Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-06-16

combining relief and inlaglio, each object being
wrought in relief, in sunken compartment
The EGYPTIAN sculpture are generally, though not
uniformly. of inferior merit in point of design,
but In mechanical execution, they leave nothing
to be desired. The hieroglyphics are usually ex-
ecuted in a style, which to modern stone cutter
would present some serious difficulties.
are truly and squnrely cut, the sides Of the lines
being perpendicular to the face of the ohesk' or
other monument, and are often sunk IN tue nara
est stones ms hasalt or porphyry toa depth OF more
than lwo inches, the angles, edges ana aIl me MI
nuter parts perfectly finished, aud exhlolhng inc
sharpness OF an impression on wax. The granite
of Egyp,, though softer than basalt or porphyry,
is of extreme hardness. Ii almost Immediately
turns The edge of the best steel tools OF modern
manufactures and no chse, which Europeans can
forge, is capable Of cutting the stone with such
accuracy aud precision as the hleroglyphlcs anI
other carving display. by what means then d'd
the Egyptians execute works, which almost set at
defiance the skill Of modern artisans We must
necessarily believe, that they possessed some easy
process for performing them, for the sculptures
aud inscriptions occur in such abundant proius'oh,
that with any means now known, the unltoa laDOr
Of oil the stone cutters OF Europe, Tor centuries
would not suffice to produce The carvings OF Tue
single city of Thebes Various explanations have
been suggested, such as the comparative soitness
of newly quarried stone and the probability, that
the scuptors were in the practice Of stunning tie
stone as it is called, beating 1t with light nam
mer, along the line to be sculptured, aud lhus
crushing the crystals before the chlsel was applleu
The former of these suggestions is disapproved,
by the well ascertaned fact, that additional hero
glyphics were not unfrequenty scuptured upon
monuments hundred or more years after thcll
erection, and the pr ocess Of stunning is not apHl-
cable to sharply cut and delicatey finished work,
There is good reason 10 believe, that the Egyp-
tians used The toolhless saw with sand Tor simple
cutting, and it is at leHst probable that they EN- .
poyed Tie revolving drill, with sand or emery
The finest cuttings might indeed be finished by
this latter process but its ediousness renders II
improbable that it was extensively adap'ed. The
difficulty is increased by the fact, believed TO he
well ascertaned, TINT steel WIS very hnle used in
Egypt, except for martial purposes, and The chs
els which have been found among the chips III the
quarres are Of bronze. as well as those represent
ted in the hands of the cutters in the ancient
paintings so far as can be Judged by their color.
But bronze, which is an alloy of copper and tin,
ia readily turned by the very stone which they
are supposed to have formerly been used 10 cut.
The question therefore must remain unanswered,
until further investigations shall reveal the mysto.
ry
The art of cutting porphyry was known, but
not much practsed by the Greeks and Romans.
1t was revived in the middle ages, but the extreme
hardness OF the stone renders the process OF hew-
ing and polishing it tedious and expensive that
IL is generally abandoned for softer MATERIAL
The principal establishment for working this stone
is in Eiidai in Sweden, where the cheapness OF
labor and the native ingenuity of the peasants
enable the crown to carry on the work without
much sacrifice. The ground of the porphyry OF
Elfda is reddish, beautifully molted with black
green, and white, and it takes bigh polish. II
is wrought into small articles OF table and orua.
mental furniture, and sometimes antique vases are
copied in this material.
ITO be continued