cent-shaped horns, throws back its head to catch one of the jets
as it falls. Everything in this little specimen is equally worthy of
admiration--the purity of outline, the skilful and delicate cutting of
the intaglio, the fidelity of the action, and the accuracy of form.
A fragment of a bas-relief of the reign of Naramsin shows that the
sculptors were not a bit behind the engravers of gems. This consists now
only of a single figure, a god, who is standing on the right, wearing a
conical head-dress and clothed in a hairy garment which leaves his right
arm free. The legs are wanting, the left arm and the hair are for
the most part broken away, while the features have also suffered; its
distinguishing characteristic is a sublety of workmanship which is
lacking in the artistic products of a later age. The outline stands out
from the background with a rare delicacy, the details of the muscles
being in no sense exaggerated: were it not for the costume and pointed
beard, one would fancy it a specimen of Egyptian work of the best
Memphite period.

[Illustration 096.jpg THE SEAL OF SHARGANI-SHAR-ALI: GILGAMES WATERS THE
CELESTIAL OX.]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from Menant.

One is almost tempted to believe in the truth of the tradition which
ascribes to Naramsin the conquest of Egypt, or of the neighbouring
countries.

[Illustration: 096a.jpg Painting in Color of Charioteer]

Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph published by Father
Schiel.

[Illustration: 097.jpg Page image]

Did Sargon and Naramsin live at so early a date as that assigned to
them by Nabonidos? The scribes who assisted the kings of the second
Babylonian empire in their archaeological researches had perhaps
insufficient reasons for placing the date of these kings so far back in
the misty past: should evidence of a serious character A constrain us to
attribute to them a later origin, we ought not to be surprised. In the
mean time our best course is to accept the opinion of the Chaldaeans,
and to leave Sargon and Naramsin in the century assigned to them by
Nabonidos, although from this point they look down as from a high
eminence upon all the rest of Chaldaean antiquity. Excavations have
brought to light several personages of a similar date, whether a
little earlier, or a little later: Bingani-sharali, Man-ish-turba,
and especially Alusharshid, who lived at Kishu and Nipur, and gained
victories over Elam.

[Illustration: 098.jpg Page image: