.
4.]

The artistic merit of these medals is not great. The relief is low,
and the drawing generally somewhat rude. The head of the monarch in the
early coins is greatly too large. The animal forms are, however, much
superior to the human, and the horses which draw the royal chariot, the
lions placed below the battlemented city, and the bulls which are found
occasionally in the same position, must be pronounced truthful and
spirited.

Of the Persian taste in furniture, utensils, personal ornaments and the
like, we need say but little. The throne and footstool of the monarch
are the only pieces of furniture represented in the sculptures,
and these, though sufficiently elegant in their forms, are not very
remarkable. Costliness of material seems to have been more prized than
beauty of shape; and variety appears to have been carefully eschewed,
one single uniform type of each article occurring in all the
representations. The utensils represented are likewise few in number,
and limited to certain constantly repeated forms. The most elaborate is
the censer, which has been already given. With this is usually seen
a sort of pail or basket, shaped like a lady's reticule, in which the
aromatic gums for burning were probably kept. [PLATE LVIII., Fig. 5.]
A covered dish, and a goblet with an inverted saucer over it, are also
forms of frequent occurrence in the hands of the royal attendants; and
the tribute-bearers frequently carry, among their other offerings, bowls
or basons, which, though not of Persian manufacture, were no doubt left
at the court, and took their place among the utensils of the palace.
[PLATE LVIII., Figs. 2 and 3.]

In the matter of personal ornaments the taste of the Persians seems to
have been peculiarly simple. Earrings were commonly plain rings of gold;
bracelets mere bands of the same metal. Collars were circlets of gold
twisted in a very inartificial fashion. There was nothing artistic
in the sheaths or hilts of swords, though spear-shafts were sometimes
adorned with the representation of an apple or a pomegranate. Dresses
seem not to have been often patterned, but to have depended generally
for their effect on make and color. In all these respects we observe
a remarkable contrast between the Arian and the Semitic races,
extreme simplicity characterizing the one, while the most elaborate
ornamentation was affected by the other.

Persia was not celebrated in antiquity for the production of any special