Persia past and present; a book of travel and research, with more than two hundred illustrations and a map . n rich drapery from the knees, andmore elaborately carved in the case of the elder personage thanin that of the younger, together with the heavy caparison ofthe horses, which includes a massive chain and ball swingingat the left flank, are typical of sculpture of the Sasaniandynasty. The pose of the two horsemen is lifelike andspirited, although the workmanship is imperfect. The men on foot are represented as bareheaded and withbeards, mustaches, and hair bushy at the sides. The face of


Persia past and present; a book of travel and research, with more than two hundred illustrations and a map . n rich drapery from the knees, andmore elaborately carved in the case of the elder personage thanin that of the younger, together with the heavy caparison ofthe horses, which includes a massive chain and ball swingingat the left flank, are typical of sculpture of the Sasaniandynasty. The pose of the two horsemen is lifelike andspirited, although the workmanship is imperfect. The men on foot are represented as bareheaded and withbeards, mustaches, and hair bushy at the sides. The face ofthe left figure is much mutilated, but that of the right is pre- ^ My note-book has the memoran- Porters sketch, which represents the dum smooth-faced corrected to no, figure as having a full beard {Travels hardly upon a more careful inspec- in Persia, 2. 597, pi. 82), as well as by tion of the stone, and this is confirmed the drawing of Flandin and Costs, by the photograph, which shows the Voyage en Perse, Ancienne, 4. pi. 204- mutilation of the rock, and by Ker 205, and Texier, Description, 1. pi. SASANIAN BAS-RELIEF OF THE HORSEMEN 81 served with sufficient clearness to show details, including whatseems to be a coUar or band about the neck. Both individualsare clad in a simple manner, the upper garment being a tunic-like coat, the lower being huge bulging trousers. There is adouble belt about the waist of each, but no sword is noticeable,nor is there any characteristic accoutrement or decoration, butfrom the forearm of the figure on the right there hangs a pen-dant that looks like a circlet suspended by a short band. The generally accepted identification of the group is thatthe bas-relief represents Ardashir Papakan, the first Sasa-nian king, and his son Sapor, receiving the submissionof the Armenians, an event that occurred about 230,to which period the sculptures approximately belong.^ My examination of the sculptures took me some time, andon the way back I becam


Size: 1384px × 1806px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondonmacmillancol