Travel in Lower and Upper Egypt: outlet Military ensign, augural staff and other emblems. (Plate 119).

Didot, Paris 1803
Original folio etching, taken from Voyage dans la Basse et la Haute Egypt by Vivant Denon.
Plate decorated with an engraving subdivided into 24 figures, as described by the author: Military signs, augural baton, and other emblems. N ° 1. Figure of vulture; the wing is lowered in this way, when in combat or in triumph it accompanies, directs, or protects the heroes. N ° 2. This is how we see the same bird on the frieze of temple porticos, or on the flower beds of portico ceilings. N ° 3. A hawk performing the same function as the vulture n ° i, and sometimes jointly with it. N ° 4. A dog's head, and a wolf's head or chakal on a body of hawk, in adoration before a scarab with two lion's heads, taken from one of the outlet friezes of the temple of Apollinopolis. N ° 7. Species of signs, taken in Tintyra. N ° 5. Utensil for presenting incense or other offering. N ° 6. Another kind of censer or vase to present a flaming liquor, of which one paid homage to the gods in the religious ceremonies, or to the heroes in their triumphs (see the use of it plates CXXXIV, n ° 9 and 29) ; the little kneeling figure completes the indication: in front of the porticoes of the temples, colossal figures often hold these kinds of instruments; the heads of animals which end their sleeves undoubtedly indicate to the cult of which divinity they were consecrated.N ° 12. Ornaments placed next to the doors, and which by their forms straighten the perpendicular, lost by the slope of the jambs: I took this one next to the door of the sanctuary, in the portico of Apollinopolis magna; it is as graceful in its form as it is ingenious in its use; the snake wraps very pleasantly around these lotus stems bearing the three periods of flowering of this plant. The n ° 14 to 24 are figures which were taken individually in the small apartment which is on the temple of Tintyra (see the plan, n ° 1, plate CXXX, in the room letter A). In the form of these figures, in the streamer which is on each stick, for the use that I saw in the triumph sculpted in the palace of Medinet-Abou, n ° 32, plate CXXXIV, it can only be religious banners or military ensigns; they are responsible for all the animals which are the emblems of the divinity. Figure 19, very carefully executed, should give the correct idea of the shape of the ibis, observed by that of the bones that I found while developing one of the mummies of this bird (see pl. XCIX). These animal figures are drawn in a way much superior to those of deities and human figures; I sought to imitate them with fidelity, and in this I was assisted in the engraving by the citizen Galen, young artist full of zeal, talents, and virtues, whom I was in the case of regretting for him, for me, and for my work, in the midst of the execution of which a premature death unexpectedly ravished him from his friends, and from a family of which he was the idol: I would like to be able to pay back to his memory the tribute of gratitude that I owe to his care, and to make known the regrets that the arts owe to his loss.N ° 8. Augural stick, a kind of stick that we see very often in the hands of various divinities; I drew this one exactly from after a colossal figure which is carved on the outer wall of the back of the great temple of Tintyra; the head resembles that of a hoopoe or a crested duck; it is always terminated by a double point.N ° 9. A staff with quadruple emblem, which I found carved against the interior wall of the sacred temple of Elephantine.N ° 10. Staff terminated by a lotus flower, that perhaps carried the simple initiates, the gods, and the priests.N ° 11. Species of ensign (see n ° 7) .N ° 13. Staff surmounted by the head of Isis, and a small temple, in which is the figure of Osiris.