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)

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THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.

Naturalis-
tic De-
signs on
M. M. I
Vases :
Fish,
Heron,
Wild
Goats,
Water-
Beetle.

fish (Fig. 131, a).1 On the interior of the bottom of a bowl from Knossos
(Fig. 131, d), unfortnnately very imperfectly preserved, fish with red markings
are seen swimming on its dark glaze ground amidst curved red objects,
spotted white, and perhaps representing sponge or coral, as on the later
marine frescoes. In the centre of the bowl, which obviously had a votive
character, was a miniature raised basin. The lower part of a white fish
appears on the outside of the bowl showing that the design was repeated on
the exterior. The outside also bears characteristic traces of paring.

a . b

Fig. 131. M.M. I Painted Vessels showing Swimming Fishes: a, Jug, Vasiliki ;

/>, Bowl, Knossos (restored) (fc).

Representations of birds and animals, very exceptional in Minoan art, also
now occur.2 A fragment from Gournia 3 in the early dark on light technique
exhibits a long-legged crested bird, apparently a heron (Fig. 132, b).
Another from the earliest stratum of the Monolithic Pillar Room at Knossos 4
(M. M. I a) bears the heads of three Cretan wild goats and, on a larger scale,
a water-beetle, very accurately delineated (Fig. 132, a).
Flowers We also note a growing tendency, more fully developed in the ensuing

Foliage. Periods, to make a decorative use of flowers and foliage. A very charac-

1 Cf. Seager, Excavs. at Vasilik\ {Penu. 3 Boyd Hawes, Gournia, p. 38, PI. VI, 11.
Trans., vol. ii, Pt. 2). 4 See Mackenzie, J. H. S., xxvi, p. 247.

2 See below, p. 605.