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 1): The Neolithic and Early and Middle Minoan Ages (London, 1921)

M.M.I: CERAMIC PHASES

179

a plain black ground of a class of M. M. vessels of which many fragments Conglo-
have come to light (Fig. 127,/).1 On the other hand, the cup (g) repro- merate-
duces the round variegated pebbles of some fine form of conglomerate.

A typical product of this time is the ' barbotine' or prickle decoration. «Bar_
Simple examples of this occur in the M. M. I a deposits, but it attained its botine'

i-iii -ii Decora-

highest development in the latter part of this Period and the early part of tion.

the next. The introduction of the quick potter's wheel, however, later on
in M.M.I I seems to have
been rapidly fatal to it. This
decoration was produced by
rouQfhenino- the walls of the
vessel. These are sometimes
worked up into a thorny surface
resembling that of certain forms
of crustacean, like a common
Mediterranean crab or the shell
of a sea urchin, and such natural
objects doubtless supplied sug-
gestions for it. Numerous
specimens of this ware were
found in the ossuary cells
annexed to the primitive ' tho-
los ' at Hagia Triada (Fig. 129,
&, c, d). The jug, Fig. 128,
from a house South of the
Palace site at Knossos,2 is a
good specimen of the advanced
M. M, I b class, and reproduces
the two small side handles
which form one of its charac-
teristic features, together with
the finely toothed lips. The

clay is coarse and yellow, and the glaze on the body of the vase a dull
brown-black. The barbotine work is here washed with a creamy white,
and the laced pattern within its intervals combines reddish brown, vermi-
lion, and white colouring. Double festoons in white are suspended from the

1 This specimen is probably of M. At. II 2 For a coloured illustration of this jug see
date. Both the form and decoration survived Hogarth and Welch, J. H. S., xxi (1901),
to M. M. III. PL VI. 1.

Fig. 128. Polychrome Vase with Barbotine
Decoration, Knossos (M. M. I b) (| c).