B.44. Fragments of bronze styles. B.49-52. Bronze ornaments, perhaps parts of chariot and harness trappings, from Nimroud. Table-Case F contains also bronze implements. B.53-55. Bronze mirrors. B.56. A large bronze disc, use unknown. B.57-66. Bronze rings, fetters, and chains. B.68. Bronze ring with clamp for fixing in a wall, evidently to receive the upper pivot of a gate. B.69, 69A & 698. Long bronze instruments, supposed to be chisels, from Tel-Sifr. B.70, 71 & 71A. Bronze axe-heads. B.72. Bronze axe-head, knife, and chisel, stuck together by the oxidization. From Tel-Sifr. B.73-75. Axe-heads. B.76-77. Bronze adzes from Tel-Sifr. B.78 & 78A. Bronze hammers from Tel-Sifr. B.79-79c. Arrowheads. B.80-84. Bronze knives, &c. B.88-90в. Bronze handles of vessels. B.92. Small bronze figure of a horse. B.94. Portions of bronze sword-sheaths from Nimroud. B.95. Part of a bronze sceptre with silver plating, from Nimroud. NIMROUD CENTRAL SALOON. With this room commences the series of sculptures excavated by Mr. Layard in 1847 and 1850, in different parts of the great mound at Nimroud; with which have been placed one or two sculptures since obtained by Mr. Rassam from the same locality. To the left of the door, on entering from the Kouyunjik Gallery, is a small group of slabs in relief, consisting of sculptures discovered in the South-western edifice of the great mound, which is believed to have been constructed by Esarhaddon, the son and successor of Sennacherib, towards the beginning of the seventh century B.C., with materials obtained, in a great measure, from the spoliation of the palaces erected in other parts of Nimroud by the earlier Assyrian dynasty. The most important object in this group is a large bas-relief, divided horizontally into two tiers, the upper representing the evacuation of the 1 city Azkuttu, and the lower an Assyrian monarch in his chariot. The inscription, of which a part exists on this slab, and the remainder was upon others adjoining it, recorded the receipt of tribute from Menahem, King of Israel, and thus indicates that this sculpture was executed for Tiglath-pileser III., though subsequently transferred by Esar-haddon to his own palace. Above and to the left are parts of battle scenes. Near these is a head, on a larger scale than any yet brought to Europe, of a man-headed bull, supposed to be of the time of Esarhaddon himself. Between the two central pilasters stands one of the most important historical monuments which have been recovered from Assyria, an obelisk in black marble, found near the centre of the great mound. It is decorated with five tiers of bas-reliefs, each continued round the sides; and the unsculptured surface is covered with cuneiform inscriptions, which record the annals of Shalmaneser II. for thirty-one years, commencing about B.C. 860. The bas-reliefs illustrate the presentation of offerings to the king by his numerous tributaries, and the inscriptions record the names of the donors, amongst whom are Jehu "son of Omri," the Israelitish king, and Hazael, the contemporary king of Syria. Against the two pilasters stand two statues excavated by Mr. Rassam in the South-eastern edifice of Nimroud, each representing the god Nebo, and bearing an inscription to the effect that it was made by a sculptor of Nimroud by the order of Rammanu-nirari (a king who reigned about B.c. 780), and of his wife Sammuramat, who is supposed to be the original of the somewhat mythical Semiramis of the Greek and Roman writers. Here, too, are placed some of the larger antiquities discovered by Mr. Rassam in 1878-1879. One is an altar from the temple at Nimroud, and the other is a cylindrical object inscribed with the genealogy of Rammanu-nirari. On the other side of the pilasters stand portions of inscribed slabs from Karkemish, excavated by Consul Henderson in 1879. On the opposite, or Western side of the room, are some bas-reliefs discovered by Mr. Layard in the ruins of the Central edifice at Nimroud, which are supposed to be intermediate in date between the ruins already referred to and those of the great edifice at the North-west quarter of the mound. The subjects are chiefly military. To the left, or Southern side of the passage from the Hellenic Room, is seen the evacuation of a captured city, in which (as well as in the bas-relief immediately above) the various quadrupeds introduced are portrayed with great fidelity and spirit, the sculptor, as usual in Assyrian art, exhibiting greater power in the treatment of animal subjects than of the human form. On the other side of the passage are three representations of sieges, in which the mounds thrown up by the besiegers, their battering-rams, and archers masked by loop-holed screens, evince their military skill, whilst the three impaled captives, on one of the slabs, give equal evidence of their cruelty. Above these are two heads, known from the inscription on the lefthand slab to represent Tiglath-pileser III. and an attendant. Against the columns are placed two tablets, with figures and inscriptions, that on the right being of Shalmaneser, and that on the left of Assur-nasir-apli, found at Kurkh; on the former Ahab is mentioned. On the left there is also a fragment of a monument containing a bilingual inscription of Khammurabi, a king of Babylonia of the Kassite dynasty, who reigned about 1600 B.C. In the centre of the room are exhibited the remains of the large Bronze Gates brought by Mr. Rassam from Balawat in 1878. They were erected by Shalmaneser II., aud evidently formed the entrance to the courtyard of a temple or palace. The bands of bronze, which are ornamented with representations of battles, sieges, &c., were nailed on a wooden framework three inches thick, and from 21 to 26 feet high. The pivots on which they turned are exhibited below. The representations shown thereon are full of interest, and give the chief incidents of the progress of this king's numerous expeditions, among which may be noticed those against Irkhulêni of Hamath and the Syrian League, the king of Til-Barsip, &c., &c. . He is shown also receiving tribute from "the ships of the Tyrians and Sidonians,' from Sangara, king of Karkemish, from the king of Dayaêni, &c., &c. Many religious ceremonies, &c., which took place during the expeditions, are