SCULPTURE AND MINOR ARTS. The use of sculpture in relief and in the round appears contemporary with the earliest architecture. The only group of works in historic sequence yet found is that from the mounds of Tel-lo. Many of these sculptures are carved with his toric and dedicatory inscriptions of the rulers which make their date indisputable. There are very crude reliefs of the period c.4500-4000, in cluding the famous battle and funeral scenes of ihe "Stele of the Vultures"; there are reliefs more delicate in technique and advanced in form, belonging to the age of Sargon and Naramsin (3800-3700); then a series of colossal statues in very hard stone of the time of King Gudea, a little later, resembling in technique the statues of the ancient empire of Egypt, though clumsier in proportion than these. Statues, both stand ing and seated, steles, friezes, carved basins, and other classes of reliefs show that the Baby lonians practiced sculpture in more varied form than their successors, the Assyrians; but so far as can he judged by the monuments yet dis covered, they never attained to the skill of the Assyrians in low relief. There was a greater use of religious and mythological scenes, but the annals of the kings also supplied frequent themes. Of their ability to render genre scenes and animal life, in which the Assyrians were later successful, we can judge only from a few examples, such as some later terra-cottas of animals and the seal cylinders. The treatment here is realistic and with good treatment of sur faces, without the sharpness of line and energy of Assyrian work. It is only from the minute sculpture of the cut gems and stones of the cylinders and seals that some idea of the his toric development of Babylonian sculpture can be obtained during its course of over 4000 years. Every Babylonian was supposed to wear his seal and use it as his signature on all occa sions, impressing it on the soft clay used as the universal writing material. The variety of the scenes carved upon them is wonderful, no two being exactly alike. Large collections of these small works have been made in Europe and America-. The largest are those of the Louvre, the Bibliotheque Nationale, in Paris; of 1\1. Le Cler•q, also in France: of the British Musemn; and of the Netropolitan Museum, New York. Several thousand can now be studied, and they illustrate the mythology, theology, religious rites, manners, and customs of the country bet ter than any other works that have been found.
Some are of extremely primitive workmanship, often executed principally with the drill, round holes of various sizes representing heads, shoul ders, (dho•s, hands, hips, knees, and feet, con nected often by lines. Others, especially those between the time of Sargon (3800) and Ur-gur (2700), are wonderful in their technique, soft textures, and perfect rendering of detail. Such subjects as the adventures of Gilgamesh—the Babylonian Hercules—the fight of Meroda•h anal the Dragon, or Order and Chaos, and the adoration scene of some patron god, are the most frequent.
Other branches of sculpture are less well rep resented by discoveries, but sufficiently to prove considerable proficiency on the part of the ar tists. Precious metals were embossed and chased, as shown in the famous silver cup of Tel-lo, now in Constantinople. Bronze figurines were east at an early date with considerable skill, many being yielded by the Tel-lo excava tions. Terra-cotta sculptures were made from molds in relief and in the round, and afterwards finished by band. A very original form of such work was the building up of large figures in relief, or the round out of separate tiles molded and then enameled in brilliant colors. Ileeent excavations at Babylon have brought to light an entire royal avenue leading through the city, flanked by colossal lions of this technique. The palace of Sargon at Khorsbad, and the palace at Susa, slum that the Assyrians and Persians imitated this branch of art.
The best restorations and descriptions are: "La Chahhle et l'Assyrie." Vol. II. of Perrot and Chipiez, IIistoire de l'urt duns l'antiquitt' (Paris, 1884), translated by Armstrong, His tory of Art in Citaidea and Assyria (London, 1884). A good brief account is given in Bahelon, Manarl d'areheologie orientate (Paris, ISS8) , translated by Voetts, Manual of Oriental An tiquities (New York, 1389). The Tel-lo-Sirpurla discoveries are described briefly in Henzey, pa/«is Wia/deen. (Paris, 1884), and fully in De 1.arzec and Henzey, Dec-out:cries en Clialth'e (Paris, in course). The best historic and scien tific treatment of gems is in Tenant, Les pierces araaf.s de la elialdee et de l'Assyrie ( Paris, 1884), and the best series of illustrations and detailed descriptions in .Alenant, La collection Le Clereq (Paris, 1888). For explorations, con sult: Loftus, Tral•els and Researches ht Chaldcra and Susumu (London, 1353) ; Peters, Nippur, (New York, 1897).