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Egyptian Styles

Egyptian architecture of an official and religious character, was massive and carried out on a grand scale. Columns were extraordinarily diversified in their several dimensions and decoration. Yet all of them are direct representations of vegetation, mostly the papyrus; consequently many of them are triangular. Even when we have a representation of a circular bundle of papyrus, the triangular shape of the papyrus reed is not forgotten, but is indicated by three vertical raised lines, dividing the shaft into three sections. These lines are also seen, carved or painted, in the rectangular and octagonal columns. They were frequently ringed by a series of broad bands. The base is not generally plain; sometimes it goes down direct to the ground without widening, at others it expands, representing the root, and is often adorned with palm leaves. The capitals are extremely diversified, though usually in the form of a truncated cone reversed, carved and painted to represent the papyrus bloom or swelled into the shape of lotus buds or flowers, in the latter case the petals expanding from the calyx. Other columns are complete representations of the palm tree, with notched shaft and feathery-leaved capitals. In later architecture capitals are piled on capitals, two or more deep, with a loss of dignity and strength. Columns and pilasters form a conspicuous feature of the buildings.

The walls are divided into tall dado, middle section, and deep frieze, generally ornamented at the top with feathers, one of the symbols of sovereign power and of immortality.

Doorways are rectangular, generally with inward-inclining jambs and curved section towards the lintel.

Obelisk and pyramidal forms prevail in many details. So did the pylon, or isolated gateway, with inwardly sloping jambs and horizontal lintel, which represented the gateway to the other world. The heavens are often represented by a horizontal line supported on a series of pillars. The walls and columns are covered with carving, or impressed in a hard plaster, finished with a glossy surface. But painting is the general form of mural decoration.

Decorative Motifs.-Besides the extraordinary range of ideographic hieroglyphics, there is a wide range of decorative motifs. Amidst these plants are conspicuous. They include the lotus, elliptical buds and open calyx with rounded petals, and the bell-shaped papyrus, both of which are shown on long stalks, and often interlaced; lilies, date palms, tamarisks, reeds, etc. Among other purely decorative designs are those which may be classed as geometrical, including squares, diamonds, spirals, wave and chevron lines, vertical and horizontal crossed lines of the different colours (evidently representing matting), scaled surfaces (which may represent the scars on a palm tree trunk or feathers, the outline marked by fine lines). Everywhere we see the winged solar disc, or its symbol the scarab, with expanded wings, or the vulture, holding in its claws a signet ring or a sceptre. Wings are long and narrow, with horizontal upper line, the lower gently curved at the tip, the feathers arranged in successive horizontal layers, almost vertical in division. The same type of wing is used for all creatures and is a compromise on that of the beetle and the vulture. The solar disc is constantly surrounded by one or two hooded snakes. These snakes also appear alone, or in association with the ankh (tau cross surmounted by a circle), representation of the key of life, and sometimes form part of the head- dresses of gods and goddesses. All Egyptian ornament is shown as flat, without shading, so it is really decorative, not pictorial. Pictures themselves are drawn as plan-elevations, ignoring perspective, and showing more than the eye could actually see from any point of view. In these pictures, as well as in general symbolical ornament, we see the Egyptian gods and goddesses sometimes represented as animals, sometimes as human beings with special attributes, and at other times as human beings with the heads of animals on their shoulders.

Geometrical designs and hieroglyphics fill wide spaces and panels, or appear in bands treated as friezes and borders. As a rule the treatment of both detail and the design as a whole is symmetrical, all parts evenly balanced, and, although graceful curves are admitted, the general effect is stiff and austere. All plant forms radiate from a central stem, the branches or leaves opposed one against the other or placed one above the other on opposite sides, but always each pair equal in size. Symmetry, indeed, is a characteristic of the style.

In interiors the dadoes are often a mass of crossed lines (vertical and horizontal or diagonal), scaled or covered with a trellis design. Above the dado would come a broad border with lotus buds, flowers, and heart- shaped leaves, papyrus bells and other blossoms, or plant forms placed in stiff rows, upright or at an identical slope. The same arrangement as on the dado is found on the frieze, with the winged disc, and scarab, vulture, ur~us, hooded snake, or other symbol over the doorways. The ceilings were either flat, divided into panels or coffers by beams, or were covered with representation of matting or woven fabrics. In some cases they were painted to represent the starry sky, gold or white rayed spots on a dark-blue surface.

The colours used in early times were red, blue, yellow of a very bright tone, with black and white to define patterns. Later, in the Ptolemaic period, green was introduced for the leaves (which had formerly been blue), also purple and brown. With this expansion of the palette we find a loss of brightness, a lowering of the tone of the primary colours. Gradually the range of decorative motifs becomes more extended, when Greek and Persian and Arabic influences show themselves.