New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-06
over Ancient Egypt before our synchronous

on the high, crumbling bank of the Nile, with
glimpse Of the opposite shore, and the dim, over
tapping trangles of the Pyramids. On the left IL
an ordinary Turkish dwelling, the residence of
Marietta Bey on the right is the Museum, very
plain, cheap structure, but so admirably arranged
that its treasures can be at discovered and
proftaby studied. saw large square granite boxes
both sides of the entrance and was about to pass
them without special notice. when Herr Brugsch,
brother of the Vice-Director said :" These are the
oldest sarcophagi yet found" They were of the
WITH dynasty CheOps), and imposing from their
very simphcity-each mass of followed granite,
with fiat lid having two square projections at each
end, as if two men might be expected to take them
in their hands and thus lift off the One con-
tanned the words in hierOglyphics, each OF the
four sides 1.-The Kings Son."
Varieties collections THAT is, much of them as
there is room to exhibit are arranged in vesti
bules and halls. There is no such attempt at effect
as in the Museum at Berlin, where the frescOes of
the Theban tombs are initiated on the walls, and q
beautiful doorway, violently torn from its original
place by Lepsius, is stuck together again. The relics
simply arranged according to their civil or re-
ligious character, those of the earlier dynasties
having the most conspicuous places and these latter
by their higher artistic character the first OBJ
iects which attract the eye on entering. There
in other museums yet, towering over them, in
stnct with life and character are those marvellous
forms of carved wood or painted limestone belong
ing to the Hid and WITH dynasties, which flash
upon us new revelation of the oldest civilization
of Egypt. No other statues like these have yet been
recovered: they give the Museum distinct and
separate value.
In the court there are three statues belonging to
an age, from which other monuments have
been found-that of the Hyksos, OF Shepherd Kings.
whose invasion of Egypt about the year 22O0 b. c.
(Manetho) and usurpation of the government for
nearly five centuries, are sufficiently attested by
other records. 1t has been matter OF conjecture
who these Shepherds were, and few psychologists
could have been prepared for the marked Turanian
OF Tartar type which is distinctly given in their
statues. The eyes are long and narrow, the brOws
prominent, the cheekbones projecting, the
mouth large and wide, and the beard thick upon the
jaws and chm. They are certainly neitherEgyptian
nor Semitic: have just such faces among the
Calmucks, in Russia. Two of them were found at
Tanis (the ZOdn of the Old TESTAMENT in the Delta,
and the third in the FyoOm, which shows that the
Hyksos possessed at least all Lower Egypt They
have been savagelv battered and mutilated, prob
ably during the dynasty which overthrow the rule of
their originals but the hard dark granite still holds
the type of the race. If the pre-Trojan city dis
covered by Dr. Schlemann should prove also to have
had Turanian inhabitants, here would be a new
link, of the highest Importance III the chain of the
earliest migratiOD6.
III the main vestibule crowded with precious rel
les can only notice those extraordinary specimens
of the oldest Egyptian Art which to be seen no.
where else in the world. The eye is at once drawn
TO two life-sized statues of painted limestone which
from their pedestas, seem to overlook and guard
the later remains They are nude save CLOTH
folded in front like an apron, which falls from the
hips to the knees. The arms and legs are rather
stily modelled but quite free from the conventional
rightly of Egyptian statues. Indeed the hands,
feet and joints show careful study not only of ma
ture but also of the individual. The trunks are
excellenly rendered. in their main masses, like the
half finished clay model of modern sculptor. But
the heads are simply amazing in their correct en-
bodment of life and character. In them there is
prescribed solemnty of expression IN closed lips,
steadfast eyes, and hands resting fatty the
knees in the statues chiseled two thousand years
later. They beam with a frank free, naive appre
hension of Nature and exhibit the activity of an
Art which is just about to the last stub
born resistance of the material. There is repre-
sentation of motion, in the browning days of
Greek sculpture; the figures stand or sit, but you
feel that slight effort would enable them to rise or
walk.
One of the statues represents priest named Ra
Meier another a civil official Th whose tomb still
remains entire at Memphis, where these and other
similar figures of smaller dimensions were found
The most of them date from the WITH or With dynas-
ties The colors are as brilliant as if but yesterday
applied to the stone The climate of Egypt and the
sand under which the sepulchral chambers have
long been buried. seem absolutely to prevent decay,
and thus these most ancient recovered monuments
appear to be modern in comparison with those which
were exposed to the air. In 1851. shortly after my
meeting with Marietta at Memphis, he discovered the
unyiolated tomb of an Apis-bull. Ga first entering
he saw upon the light layer of dust covering the
floor the distinct footprints of the men who had
placed the mummy in his sarcophagus, 800 years
before!
Passing on to the main hall. the first objects |
sought we're the wooden statues belonging to the
WITH dynasty that of Cheops, about 1879 Is. g..
discovered not long since. The light from the
ceiling falling on the cose-crOpped crown OF the
old village magistrate" sheh el-belted, as he Is now
called by the Egyptans, gave him the reality of a
living figure among many which seemed to he
dead OF asleep in the shadows The statue, which is
about three feet eight inches hight is carved out
of sycamore wood, which has now become hard and
resonant as metal. 1t represents corpuent man OF
about IS years of age, holding in one hand long
staff of office. while the other, clenched hangs at
his side. His only garment is a cloth wound around
the loins and falling to the knees The face Is re-
markably intelligent cheerful and benevoleht-a
Shakesperean head, one ight say it gives such evil
dence of a large, rich and attractive nature. The
nose is slightly aquiine, with sensitive nostrils of
only moderate breadth. the lips large aud half-sml-
ing, equally ready to open for joke or blessing.
and the cheeks and chin FULL but firmly rounded and
not puffy. The eyes, especially are remarkable
specimens of the earliest -Raphaelite attempts
IN ranreaeut uafure They ara inserted and with "A