Identifier: fivegreatmonarch011862rawl (find matches)
Title: The five great monarchies of the ancient eastern world; or, The history, geography, and antiquites of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, and Persia
Year: 1862 (1860s)
Authors: Rawlinson, George, 1812-1902
Subjects: Mauritius Export Development and Investment Authority History, Ancient
Publisher: London, J. Murray
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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on metal axis. * Lajard, Nineveh and Babylon,pp. 608, 609; Rawlinsons ^erorfoiws,vol. i. p. 336; Birchs Ancient Pot-tery, vol. i. p. 114. ^ Sometimes the sides are slightly concave, as in the above representa-tion. * Journal of Asiatic Society, vol.XV. p. 271. 118 THE FIEST MONAEOHY. Chap. V. common to place them upon a bronze or copper axisattached to a handle, by means of which they wererolled across the clay from one end to the other/The cylinders are frequently unengraved, and thisis most commonly their condition in the primitivetombs ; but there is some very curious evidence, fromwhich it appears that the art of engraving them wasreally known and practised (though doubtless in rareinstances) at a very early date. The signet cylinderof the monarch who founded the most ancient of thebuildings at Mugheir, AVarka, Senkareh, and Niffer,and who thus stands at the head of the monumentalkings, was in the possession of Sir R. Porter; andthough it is now lost, an engraving made from it is
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Signet-cylinder of King Urukh. preserved in his Travels. ^ From this representa-tion it would appear that the art had already madeconsiderable progress. The letters of the inscription. ^ Mr. Layard found remains of I probable form of the bronze setting,the bronze in one specimen. (Nine- Travels in Ocorgki, Persia, &c.,veh and Babylon, p. 609.) The vol. ii. pi. 79, fig. 6,representation on p. 117 gives the Chap. V. ENGRAVED CYLINDERS. 119 which gives the name of the king and his titles, aresomewhat rudely formed, as they are on the stampedbricks of the period ; but the figures appear to havebeen as well cut, and as flowingly traced, as those ofa much later date. It is possible that the artist em-ployed by Sir R. Porter has given a flattering repre-sentation of his original; otherwise the conclusionmust be that both mechanical and artistic skill hadreached a very surprising degree of excellence at themost remote period to which Chaldfean records carryus back. It increases the surpri

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