Evans, Arthur J.: The Palace of Minos: a comparative account of the successive stages of the early Cretan civilization as illustred by the discoveries at Knossos (Band 4,2): Camp-stool Fresco, long-robed priests and beneficent genii [...] (London, 1935)

BEAKED EWERS ON TALISMANIC BEAD-SEALS

449

Finally, the most frequent of all this group is the single-handled ewer, Single-
varying in form from that with a mere rim showing a slight lip opposite the ewers"
handle Fi°-. 374, a, through intermediate varieties to the high-beaked type wi* .

o • ' =? => ' I projecting

with a narrow neck, lHig. SiS, a-c. lip.

Fig. 373. a-c, ' Beaked ; Ewers on Bead-seals.

It is this type of ewer that we now find in the hands of the Minoan
Genii.

Here, as in the associated forms of vessel, the metallic origin is
evident, and is well marked by the S-shaped handles. The earliest
example of the series known to me is the rimmed type, Fig. 374, a, which
appears by itself on a face of a three-sided prism-seal of a M. M. Ill class,

showing a double ring round the base
/™\ \ of the neck very characteristic of

\\\? \ metal vessels. It might not be

too fanciful to interpret the flying
swallow with sprays of vegetation
seen on the adjoining face as an
emblem of the Spring (Fig. 374, 6).
As in the case ot the other
vessels belonging to the present
group, these ' branch ' or ' vegeta-
tion ' signs almost invariably ac-
company the beaked ewer itself.
It is constantly coupled with the Earth-sign, between the two peaks of which
a spray rests (see Fig. 373,/;). At times again, the vessel itself is placed
above or between the two peaks. On a Cretan lentoid in the British Museum
(Fig. 375, a)> it stands between the ' Sacred Horns '. In this case the fine

Fig. 374. a, b, Ewer and Swallow on Prism
seat. (M. M. Ill): Candia district.

Asso-
ciated
' branch'

or

'vegeta-
tion '
sign.

1 B.M. Cat. Engraved Gems, a-c. (H. B. Walters), PI. 22 a and p. 3.