HANDBOOK ΤΟ THE ANTIQUITIES IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM: BEING A DESCRIPTION OF THE REMAINS OF GREEK, ASSYRIAN, EGYPTIAN, AND ETRUSCAN ART PRESERVED THERE. BY W. S. W. VAUX, M.A., F.S.A., ASSISTANT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, BRITISH MUSEUM. WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. PREFACE. IT has been the writer's object, in the following pages, to lay before the Public the contents of one Department of the British Museum-that of Antiquities—in a compendious and popular form. He has conceived that a better idea of this Department, as a whole, may be conveyed by a careful selection of the objects most worthy of notice than by a mere enumeration of every article contained in the several rooms. It has therefore been his aim to dwell only on the more important features of the collection; feeling, that to do full justice to all the treasures of Ancient Art, and to the many Historical Monuments preserved in the British Museum, would far exceed the plan and limits of the present work. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in determining the order of arrangement, as, on account of the numerous changes at present taking place, arising from the recent alterations and rebuilding of the rooms, it has been found impossible to present in strict chronological order each successive period of Ancient Art. On the whole, it has been thought best to begin with the Greek Collection, as that directly tending to form and elevate the Public Taste: the work, therefore, commences with a brief outline of the progress of Greek art, passing in re view the sculptures from Phigaleia, as among its earliest remaining specimens; and then the valuable contents of the Elgin, Towneley, and Lycian Rooms. The curious and interesting remains recently brought to light by the Discoveries of Mr. Layard will then be examined, and the monuments in the Egyptian Saloon, and the mummies and smaller objects in the Egyptian Room, described, together with the exquisite remains of Greek art in the Bronze and Vase Rooms: the only collections omitted are those known by the names of British or Anglo-Roman Antiquities, together with the ancient Coins preserved in the Medal Room: the former being as yet too insufficiently arranged to admit of classification and description; and the latter embracing too wide a compass for the present work. The aim of the Author will be accomplished, if he shall have succeeded in combining some instruction with an hour's passing amusement among the numerous and valuable collections of the British Museum. June, 1851. CONTENTS. PAGE ix II. Period between Olymp. 50-80, B.C. 580—460 III. Period between Olymp. 80-111, B.C. 460–366 IV. Period between Olymp. 111-158, B.C. 336-146 I. Casts of Metopes from Selinus II. Casts from the Tympana of the Temple of Athene in Ægina III. Bas-reliefs from the Temple of Apollo at Phigaleia in Arcadia IV. Bas-reliefs from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Budrún) |