New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-01

Egyptian Expedition Reports Contain
Material That Civ es Insight Into the
More Human Side of People

Their solemn looking statues. their
heavy architecture and the very fact
that most OF our research concerning
the Egyptians mas been through their
great tombs and burying places may
lead many Of US to forget shat these
people surely had human side; that
they probably joked and laughed and
were az times merry and gay, Just as
any people.
In the tomb Of Apy art shows that It
IS in transition stage. One era had
broken off suddenly. another had not
yet been sufficiently rooted 10 infu-
ence anything save the formal functions
Of life. This tomb shows that each
artist with any power is an experiment
IN himself. Says the museum report:
There is crowded into this littlc
chamber much of the typical subject
matter of an eighteenth dvrast, tomb.
but the form is quite changed, and IS
one that, deadened and stereotyped.
was to constitute the style Of succeed
ing dynasties of Egyptian history"
In describing the subject matter Of
the findings IN the Apy tomb it is said:
The common man is not here the
automaton of so many earlier tombs.
where dozen take their pattern and
pose from one. like lead eoldiers cast
in one mold. He is promoted 10 be
man with ar individual face and per
sonal merit or demerit. having the
choice to be busy or Ale. behaving A
little differently even from MS CO.
workers on task. and If he is sub
ject for jibos Of the artist evidently
he has often himself been the arst TO
laugh"
AS to humor, it was found OF the less
prominent parts Of tie walls. L was
openly tolerated in representations Of
the dance, mimic war and animal pets.
especially the monkey.
According 10 the report. no tomb at
FL Amarna shows decorations where
the laugh is so deliberately plotted
as that OF Apy. Even IN the repre-
sentation Of the deceased the artist has
allowed kitten 10 perch or It's mas
ter's knee and carr OF Is antics. II
other portrayals Of rers in th.s tomb
it would seem that me maz.or had had
most unruly duck In one this bird
IS seen with mouth open and wings out
stretched protesting - a most sedate
dog or cat or something In another
queer little animal. with the ears of
rabbit. tie legs Of deer aad tail
Ike a niaca or o1-,,,o. 49,. , 80. rl
is rather getting the best OF the oh
streperous duck, and IN still another
the duck has actually downed a cat
twice his size.
Two definite comic Incidents pictured
III the report seem TO be the forerun-
ners of oar pen sketch popular comics
of the daily newspaper. These might
be entitled Movie Of the Lazy Work
man or He Is Working by the Day
Not by Contract" The first shows
workman engaged on 4 very elaborate
bed canopy, who has taken advantage Of
his position TO indulge in a surrep-
titious nap. The overscer. however. ap-
pears. and comrade tries to save his
friend from detection but n vain The,
jest seems to have been repeated, but
the consequent punishment was pic.
tured on a wall which is now destroyed
All Of these illustrations in the re-
port a-d many others which We have
not described, give the persons IN
terested in Egyptian art S'ighfful
side light upon the lives and wa o.
those people whose arr Often makes
them seem inhumanly solemn