DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.807#0117
EARLY MINOAN II
9i
Other examples of vases of this Period from the same Cemetery are
o-iven with the Tomb numbers in Fig-. 58.1 Of these V 1 and VI 2 are com-
posed of a local variety of alabaster, brilliantly veined and shading from
orange to pink and white. XIX2 is remarkable from its elegance of form,
while the veined marble vase, XXI 3, has walls 'as thin as a china tea-cup'.
It has already been pointed out that the extraordinary perfection now
attained can only be explained on the assumption that a considerable advance
in the lapidary art had been already attained in
the First Early Minoan Period. The evidence ad-
duced above of the actual importation of vessels
of Late Pre-clynastic or Proto-dynastic fabric, and
of such characteristic Egyptian materials as syenite
and diorite, confirms this conclusion.
The shape of the E. M. II stone vases, for the
most part, illustrates the evolution of such proto-
types on indigenous Cretan lines. It is often
possible, however, to trace the influence of proto-
types not later than the Fourth Dynasty, A small
bowl, for instance, of opaque green steatite from
Tomb II at Mochlos,2 still presents the characteristic flat collar of the Early
Egyptian stone bowls, such as the syenite example, Fig. 31 above, but
of narrower dimensions. It has, moreover, four ledge handles instead
of two, and these of a slightly incurved shape. The exotic model has
here been adapted by the Minoan craftsmen on original lines. In the
case of Fig. 58, X and Fig. 57, /, showing two ledge handles, the early
Egyptian suggestion is not less manifest. The handles in this case
follow the usual Cretan fashion in having the perforations for suspension
E. M.JI
Stone
Vessels,
Mochlos.
Early
Egyptian
Influ-
ences.
Fig. 59. Stone Vase,
Mochlos, E. M. II (-*- c).
knob handles, j. vase of dark grey steatite
of early Egyptian derivation, k. small pot,
translucent green steatite. /. clay saucer, dark
on light geometrical ornament, see Fig. 41
above, m. bowl, clear yellow alabaster, n.
bowl, translucent steatite. 0. pot of alabaster.
p. small jug, translucent green steatite, q. grey
and white marble bowl on foot (ht. 7-3 cm.,
diam. 14-8 cm.), r. clay jug; E. M. II ware.
1 From facsimiles presented by Mr. Seager
to the Ashmolean Museum. The Roman
numerals refer to the numbers of the Tombs.
V 1 alabaster brilliantly veined, handles re-
stored (height 9-8, diam. 11-4 cm.): walls
only partly hollowed out: Early E. M. II fabric.
VI 1 grey and white marble (ht. 6 cm.,
diam. 7-5). VI 2 alabaster (ht. 12 cm.,
diam. 10-5). VI 3 grey and white marble.
XIX 2 dark grey steatite (ht. 9 cm., diam. 5)
XXI 3 grey and white veined marble. X
apparently serpentine.
2 Seager, op. at., Fig. 7, II d., and PI. II, II d.
Ht. 4-5 cm., diam. 6-4 cm. With the ex-
ception of one clay jug (II b) the contents
of this tomb seem to be of the E. M. II
Period.
9i
Other examples of vases of this Period from the same Cemetery are
o-iven with the Tomb numbers in Fig-. 58.1 Of these V 1 and VI 2 are com-
posed of a local variety of alabaster, brilliantly veined and shading from
orange to pink and white. XIX2 is remarkable from its elegance of form,
while the veined marble vase, XXI 3, has walls 'as thin as a china tea-cup'.
It has already been pointed out that the extraordinary perfection now
attained can only be explained on the assumption that a considerable advance
in the lapidary art had been already attained in
the First Early Minoan Period. The evidence ad-
duced above of the actual importation of vessels
of Late Pre-clynastic or Proto-dynastic fabric, and
of such characteristic Egyptian materials as syenite
and diorite, confirms this conclusion.
The shape of the E. M. II stone vases, for the
most part, illustrates the evolution of such proto-
types on indigenous Cretan lines. It is often
possible, however, to trace the influence of proto-
types not later than the Fourth Dynasty, A small
bowl, for instance, of opaque green steatite from
Tomb II at Mochlos,2 still presents the characteristic flat collar of the Early
Egyptian stone bowls, such as the syenite example, Fig. 31 above, but
of narrower dimensions. It has, moreover, four ledge handles instead
of two, and these of a slightly incurved shape. The exotic model has
here been adapted by the Minoan craftsmen on original lines. In the
case of Fig. 58, X and Fig. 57, /, showing two ledge handles, the early
Egyptian suggestion is not less manifest. The handles in this case
follow the usual Cretan fashion in having the perforations for suspension
E. M.JI
Stone
Vessels,
Mochlos.
Early
Egyptian
Influ-
ences.
Fig. 59. Stone Vase,
Mochlos, E. M. II (-*- c).
knob handles, j. vase of dark grey steatite
of early Egyptian derivation, k. small pot,
translucent green steatite. /. clay saucer, dark
on light geometrical ornament, see Fig. 41
above, m. bowl, clear yellow alabaster, n.
bowl, translucent steatite. 0. pot of alabaster.
p. small jug, translucent green steatite, q. grey
and white marble bowl on foot (ht. 7-3 cm.,
diam. 14-8 cm.), r. clay jug; E. M. II ware.
1 From facsimiles presented by Mr. Seager
to the Ashmolean Museum. The Roman
numerals refer to the numbers of the Tombs.
V 1 alabaster brilliantly veined, handles re-
stored (height 9-8, diam. 11-4 cm.): walls
only partly hollowed out: Early E. M. II fabric.
VI 1 grey and white marble (ht. 6 cm.,
diam. 7-5). VI 2 alabaster (ht. 12 cm.,
diam. 10-5). VI 3 grey and white marble.
XIX 2 dark grey steatite (ht. 9 cm., diam. 5)
XXI 3 grey and white veined marble. X
apparently serpentine.
2 Seager, op. at., Fig. 7, II d., and PI. II, II d.
Ht. 4-5 cm., diam. 6-4 cm. With the ex-
ception of one clay jug (II b) the contents
of this tomb seem to be of the E. M. II
Period.