June3] PROCEEDINGS. [1890.date-palm as being its fruit-clusters, recurring also in more
conventionalformsin ornamental designs.* I am glad to be able
to cite this dissertation, oneof the most important contributions
to the theory of art-development, to show thatits writer, approach
ing the subject fromquite a different pointof view, so long ago
arrivedat this opinionas to the representation of the female in
florescencesor young date-clustersin Assyrian art
Havingnowconsideredthese pointsof evidence separately,it
remainsto apply themto those pictorialgroupsfortunatelypreserved
in the figured decoration of royal robes,wherethe whole argument
is, so to speak, summed up (Plate III,fig. 15). Therethe winged
deitieswithconeandbucketnot only approachthe sacred palm-tree,
but are bringing intocontact the male andfemale inflorescences,
andthe scene of fertilization is complete.
On the question withwhatmotivethisscenewasso continually
represented,someremarks may now be made. Thewingedsun,
adoptedfromEgyptintoAssyria,continuesto hold on the Assyrian
monumentsthe same dominanceoverscenesof religious significance
whichbelongsto it in Egyptian sculptures andpaintings. Thatit
was not transferred as a mere ornament, butwith meaningand
purpose,maybe clearly seen in a sculptured group of which the
copypublished by Layard is here reproduced(Plate III, fig. 14).
Herethe winged sun is held by ropes in the hands of two kneeling
figures. Theseare obviously the two deitieswhoare seen froma
differentpointof view on the inscribed stonebelongingto the shrine
of Samas, the Sun-god of Sippara, nowin the British Museum. It has
beendescribedby Mr. Theo. G. Pinches,f whose argumentis hardly
opento doubt, that the beings holding the sun with theirropes
(whichI may incidentallyremark end in conventional palm-heads)
are the guides or directors of the sun, whokeephimin his straight
path. In the group we are now examiningtheyhold the sun over
the palm-tree, doubtlessto ripen it, while behind them standthe
two winged figureswithcone and bucketreadyto fertilize it. The
whole scene, which with more or less variation is repeated on
cylinders in the British Museumand elsewhere,had obviouslya
well-understood significancein Assyrian nature-worship,of which at
leastthe practical themeseemsapparent,doubtfulas its full religious
* Sir George Birdwood," Industrial Artsof India," p. 325.
t Trans. Soc. of Bibl. Arch.,Vol.VIII,p. 164.
389