Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/281

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History op Art in Antiquity. general character of the edifice are the only items respecting which some kind of guess may be hazarded. We are even worse off in regard to the remains of a building situated some hundred and fifty-nine metres in a northern direction, marked "Small palace" on the plan (Fig. 94). What has led to the designation are bases of substructures and other fragmentary portions, amongst which that of a shaft I m. 10 c. in diameter should not pass unnoticed. A hy- postyle hall is supposed to have stood here, 3S metres by 15 metres wide, with two ranges of four pillars each as supports to the roof (Fig. 1 36). A block 3 m. 50 c, set upon a plinth to the north side of the hall, should !>c recognized as the side>post of one of the doorways (Fig. 137).' The face of this stone, against which leant the brick wall, is deeply concave ; the opposite side, turned toward the clear of the opening, is adorned by a bas-relief, about which we shall have more to say presently, as one of the most curious monuments of Persian sculpture. The brief inscrip- tion with the name and title of Cyrus cited above, F'^w^Pian which only a little while ago could be read above bas-relief, the top of this jamb, has disappeared.' The site of a third building, to judge from a slight rising of the ground, covered with stones and rubbish, should be sought 380 metres northward of the principal palace (I'ig^. 94). The only limb that remains in place is a corner pilaster, made of two blocks with a total height of 5 m. 60 c. ; from which the inference may be drawn that the building to which it belonged ' r land in and Coste, p. 160. The block in question is i m. 58 c. long and 88 centimetres thick.

  • The inscription has been seen and transcribed by every traveUer who has

seen the place. It was in situ when Dieulafoy halted here in 188 1. But when Houssay visited the ruins, in 1R85, it had disappeared. The whole of the upper part of the lop block had been torn away. Fic. 136. — Pa-sargailte. Plan of a small palace. Flandin end Costs, J'fru amdaiHe. Plate CXCVII. Digitized by Gopgle