5
The interior of the box is only partially hollowed out, actually
to the depth of 12.5 cms., but sufficiently to imitate the
appearance of four rectangular compartments containing each a
jar-like receptacle which, in reality are but cylindrical hollows
(13 cms. in diam., and 44 cms. deep) excavated in the stone.
Unity of plan is here hidden under the mask of diversity -
instead of a box containing four separate jars, we have a block
of stone in which four cylindrical hollows have been made in the
place of jars, and its superficial surfaces sculptured to give it
the appearance of a box, of shrine-shape, containing four jars of
a common type. Covering each of the four jar-like receptacles is
a human-headed alabaster lid finely sculptured in the likeness of
the king, wearing the nemes-headdress and the Nekhbet-Buto
insignia upon the forehead. The two lids on the west side faced
East, while the two on the east side faced West.
|