16

Ancient Vases.

[Book I.

This interesting production of nature is entitled topar-ticular notice, because, it is, in all probability, the originalmodel of the earliest artificial vessels of capacity; thepattern from which they were formed. It is impossibleto glance at the figure without recognizing its striking re-semblance to our jugs, flasks, jars, demijohns, &c. In-deed wheii man first began to make vessels of clay, hehad no other pattem to guide him in their formation butthis, one with which he had been so long familiär, and thefigure of which experience had taught him wa? so welladapted to his wants. Independent of other advantages of this form, itis the best to impart strength to fragile materials.

That the long necked vases of the ancients were modeled after it, isobvious. Many of them differ nothing from it in form, except in the ad-dition of a handle and base. The oldest vessels figured in the GrandeDescription of Egypt , by the Savans of France , and in Mr. Wilkinson’slate work on the ancient Egyptians, are fac-similes of it. The same remarkapplies to those of the Hindoos and Chinese .

No. l.

No. 2, Ancient Vases.

The first three on the left are of earthenware from Thebes , fromWilkinson’s second volume, p. 345, 354. “Golden ewers” of a similarform were used by the rieh Egyptians for containing water, to wash thehands and feet of their guests. (page 202.) The next is Etruscan , fromthe “ History of the ancient people of Italy .” Florence 1832. Plate 82.The adjoining one is a Chinese vase, from “ Designs of Chinese Build-ings, Furniture, ” &c. Lon. 1757. The last is from Egypt . Similar shapedvessels of the Greeks, Romans, and other people might easily be pro-duced. See Salt’s Voyage to Abyssinia, page 408, and Grande Descrip-tion, E. M. Yol. 2. Plates 1,1, and F, F. In the Hamilton Collection ofVases, examples may be found. In the splendid volume of plates toD’Agincourt’s Storia Dell’ Arte, the figure of the gourd may be seen tohave prevailed in artificial vessels in the fourth, fifth, and up to thetwelfth centuries.

Numerous vessels from the tombs of the Incas , are identical in figurewith the calabash; while others, retaining its general feature, have thebellied part worked into resemblances of the human face. As severalold Peruvian bottles exhibit a peculiar and useful feature, we have inserted(figure 3,) a representation of one, in the possession of J. R. Chilton, M. D.of this city. An opening is formed in the inner side of the handle whichcommunicates with the interior of the vessel, by a smaller one madethrough the side, as shown in the section. By this device air is admit-ted, and a person can either drink from, or pour out the contents, with-