as the
Sphinx. The colossal and most famous one (Fig. 5) is not far from the
great pyramid, and has the form of a recumbent lion with a human head.
It is one hundred and seventy-two feet long, and is _the_ Sphinx of the
world; but there were great numbers of these strange figures in
Egypt--in some cases there were avenues leading to the temples bordered
by them on each side. The form of the Sphinx was intended to express
some spiritual thought to the Egyptians, and the stories about it are
very interesting. Its form certainly denotes the union of physical and
mental power. The form of which we have spoken as being that of the
great Sphinx is called the _androsphinx_ (Fig. 3). Another has the body
of the lion with the head of the ram, and is called the _kriosphinx_
(Fig. 4); still another has the same body and the head of a hawk; this
is called the _hieracosphinx_ (Fig. 6). They all typified the king,
without doubt, and it is probable that the various heads were so given
to show respect for the different gods who were represented with the
heads of these creatures. Sometimes the androsphinx has human hands in
place of the lion's paws. The winged Sphinx has been found in Egypt, but
it is rare.

[Illustration: FIG. 5.--THE GREAT SPHINX.]

The colossal statues of Egypt are very wonderful on account of their
vast weight and size. The most famous are two which stand on the west
bank of the Nile at Thebes (Fig. 7). Each of these colossi is made from
a single block of stone such as is not found within several days'
journey of the place where they stand. They are forty-seven feet high,
and contain eleven thousand five hundred cubic feet each. But a third is
still larger; it represents the King Rameses II., and, when whole, was
of a single stone, and weighed eight hundred and eighty-seven tons. It
was brought from Assouan to Thebes, a distance of one hundred and
thirty-eight miles. It is wonderful to think of moving such a vast
weight over such a distance, and one would naturally wish to know also
how the sculptors could work on such a statue. The plate here given
(Fig. 8) shows the process of polishing a statue, and the following one
(Fig. 9) illustrates the mode of moving one when finished. These
representations are found in tombs and grottoes, and tell us plainly
just what we wish to know about these things.

[Illustration: FIG. 6.--HIERACOSPHINX.]

I have now pointed out the marked peculiarities of Egyptian sculpture,
and