RELICS OF TROY.

Inangahua Times, 29 March 1878, Page 2

RELICS OF TROY.

Tlio Daily News contnins nn inl«ro»tiiVj» account of tho relics discovered l),y J)r. Schlieniarin at Troy, ond now being arranged under his supervision at South Konvnglou ; — For cihinii-innnincs tho potters of Troy Mid Norum Ilium have prepared a varied display, both in virioly of material, form, and colour. A large case nenr tlio centre ifi filled with tlio double-handled cud* or : tankards, closely rewmMing tlio " typs" of. Staffordshire. X According to Hie ''evidence supplied, kt Smith Kensington | tho irnddrit Troj,iiiK«r« efceont i»'inl nice, '•'»h'n'"Bl>i'adlHflt tr>7irtl^|<»l^9»» in -ifHtttwHij^ ; but yot wero decent — not lo sny puticf.il ■< i< vs — in their manner. 1 ). A. double-necked us wcU as double, bundled vase su^nest* tint L a gentleman wuh expected to kf cp on his, own side of the decanter. 1 bar, ho was expected to keep on his own side of tho tankard when liberal computation, was indulged in is proved by tho number of upright, almost rvlindriml cups, furniahed vrilb two or three handles, like the " tygs," mid liko them furnished with a separate lip or mouthpiece for each person. Tho ingenious gen' lemon of the three* bottjed period, who lo u cd deoantcrs in tho shnpo c^f n RocJa,-wnter bottlo to the end that the then h/itod ••• bottlo stopper" :raight bo circumvented, aronlso shown to havo Imd no claim, to originality. Many of tho Trojan tankards Dro so rounded at their lower extremity that they will not stand upright <my morn than, tho amphora) i specially mark> to bo buried in thogroun 1. 1 Another, striking instanco of the universality, nnd poverty of human invention appears in, tho Trojan vossektnado in grotesque rosemblHiico of certain familiar unimnlH. Tho pig and the hedg(h>g, Miq horse, Uio n>»!o, mid Actually the hippopotamus figure among tho grotosquo crockery of unoiont IJinm ; nnd it is curious to note thut tbo Trojan and Staffordshire potters, arxiy.od at precisoly tho same conclusion, iul to tho best method of applying animal forms, of domestic utensil.t. On, tho great majority of the more elegant vjiscs, as wolj 09. on the tankards and their covcra, is tho actual portrait or. the symbolical marks of tho Ilinn goddoss. Tho woKfacedono appears every whoro. Symetimos at tlio top of a jug, just as tho bearded fapo appears on the beer jugs, of Germany,, and Undo Toby with Ins coclied hat on those of England); and somptimes oa three, spots only, forming an cqnilatornl triangle stana ing on its apox, tho spot indicating the omphalos, being miirkedi with, thp Aryan aymlwl of tho cross and four,, dots. It M imposfliblo to esoapo from owl- headed Pallas. In fino and in coarso waro she is over prosent, more or less distinqtly. However much tho stone weapons and fino scrua of pottery in tho Sehlicmajin collection my attract thoso skilled, i,i such matters, it is probable that when it; is thrown open to Iho publio thd articles found> by Dr.. Sohliemann, under tho ruins of a palace, and' nssurod by hino.to havo formed' part of tho treasury of Priam, will bo inspootod with tho most eager interost, Among thoso are coHrons. and shiolds of puro copper employed, befpfo tho invention of bronzo ; cups, nnd bottles of pure gold and silver. Tho bottle made of boatcn gold> and weighing about lib, tfoy;. ia of primitive form nearly globular, with a fthor.t neck, representing tho original gourd 1 idea of a vessel for holding fluid. Itfisof tho purest metal and glows in 1 tbo sunlight as richly now as ib did, mayhup,,thrco thousand year&ngo.. In, the B,umjc ease, and close to tlio goldp.il bottle,

