. A history of art in ancient Egypt . Fig. 133.—The southern pyramid of Dashour ; from the measurements of Perring. Serapeum, or Apis tomb, of the Ancient Empire. Its presentelevation is about 190 feet. Each of its sides is divided hori-zontally into six large steps with inclined faces. The height ofthese steps decreases progressively, from the base to the summit,. I- !i-- Fig. 134.—Section of the Stepped Pyramid ; from Perring. from 38 feet 2 inches to 29 feet 6 inches. The width of each stepis nearly 7 feet. It will be seen, therefore, that this buildingrather tends to the pyramidal form tha
. A history of art in ancient Egypt . Fig. 133.—The southern pyramid of Dashour ; from the measurements of Perring. Serapeum, or Apis tomb, of the Ancient Empire. Its presentelevation is about 190 feet. Each of its sides is divided hori-zontally into six large steps with inclined faces. The height ofthese steps decreases progressively, from the base to the summit,. I- !i-- Fig. 134.—Section of the Stepped Pyramid ; from Perring. from 38 feet 2 inches to 29 feet 6 inches. The width of each stepis nearly 7 feet. It will be seen, therefore, that this buildingrather tends to the pyramidal form than achieves it ; it is a roughsketch for a pyramid. Does this want of completion result from accidental causes, 2oS A History of Art in Ancient Egypt. or must it be referred to ignorance of the full beauties of thepyramidal form on the part of its builders ? If the conjectureof Mariette is well founded, the Stepped Pyramid is not only themost ancient building in Egypt but in the whole world ; andin the remote century which witnessed its construction men maynot yet have learnt to fill up the angles left in their masonry, theymay have been quite satisfied to leave their work in a conditionwhich to us seems imperfect. The Germans have evolved a complicated system of con-struction from notes made by Lepsius upon the details of themasonry in different pyramids.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1883
