he inner and outer sides of the leg, of the
uniform grip in the left arm, and the tense muscle upholding the right
arm, prove that the artist knew that part of his work perfectly. The
large ceremonial mace-heads recording the _Sed_ festivals of the king
Narmer and another, belong also to this school; but owing to their
smaller size they have not such artistic detail. With them were found
many reliefs in ivory, on tusks, wands and cylinders. The main motive in
these is a long procession of animals (Plate II. figs. 24, 25) often
grotesquely crowded; but there is much observation shown and the figures
are expressive. No drawing of this age has survived.

_The Pyramid Kings._--A different ideal appears in the pyramid times; in
place of the naturalism of the earlier work there is more regularity,
some convention, and the sense of a school in the style. The prevailing
feeling is a noble spaciousness both in scale and in form, an equanimity
based upon knowledge and character, a grandeur of conception expressed
by severely simple execution. There is nothing superfluous, nothing
common, nothing trivial. The smallest as well as the largest work seems
complete, inevitable, immutable, without limitations of time, or labour
or thought.

(A) The statuette of Khufu or Cheops (Plate III. fig. 29) though only a
minute figure in ivory, shows the character of immense energy and will;
the face is an astonishing portrait to be expressed in a quarter of an
inch. The life-size statue of Khafre or Chephren (Plate III. fig. 30) is
a majestic work, serene and powerful; carved in hard diorite, yet
unhesitating in execution. The muscular detail is full, but yet kept in
harmony with the massive style of the figure. The private persons have
entirely different treatment according to the character of their
position. In place of the awful dignity of the kings there is the placid
high-bred Princess Nofri (Plate II. fig. 27, Plate III. fig. 31), the
calm conscientious dignitary Hemset (Plate III. fig. 32), the bustling,
active, middle-class official, Ka-aper (Plate II. fig. 28, Plate III.
fig. 33), and the kneeling figure of a servitor. The differences of
character are very skilfully rendered in all the sculpture of this age.
The whole figures are stiff in the earlier time, as the figure of Nes;
then square and massive, but true in form, as Rahotp and Nofri (Plate
II. fig. 27); and afterwards easier and less monumental, as Ka-aper
(Plate II. fig. 28). T