Fantastic fauna : decorative animals in Moslem ceramics

well known gazelle in faience (page 152) there is another (page 153) hardly less attractive, though less well known, turning its head cocquettishly over its shoulder, traced on common yellow pottery.

The fierce animals that prey on timid game begin with the Lion. The artist considered the King of beasts so much an heraldic emblem that there is very little to differentiate the blason from the merely pictorial; a type has evolved, life-like in the finer pieces, rudimentary and almost caricatural in the coarser ones; the most spirited lion is unfortunately broken; only the head, shaggy mane and two powerful paws remain (page 157 No. 2). Some have tied lovers’ knots in their tails, while one simpering creature yawns politely behind its paw (page 160 No. 2). Some have a noble and haughty, some only a silly expression.

The Panther differs for the most part by rounded lines of head and ears and absence of mane. There are three leopards, one a doubtful thing, the other two splendidly spotted.

Only three Foxes, one alone in the “Reflet Metallique”, two in hunting scenes on yellow pottery; the bushy tail, slinking gait and cunning eyes are realistically depicted.

Among the animals classed as various there is only one Camel, this beast so indispensably a part of modern Egyptian landscape, does not seem to enter into the decorative life of earlier periods. There is a delightful Elephant, like a rag toy, one Gamoose with setting sun effect behind it, a hunting scene so vivacious that the