DOLLS 4000 YEARS OLD

Evening Post, Issue 25, 30 January 1935, Page 16

DOLLS 4000 YEARS OLD

Dolls were made by the ancient Egyp-' tians four thousand years ago. The attraction of these dolls lies not only in the knowledge that they are tho handiwork of 4000 years ago, or that they represent tho life of those times, as well as tho probable superstition that the presence of such dolls in tombs ensured for the human body buried thoro the company, assistance, and service of slaves, soldiers, and equipment in the Paradise where the soul had gone; but it is to be found also in the extraordinary vividness of the dolls themselves. They are sometimes rudely carved, but they are always lifelike. There are dolls in gran-' aries and dolls in war-galleys—wonder-ful dolls t"hese, with a world of expression iu'their glaring eyes, though the eyes are only two dashes and a dot —and a wonderful vigour in the way their wooden arms strain at the sweeps. You can almost hear the yell of the steersman and the crack of his whip. Then there are dolls baking, kneading, butchering; and a wooden bullock with meek legs bound together is ready decorated for the sacrifice. The wooden priest3 stand near with wooden gestures of uplifted piety. These dolls, were discovered in the tombs at Beni i Hasan. . The models are made of wood and string, and the paint was still fresh', upon the wood when discovered—after .fort^centnries^of-time, - ~^_ i