Skhem-ka with the figures collected
together in the hall of the most ancient monuments (Salle dee Monupients.) It appertains,
therefore, to the Vth or the Vlth dynasty. The figure, so to say, is speaking: this look
which amazes was obtained by a very ingenious combination. In a piece of opaque white
quartz is encrusted a pupii of very transparent rock-crystal, in the centre of which is
planted a little metallic ball. The whole eye is fixed in a bronze leaf which answers for
both eyelids. The sand had very happily preserved the color of all the figures in this tomb.
The movement of the knees and the slope of the loins are above all remarkable for their
correctness. all the traits of the face are strongly stamped with individuality ; it is evident
that this statuette was a portrait.”
Tbese, with tbe beautiful bead of another Egyptian, long m the
Louvre, but unelassed until. 1854, [Plate VI.]62 of perhaps the same
period, exceed in artistic interest all the monuments of the Mle-val-
ley ; and the speaking expression of their countenances invariably
catches the eye of every visitor of the Egyptian Gallery at Paris.
Not that they approach ideal sculptured blWy, such as we are
accustomed to meet with in Greek statuary; on the contrary, there
is not a spark of ideality in either of the two representations ; their
61 De RouGfi, Notice Sommaire des Monumens égyptiens exposés dans les galeries du Musée du
ouvre, Pans, 18mo., 1865, p. 66. One further observation, instead of being any way em-
e is ed in our Fiate I., our Copy, obtained through the heliotype, is defective in the legs;
^ hich, projecting in advance of the upper part of the body, are heavier and less propor-
ona e than in the stone original ; but possessing no measurements for their reduction, we
ave not felt at liberty to deviate from M. Devéria’s photograph.
! The following is M. Devékia’s note on this gem of antique art:—“ Buste provenant
une statue de l’ancien art memphite, contemporaine des pyramides. Pierre calcaire, pein-
re rouge, grandeur naturelle.” Paris, Louvre Museum, 3Qth May, 1855.