The Principal Conventions in Egyptian Sculpture. 313 the handles of so many perfume spoons may be given as instances of this (Fig. 257). The quahties which are so conspicuous in these Httle works are absent from the official and monumental art of Egypt, be- cause the materials and tools employed hindered their development and pre- vented the happy genius of the Egyptian people from reaching complete fruition. This influence is to be recoo^nized in the modelling as well as in the pose of Egyptian statues : their general forms are fairly well understood and expressed, but there is none of that power to suofSfest the muscles under the skin, and the bones under the muscles, which dis- tinguishes Greek sculpture. The sup- pleness and elasticity of living flesh are entirely wanting. Everything is in its place, but details are as much suppressed as if the work were to be seen at a dis- tance at which they would be invisible. The admirable portraits which have been unearthed in such numbers and the skilful modelling of many an isolated work, prove that it was neither the power of observation nor that of manipu- lation that was wanting. W'hy, then, was it that the Egyptians failed to advance farther upon the road that led to mastery in their art ? It was due to their infatuation for granite. Even when they worked in soft stone their manipu- lation was governed by the capabilities of the more stubborn material. The chisel alone can give those truthful and delicate contours without which no sculp- ture can reach perfection, and the chisel could hardly be used on any material but limestone or wood. The granite or basalt statue, roughly blocked out with tools which imperfectly obeyed the hand, could only be L VOL. II.
