The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-06-07
Discovery of Antiquities.

MIR. Layard, the British Ambassador at
Constantinople, whose name is so closely
connected with Assyrian explorations, has
found time to rescue from the oblivion of
battleields in Turkish Armenia series of
most interesting antiquities. These have
just arrived at the British Museum The OBJ.
jects are bronze architectural ornaments
forming portions of the decoration of some
royal palace of the Armenian monarch, and
as they are the sole relics of the art of that
ancient kingdom at present discovered, they
will be much increased in value and worthy
Reconsideration of all students of Assyrian
and Asiatic art.
The first object, and the most interesting
from an artistic point of view, is the bronze
model of winged bull. This figure is about
eight inches in height and six inches in
length, and is modelled in an extremely fine
bronze, containing a large proportion of cop
per, and is in very good preservation. The
whole of the hind quarters and the forele Is
and breast are those of bull, while the
head is that of human being, with the tor
% and arms complete. The head of the fig
ure has the hair plated and dressed in the
conventional style Of Assyria, but the face is
missing This at first appears strange, but
an examination of the vacant space shows
that the face of the figure was that of hui
man being, and was probably made of gold
cemented to the bronze by layer of btu
men. The figure, unlike the majority of the
winged and human-headed bulls from Ko-
vunjis and Nimroud, has arms, which are
folded across the breasts, with his hands
clasped. The whole of this figure has been
most richly decorated with gold, and the
feather of the wings and the horns of the
head inlaid with ivory. On the head of this
figure as species of adjunct to the horned
cap which adOrns it, is an ornamental pedas-
tai of small column which rested on the
figure, and which supported some light su.
perstructure. Round the arms of the figure
are pair of bracelets ornamented with
square pattern resembling Che Greek orna-
ments.
Thenext object of Importance in the col
lection is bronze figure of bull couchant,
which, unlike the.fgure just described, is en-
tirely animal in its character, and is minute
ly accurate in the production of the animal
form. 1t stands about inches high, and is
about Al inches in length. The head has
the single pair of horns of the bull but the
face in this example is also missing. The
minute accuracy in the modelling of the
feet and hoofs of this animal, as we'll as the
ears and horns, shows that the artist was
more attentive student of nature than were
his Assyrian neighbors.
The next object of interest in the collec-
tion is bronze foot of an altar which is of
most massive and well-designed workman
ship, and which represents the conventional
form of the paw of a lion. The upper por-
tion is decorated with panel on which is
the winged circle, decoration common TO
both Assyria aud Egypt. The upper por-
tion of this fragment has been richly decora-
ted with inlaid ivory and embossed orna-
ments on the bronze. 1t is about seven inch
es in height and about inches in breadth,
and the material is of most solid nature.
The question arises as to the date, which
we are fortunately enabled to solve py
means of an inscription on one of the frag :
ments. This inscription bears the name OF
monarch named Argistis, and a dedca-
tion to the god Haldis, the chief diety OF
the Armenian Pantheon. In the reign OF
the Assyrian King, Shalmauesar III. (B
G. 500, the kingdom Of Mannaior Van, to
the northeast of Assyria began to be {
powerful opponent of the Assyrian rule, ant
wars were waged between the Minneans anC
the Assyrians. 1t was at this period tha
the Minneans adopted the cuneiform mod
of writing, and as Nimroud was then tn
Assyrian capital, they copied the heay
style of art of that period. But the king
dom of Van came into most direct contac
with Assyria during the regns of Sargu
(B. O. 72l) and his successors and Sargo
gives among his opponents the king who's
name is found on one of Mr.. Layard's bron
ze's, and we may therefore place him abou
b. G. 7l5.
The city of Van, from which Mr.. Layar
obtained these antiquities, is one of yer
ancient date, having certainly been in exi,
tence as early as the tenth century befor
the Christian era. The close connectio
between its foundation and Assyra is born
out by the local legend, which attributes il
foundation to the Queen Semiramis, froI
whom it derived an ancient title of Scham
iramiard. Here the Assyrian Queen wa
said to have founded place with luxuriou
gardens and streams. Here she spent th
summer months among the cool aud plea,
ant hills On the banks of Lake Van, return
ing to Nineyeh in the winter