also shown. The remainder of the Nimroud collection belongs altogether to the period of Assur-nazir-pal, or Assur-nasir-apli, the earliest Assyrian monarch of whom any large monuments have been procured, and who commenced his reign about B.C. 885. The sculptures were found by Mr. Layard partly in the ruins of an extensive edifice at the North-west quarter of Nimroud, and partly in two small adjacent temples of the same date, one of which was dedicated to the Assyrian god Ninip. Beside the door into the Kouyunjik Gallery is a colossal lion, which, with a companion figure, decorated the sides of a doorway in one of the small temples just mentioned. It is covered with inscriptions, and, like all the figures found in similar situations, provided with five legs, so as to appear perfect both from the front and the side. Near this stands a small statue, on its original pedestal, found in the same temple with the lion, and representing Assur-nasir-apli. Of the remains of the North-west edifice the principal are two colossal figures, one a winged and human-headed lion, and the other a bull, not originally forming a pair, but taken from two different doorways. Though of smaller dimensions than usual, they are, both in delicacy of execution and excellence of preservation, amongst the finest specimens of Assyrian art. Over the North door leading into the Kouyunjik Gallery is a lintel from the palace at Kouyunjik, representing a vase and two dragons. In this saloon are two Table-Cases, one containing seals and engraved stones, mostly Pehlevi, some with portraits of sovereigns. The other Table-Case contains bronze objects from Van, from the Palace of Argisti, king of Minni, contemporary of Sargon, about B.C. 720; and some objects excavated in Assyria by Mr. Rassam in 1878. Among these are two stone slabs from the coffer from Balawat (which stands against the pilaster opposite), containing an inscription of Assur-nasir-apli, referring to the history of the city of Imgur-Bêl, evidently the ancient name of Balawat; some ornaments from a temple erected by that king at Nimroud; a moulded glass dish of the Roman period, from Kouyunjik; and some moulds for earrings. The South door leads into the NIMROUD GALLERY. This room contains a continuation of the series last described. The bas-reliefs on the West side were all found in a chamber of the North-west edifice. Those on the opposite side are partly from other chambers of the same edifice, partly from the small adjacent temple of Ninip. The slabs with large figures bear inscriptions running horizontally across the middle; those with small figures have generally had inscriptions on the border above and below, though these have in many instances been cut off in ancient times. The double row of slabs occupying the greater part of the West side is arranged exactly as in the original building, excepting that a break occurs in one place, where some slabs have been lost. The following are the most interesting subjects in this room, commencing on the left, or East side. The first eight slabs are from the North-west edifice : No. 18. A winged figure, carrying an ibex and an ear of corn. No. 19. Two persons, distinguished by their caps and pointed shoes as foreigners, bringing with them two monkeys, as tribute to some personage represented on a lost slab. No. 20. The king, Assur-nazir-pal, or Assur-nasir-apli, in a richlyembroidered dress, and the cap distinctive of royalty, with a sword, of which the hilt is elegantly decorated with wrestling lions. Nos. 21-26. Six slabs, representing the king among his attendants, preserved. supernatural and human, apparently returned from battle or the chase. The large dimensions, elaborate execution, and almost perfect preservation of this series, places it among the finest examples of Assyrian bas-relief. The figures are all sumptuously attired, their robes fringed and embroidered with sacred or mystical ornaments; their sandals are painted in black and red, the bows of the eunuchs red, and the eyes of all of them black. It may be observed that the parts here indicated, together with the hair in some cases, and the necks, and edges of the mouths, of two men with lions' heads on two slabs hereafter mentioned, are the only objects on which colour is discernible in any of the Assyrian sculptures; nor does the condition of the surface of those sculptures at all confirm the idea that the whole was originally coloured. The succeeding slabs (Nos. 27-30) are from the small temple of Ninip. Nos. 27 and 28 stood originally, as here, at right angles to each other, No. 27 being on the external wall of the building, and Nos. 28, 29, on the side of a doorway leading to one of the chambers. On the opposite side of the doorway was a similar group, of which the slab on the external wall (No. 32) was alone removed by Mr. Layard. Nos. 28, 29. A four-winged figure, with a three-forked thunderbolt in each hand, pursuing a monster or demon; a composition which, from its repetition on each side the doorway, probably typified the expulsion of the Evil Spirit from the temple. Although shattered into fragments, and much decomposed by fire, these slabs still display considerable merit in design. No. 29*. A restoration of the slab which originally occupied the position corresponding to this, and the same in subject as the next. No. 30. Slab from the opposite side of the doorway, forming the companion to No. 29* It presents a figure of the Fish-god, Dagon, or one of the priests of his temple. The remaining bas-reliefs in this room are all from the North-west edifice. No. 33 represents an eagle-headed figure, evidently a deity, supposed by some to be Nisroch, in whose temple Sennacherib was slain. No. 35. A four-winged figure, holding a necklace, evidently the goddess Ishtar of Nineveh. No. 36. A lion-hunt, which, though originally belonging to the North-west edifice, had been removed in ancient times, and was found in an isolated situation. It is here placed, for the purpose of comparison, opposite to some slabs of similar subject. Nos. 37-40. A collection of bas-reliefs, representing what are believed to be religious rites. In each group two figures are seen, standing or kneeling before a species of tree, whose foliage is sculptured similarly to |