DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15680#0129
THE P0TTE11Y.
109
monest of these patterns, the stört vertical Uries and thc leaf-shaped
pendants,1 both of which are very Hke the beads on Egyptian necklaces.
Many indeed of the narrow friezes bear a close resemblance to Egyptian
jewellery. Taking the most outstanding work of this type and of this
era, the gold necklace of Queen Ahhotep of the I7th dynasty (Maspero,
Archäologie Egyptienne, p. 309) we find on the Phylakopi vases of the
present fabric the discs, the spirals, the crosses (e.g. XVII. 9), and, what
is more remarkable, the line of little cats seated on their hindquarters
witb eara cocked up is unmistakably pavalleled by XV. 14. It is also
very possible that the ibex on XVIII. 16 is a fragment of a frieze like that
on the necklace. As will be seen, the decoration of the present fabric
as a whole has much in common with the gold Ornaments from the shaft-
graves at Mycenae. It is not unlikely therefore that it may have under-
gone Egyptian influence through the medium of gold-work whether native
or imported.2
XIV. 3, 5-10 exhibit a freer System of decoration. The curious goblin
creatures on XIV. 6, when looked at closely, become slightly more intelli-
gible than they appear at first sight. The outward curve in which the
outline of the face ends on the one side, meaningless as it is in a face
represented to front, connects them with a series of animal and semi-animal
designs to which the same trait is common (e.g. VII. 4 and Fig.-89). The
Serpentine shape of the goblin is essentially the same as the outline of the
geometric animal with the back omitted. In short XIV. 6 is a grotesque
transformation of the type. XIV. 9 contains a similar monster with the
addition of a common Spiral pattern placed above its head to suggest hair
(cf. XIX. 8). Such an interweaving of linear and naturalistic motives is
very characteristic of the period. Thus even the eyes of the animal on
XIV. 6 are an extract from a frieze pattern like XV. 4 and 10.
Other favourite elements in this looser System of decoration are the
quatrefoil, sometimes enclosed within a circular border, isolated leaves or
beads as on XIV. 11, XVIII. 2, sets of four siuall dots, hatched triangles with
curving sidess (used to suggest wings in the case of the goblins discussed
above), and spiral patterns like Ionic volutes (e.g. XIV. 1, 5,10). Tlie practice
of filling up the interstices of the coils with short parallel curving lines (e.g.
XIV. 10) recalls the gold plaques from the shaft-graves at Mycenae on which
spiral motives are frequently embellished in the same way (e.g. Schliemann,
Mycenae, Eng. ed. p. 323, No. 491) : the same device is common on Kamäres
pottery. The running griffin on XIV. 2 furnishes another link with Egyptian
art as well as with the shaft-grave jewellery (cf. Schuchhardt, Eng. ed. p. 201,
1 Cf. a pattern of the later geometric period,
e.<i- Bohliemaiin, Tirynt, p. 96, no. 19.
- The best instance of such importation is
the Egyptian "aegis" found at Enkomi (Ex-
eavaiions in Cyprus, PI. V).
3 Cf. a tloral ovnament of similar shape
found on gold work (e.</. a gold necklace from
Kalyvia near Phaestos) as well as on pottery
andgems (e.<j. J.II.S. 1902, p. 80, no. 31) :
it oceurs alao among the Teil el Amanta
moulds (Petrie, Teil el Amanta, PI. xx. no.
531). On Mycenaean pottery it sometimes
takea the form of a vertical border like a
" bouquet" of lotus flowers.
109
monest of these patterns, the stört vertical Uries and thc leaf-shaped
pendants,1 both of which are very Hke the beads on Egyptian necklaces.
Many indeed of the narrow friezes bear a close resemblance to Egyptian
jewellery. Taking the most outstanding work of this type and of this
era, the gold necklace of Queen Ahhotep of the I7th dynasty (Maspero,
Archäologie Egyptienne, p. 309) we find on the Phylakopi vases of the
present fabric the discs, the spirals, the crosses (e.g. XVII. 9), and, what
is more remarkable, the line of little cats seated on their hindquarters
witb eara cocked up is unmistakably pavalleled by XV. 14. It is also
very possible that the ibex on XVIII. 16 is a fragment of a frieze like that
on the necklace. As will be seen, the decoration of the present fabric
as a whole has much in common with the gold Ornaments from the shaft-
graves at Mycenae. It is not unlikely therefore that it may have under-
gone Egyptian influence through the medium of gold-work whether native
or imported.2
XIV. 3, 5-10 exhibit a freer System of decoration. The curious goblin
creatures on XIV. 6, when looked at closely, become slightly more intelli-
gible than they appear at first sight. The outward curve in which the
outline of the face ends on the one side, meaningless as it is in a face
represented to front, connects them with a series of animal and semi-animal
designs to which the same trait is common (e.g. VII. 4 and Fig.-89). The
Serpentine shape of the goblin is essentially the same as the outline of the
geometric animal with the back omitted. In short XIV. 6 is a grotesque
transformation of the type. XIV. 9 contains a similar monster with the
addition of a common Spiral pattern placed above its head to suggest hair
(cf. XIX. 8). Such an interweaving of linear and naturalistic motives is
very characteristic of the period. Thus even the eyes of the animal on
XIV. 6 are an extract from a frieze pattern like XV. 4 and 10.
Other favourite elements in this looser System of decoration are the
quatrefoil, sometimes enclosed within a circular border, isolated leaves or
beads as on XIV. 11, XVIII. 2, sets of four siuall dots, hatched triangles with
curving sidess (used to suggest wings in the case of the goblins discussed
above), and spiral patterns like Ionic volutes (e.g. XIV. 1, 5,10). Tlie practice
of filling up the interstices of the coils with short parallel curving lines (e.g.
XIV. 10) recalls the gold plaques from the shaft-graves at Mycenae on which
spiral motives are frequently embellished in the same way (e.g. Schliemann,
Mycenae, Eng. ed. p. 323, No. 491) : the same device is common on Kamäres
pottery. The running griffin on XIV. 2 furnishes another link with Egyptian
art as well as with the shaft-grave jewellery (cf. Schuchhardt, Eng. ed. p. 201,
1 Cf. a pattern of the later geometric period,
e.<i- Bohliemaiin, Tirynt, p. 96, no. 19.
- The best instance of such importation is
the Egyptian "aegis" found at Enkomi (Ex-
eavaiions in Cyprus, PI. V).
3 Cf. a tloral ovnament of similar shape
found on gold work (e.</. a gold necklace from
Kalyvia near Phaestos) as well as on pottery
andgems (e.<j. J.II.S. 1902, p. 80, no. 31) :
it oceurs alao among the Teil el Amanta
moulds (Petrie, Teil el Amanta, PI. xx. no.
531). On Mycenaean pottery it sometimes
takea the form of a vertical border like a
" bouquet" of lotus flowers.