Historical studies

36
in egg-shaped jars of large size, "3 inch to i inch
thick, 10 to 13 inches wide, and at least 20 inches
high, or more probably 24 inches. The jars had a
flat base 6 inches across, and a mouth 3^ inches wide
with a broad flat lip. The mouth of the jar was
closed by a flat pad of infusible clay and sand ; and
it was then set, mouth down, on the base of another
jar, and clay wiped round the junction to lute them
together. It was essential for the frit to be kept free
of iron, which would turn the blue to green if it com-
bined with it. To protect the pills a lining of blue
frit was therefore put into the jars, -15 to 35 inch
thick ; and
this lining, though discoloured from half
to three-quarters through, was thick enough not to
alter throughout during the heating. The pieces of
frit jar are thus lined with the most brilliant blue
coating, which makes them conspicuous on the rubbish
mounds.
68. We now turn to the varieties of glazed ware
which was made here ; and, unless exception is stated,
the specimens arc from the Helul factory of the ist
cent. B.C.
PI. xiii. The numbers here refer to the consecu-
tive numbers of the fragments on the following plates.
The whole vase and bowl are restorations from the
pieces, to give an idea of the appearance of the forms
when complete. The fragments here are probably
of the Ptolemaic age, and most of them were not
found at Kom Helul, where the wasters are all of the
coarser wares.
PI. xiv. 1-24 are pieces of lamps with the dc
spout, which began in the Julian age, and may have
lasted in brown pottery down to about 200 A.D.
i^Mem. /, pi. xlvii). These are probably not later
than Augustus, as no such glazed lamps were in use
at 50 A.D. {Meydum and Meviphis, pi. xl) ; and they
probably preceded the rougher pottery ones which
were then made. The colouring is plain blue on
moulded relief, from i to 12; and with the addition
of lumpy yellow spots on the handles, 13 to 24.
These shew how early the use of yellow slip spots
arose, which are so common on Roman glazed figures.
The pieces 25-43 are of full blue glazing, over
reliefs, the hollows of which are filled with black.
They are apparently all pieces of jars like that
restored on pi. xiii.
PI. XV. These are all of plain blue upon relief
moulding. 54 shews part of an animal. 55 bears
a bold wreath of parallel sprays. 56 is part of a
bowl, restored on pi. xiii. 59-72 are pieces of jars
with animals of coarse work, and rather dry glazing,
THE POTTERY KILNS AT MEMI'MIS
like Man. I, I, 15. The lips on that plate, 9, 10,
II, shew the form of the pieces 74 and 75. 76-81
are pieces of large thin jars with a bold spray
pattern.
PI. xvi. These are all high-modelled reliefs of
animals. 82, 84, and 8$ have green glaze over
purple details. 83 shews a donkey bearing water-
jars, in purple relief on light blue. 87 is a plain
green-blue ma eye. 88-98 are of plain Prussian
blue, dark in tint, verging sometimes toward indigo.
93, 99-110 have a yellow-green colouring, with rich
Prussian blue coating over it, running dark in the
hollows. 111-123 are similar, but with a purple-
blue covering. This combination of dark blue over
yellow-green is the richest colouring of any found
here.
PI. xvii. 124-145 are all of manganese purple,
rather light, upon a white ground. That this white
is not merely decomposed blue is shewn by 137, 139,
and some others, which have a light blue lining,
unaltered and in perfect condition ; thus the pieces
have not been exposed to damp, or other influences,
which would bleach the blues. 146 is blue over
a relief surface, as also are 148-153, except 150,
which is blue on black, like 154-159. 160 and 161
are greeny blue on relief
PI. xviii. 162, 163, 172 are white with the hollows
brown, which looks like an original colour, and not
decomposed. Probably it is a manganese colour.
The small pieces with fine decoration, 165-190, do
not photograph clearly, and therefore the more
important are given in coloured hand copies on
pi. xiii, with the same numbers. These were from
various sites at Memphis. Some numbers are re-
peated here, where both sides of the same fragment
are shewn. The pieces 191-195, 197-203 are reliefs,
mostly green on white, like the pieces in Mem. II,
x.xvii, II, which have been very successfully restored
in the Ashmolean Museum. 196, 201-211 are pieces
of white relief with dark brown ground, evidently
manganese colour as it runs toward purple. 204
and 205 are parts of wings from a figure.
PI. xix. The large blue glazed heart, 218, was
the only perfect object found at Kom Helul ; it had
been thrown aside because of a slight adherence
on one face ; it is now in the Cairo Museum. The
brown pottery lamp with Bes and his consort, and
the relief head, 220, were found in the high waste
of Kom el Qalama. 221 is a piece of a glazed vase,
shewing the cast of the core of coiled straw, on
which it was modelled. 222-225 are forms of glazed