TAA i.3.23.18.recto
Page 6 of first draft on shrines, handwritten.
The whole text or part of the text is fully struck through on this page but is not indicated in the transcription. On this page, strikethrough formatting is reserved for the author’s edits and deletions within the main body of the text, which would otherwise be difficult to distinguish.
© Griffith Institute,
University of Oxford
decorated with the winged solar disc, which is also employed to
decorate the chief beams (or friezes) over their doorways. / These
shrines are destitute of any but the simplest mouldings. / They
are <merely> crowned with what is called the “gorge” – or overhanging
hollow moulding – known as the cavetto cornice, with a plain
roll member beneath it which is <also> carried down the four
external angles of the corners <posts>. The hollow of the cornices is
enriched with a repeated palm-leaf ornament, which seems
to have been derived from temporary wattle and daub palm-
leaf fencing: the tips of the palm leaves that projected above
the fence being blown by the wind into an over-hanging curve.
The roll member is evidently the top horizontal rail to which
the vertical stems were bound. (1) / Below this roll member is a
simple post and beam under-structure, modified so as to be
compatible with the art of the joiner. / It comprises an all
round chief beam or frieze, four corner posts, panels, a dado,
and a sill. The corner posts have here the important
function of forming the style of the side and end panels as/<while>
well as/<they act in front> these door posts. A characteristic feature
of these shrines is the batter of their sides which gives them an air of
both strength and repose.
The incised and bas-relief work upon the panels has considerable
architectural value, and to decorate them with any completeness
there must be subject material. Those ancient Egyptians