Rock at Shapour. Drawn by James Morier Esqr. Published by Messrs. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, Paternoster Row, May 1, 1811.
Having examined these, we next crossed the river to the sculptures on the opposite rock. The first is a long tablet, containing a multitude of figures. The principal person, (who is certainly the King represented in the former tablet) is placed in the very centre of the piece, alone in a small compartment, and is seated with a sword placed betwixt his legs, on the pummel of which rests his left hand. It is a most ridiculous object, with a head swelled by a singular wig to an immense circumference. On his right, on the uppermost of two long slips, are many men who seem to be a mixture of Persians and Romans; the former are conducting the latter as prisoners. Under these in the lower slip are others, who by their wigs appear to be Persians: their leader bears a human head in both hands, and extends it towards the central figure. On the left are four small compartments; the first (nearest that figure, and the highest from the ground) incloses a crowd of men whose arms are placed over one another’s shoulders. Below these are five figures, one of whom leads a horse without any more furniture than a bridle. The two other compartments are filled up with eight figures each. We considered this to represent, in general, a king seated in his room of audience surrounded by his own people, and by nations tributary to him. The length is eleven yards four inches.
On the left of this were two colossal figures on horseback, carved in an alto relievo. The one to the right had all the dress, character and features of the King above described; the other, on the left, appeared also a royal personage, but differing in dress, and in the furniture of his horse. Both had their hands extended, and held a ring, which we conceived to be emblematical of peace. The Envoy, who had seen both these remains and Nakshi Rustam, prepared me to expect a similar sculpture at the latter: and as I had not leisure to detail all the subjects of Shapour, I preferred to delineate those, of which no other specimen might exist, and therefore proceeded in our general examination. I must not however omit to say, that the sculpture of these two figures was exquisite; the proportions and anatomy of both horses and men were accurately preserved, so that the very veins and arteries in the horses’ legs and belly were most delicately delineated.
Walking forwards we came to a very extensive piece of sculpture, the lower parts of which were entirely destroyed. We saw, however, on the right, a row of camels’ and men’s heads intermixed; and under them a row of horses’ and men’s heads, which were demolished from the horse’s eye downwards. In front of these, at the distance of about four feet, was part of a figure on a horse, the King as before, holding a bow and four arrows in his right hand. We supposed that this might be the commencement of a hunting piece. [Plate XI.]
Our research terminated in a most perfect sculpture: the extreme interest of which only increased our regret, that the shortness of our time would not allow us to give it all the observation and study which it required. This piece contained a greater number of objects than any of the others, and a much greater diversity of characters. The surface of the rock is here divided into a variety of unequal compartments, all of which are occupied by a multitude of figures. In the middle, is a rather reduced copy of the second relievo which I have described (that of the King and the suppliant) except that, facing the King there is an additional personage with a hand extended holding a ring. In the first row, at the top on the right, are a number of slight figures with their arms folded. The second is filled with a crowd, of which some carry baskets. The third is equally covered; and in the right corner there is a man conducting a lion by a chain. In the fourth, and just opposite to the King, is a very remarkable groupe, whose loose and folded dresses denote Indians: one leads a horse, whose furniture I have drawn with some care, and behind the horse is an elephant. Under this, and close to the ground, are men in a Roman costume; amongst them is a chariot to which two horses are harnessed; this also I have exactly delineated.31 In five compartments on the left (corresponding with those on the right) are placed thick squadrons of Persian cavalry, all in a regular and military order, marshalled as it were in echelon. Fourteen yards was the length of the whole sculpture from point to point.
Fragments at Shapour. Drawn by James Morier Esqr. Published by Messrs. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, Paternoster Row, May 1, 1811.
Sculpture at Shapour. Drawn by James Morier Esqr. Published by Messrs. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, Paternoster Row, May 1, 1811.
Sculpture at Shapour. Drawn by James Morier Esqr. Published by Messrs. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, Paternoster Row, May 1, 1811.
The path that conducted us round to these beautiful monuments, is the course of an aqueduct, which appeared to be of more modern workmanship. Bordering on the road which winds behind the hill of the citadel, are numerous canals of water, formed most artificially and closely cemented with darna. Besides these, there are very deep wells, in parts of which the channels of the aqueduct are seen to pass. After having repassed the river, we walked over the numerous mounds of stones and earth which cover the ruined buildings of Shapour, and which, if ever explored, would discover innumerable secrets of antiquity. We were conducted by the peasants who were with us, to the remains of a very fine wall, which in the symmetry of its masonry equalled any Grecian work that I have ever seen. Each stone was four feet long, twenty-seven inches thick, and cut to the finest angles. This wall formed the front to a square building,