20 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT
Guilhou
Collection, is believed to be Cyprian work of the sixth century B. C.
The sides bear archaic figures of women reclining at a banquet, and the
casket is surmounted by the figure of a lion. Traces of colouring
remain on the mouth and hind legs of the lion and also on the garments
of one of the women and on the cushion on which she leans.*
On
the site of the famous Phoenician city of Sidon a small ivory casket
has been found. On one of the sides is carved the representation of a
woman smelling a lotus flower she holds in both hands. This casket is
believed to be the work of a Cypriote artist, both because of its
similarity in design to other work from that island and because in the
sixth century B. C, the date assigned conjecturally to the casket,
ivory was very freely used for ornamental purposes in Cyprus. In 1889
Dr. Ohnefalsch-Richterf dug up on this island a number of swords and
knives having hilts inlaid with ivory.
The
coffer of Kypselus, dedicated by him about 600 B. C, to the Temple of
Hera at Elis, was adorned with bas-reliefs in ivory, as were many
ancient coffers. Two plaques used in this way have come down to us,
showing the holes through which they were pinned to the wooden
framework. These were found at Isca Silurum and represent,
respectively, a tragic mask and a nymph leading a boy with a basket of
fruit. %
The
ancient sepultures of Spain have preserved some most striking specimens
of Phoenician ivory carving, of the type produced for exportation to
the many lands with which the Phoenicians had commercial relations.
These
*PolIak, "Archäisches Elfenbein," Mitteilungen des Kaiserlich-deutschen Instituts, Vol. XXL, Roma, 1906, pp. 314-330; PI. XV.
fMax
Ohnefalsch-Richter, "Kypros, the Bible and Homer," Vol. I, Text,
London, 1893, p. 140; the side of the earliest is figured in Vol. II,
PI. CXV, Fig. 4.
ÌKing, "Antique Gems and Rings," London, 1873, p. 296.
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