is m (tup of i ho sumo molal, in shnpo not unlike Iho coft'o cup of Iho prt" sen( day,, hut widioti' n li'in-Hflv Ncx 1 to tlioso ainnds nnoMtor vc»«fll of pur*gold;, ppocjgely rcspniMitiß n bw4tor«hnnt with a spout' at oncl' and,, mil n hnnclie on. oithor. «ido» Tho spoutft op moulh* pi«>co« nro ofi impq^wl 1 sfsse> n«<3 i^ »" sticcMiod' thnt either this dnnWe cup niny , Inivo li<?pn. n truest cu.n, from whi' 1 !* the host nipppil' first nt the srtin.ll' month ns a sian of welcomo, mid tlioiv proscntcd (ho jwvro i>ftpwcioii.«^ninnih|vceO' to his flips', or thftt n i'i>r^<f(M\rt|>liniT fho nun i hy t!io two linnd'e* rouo I n.l'lfi'ion fi'om I tho furllicr spout, nnil.thon ilrnnk from thnf noarost tohim^''nlis oupis i)ss:?mod' i hy Dr Srltlicmnnn l^t 1 Iho douhlo-ruil of Homor. Tt wevMn llh:0i*. troy, ' nnd is- of rnnf. eoliijpiil^tlio- Inrtfo lio^i^! JmndloM fiismb on to it, whcrfiis "wWniuiM. with lilo { hnninwtWtJ^HKm these cold nii)ii Ihoiv ni*<' tmtty nf'itipK i nenrly all ol whioh roq.iire ortiftftUr wippovt ns they nro perfppfly ronnd 1 plow, nnd ns they ennnof stnnd upricnt wit?iouf. restinj* n^m'nst, fotnelhinc, wore prohnhly intondel for Misponsion. '-Ji)nfi row ofpieces of silver nre pnading fo enze upon. In cenernl shape they resemhle rounc)s«topppd knife hlndes with n eresrent- | slipped pteeo cut out nt tlie hnndle-ond 1 . I nnd nro IliOMjjht to hnre been tnlent? of ' tho Dnrdnn period. So nmnv of the silter nrtie?PH nro itjured hy fire ng to | mnkc out UIP hypothesis of Dr. Schlimnnn th.nl the«fl objects formed pnrt of n roynl i treiifnrv destroyed by fire, nnd were oriftinnlly pneked with n hirgo number of ooppendnfftjprs nnd Ton cob carls inn wooden ehesJ, whfcfi, nftcr beinii pnrlihllv bnrnod, wore OTcrwhelmeif nnd ffonrenlcd by n mnss of fallincr bnildincs. Thnt tho trrnsnro wnn hurriedfy pne^ed is evident, from Ihe contents of tho. tnrge silreprnse. Tn this T)r. Sohliemnnn foiind i» ?nst multitiido of tho smnll" objecls of' rnlno whioh fill serernl pnwii at tho South ffensintrJon MWum, snob ns pold rinsjs nnd' Piirrincs, buttons, nnd hrneelets. Mnny «f Iho.on nre curious enough to demnnd" extended notice, but in interest nre eclipsed by tho two qob'on dindemu ono of vrh'ivh npponrs on eilhor> side of (■ho nrinoipnl ensc-devotod' to tho tr<»nsury of Ph'nm. 'I'hesp diirdems nre diftjdnyed ngninst n dhrfc bnclcpronnd, but nre now nttnehod to tho modof of n bond— in iinnrovomcnt or nltcrfttion respectfully siif^eited 1 to Dr. Schiiemnun. In their present position thoy rerti inly convey no immedinto- idc-i of the wny in which they wi?r<? wonr, Thoir foi"v\ i» thnt of n ii&ri'iJL- o.f. lig«>#Ng^^ i-rn.iM tel/riffwr^^ Ijrre.'iiiiors '<v nt, IK^^B A moment's vdTtvtion. ho\vo^^^pp^|e.lj thai, the brond fringe, nMiidwil'io sHßltef nt. the top, hum; "' n«iniboro»>ili frir.ee' 1 recently worn, vrlii'li 1 the- streamers fell strninht; down to tho f^ll'Hildors, boinsj weigh'eil tn pnll them d.>vrn with little golden id 'Is of the-owl-heidnil iroddess of Troy. I-Mho parrinirs. of which thf>ri> nri; ninny spenimern, tho idea of dlttop* trier clinins i'l tlio f >rmof t/issels. wH?h?ittl» pendnnt invijje-", i>* ni»nin mrriod out, the effect being litsht nnd crneefor nnd nl'oa;ethcr devoid of tho stiffness of many modern forms of earring. It is trno thnt tho brnoolots, nnd some of tho silver v.ises nro slightly injurod by (Ire, but, tho dindoms nnd smftllor goldon ornnmonls hurriedly flung into the gront sikor vnso nro singularly porfeot. This is not the lenst ngreenblo fenture of tho relies of old Troy. Gold work nnd pottery nre alike in ndmirablo presorvntion, nnd tho lessons to bo lonrnt from (hem nro not involved in the mystery of half-efl'jcod inscriptions, but written hirgoby tho light of inlollgent and sobolnrly arrangement.