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)

INSCRIBED 'STIRRUP VASES' FROM TIRYNS 743

Tiryns and the House of Kadmos. Here we see an identical usage, taken
over with the same religious purpose, inherited in the Mainland centres from
the great Cretan Palace. (Fig. 727, No. 23, a, 6.)

'Stirrup Vases' from Tiryns, with Painted Inscriptions: a, with
Light Ground ; b, with Dark.

kl W©0

The 'wheel' sign ^ (No. 24, a, B) also seen at Tiryns (Fig. 725 £■) and
the 'cross' -J- (originally a stellar emblem), seen on L. M. Ill 'stirrup
vases' from Mycenae, may have had
a similar consecrating value.

At Mycenae itself, except for
this and the 'arrow' sign, /t*—also
by itself—inwhite on a dark ground,1
the evidence of such painted inscrip-
tions is at present confined to isolated
characters. At Tiryns, however, there is evidence of the labelling of such
vases by a series of sign-groups, of which two completed examples, in both
the light on dark and dark on light styles, are shown in Fig. 720. In the
store-room of the Theban Palace, however, the vessels themselves were

23 a
Fig.

23b

'27. Single Signs on the Theban
Vases.

See Table, Fig.