M.M. II : ROYAL POTTERY STORES (CERAMIC PHASE a) 247
reproduction is made evident by the recurrent thickening at the ends of the
curves. It is possible that these C-shaped prints were produced by a half
section of cane. The white blotches of Fig. 184, 6, look as if they had been
dabbed on by a small sponge at the end of a stick.
Another good illustration of the simultaneous usage of the light on dark Light on
dark and
and dark on light technique is afforded by the elegant crinkled bowl, Suppl. dark on
PI. Ill, a, found with the fragments of the ■ arcaded' goblet, Fig. 183 a, 2, hght-
with which, indeed, the arched decoration of its inner border shows con-
siderable affinity. Its crinkled sides, with their lustrous black ground and
white festoons are further distinguished by deep-red prickly bosses, imitating
the thorns of a briar rose. In contrast to this polychrome effect, however, the
interior part of the bowl shows the buff ground flaked with dark glaze. This
vessel belongs to the acme of the M. M. II style and to an epoch con-
temporary with the fine egg-shell ware.
On the clay floor of a small cellar belonging to the North-West Spouted^
Building at Knossos,1 in company with characteristic vessels, the style of Elaborate
which points to the earlier phase of M.M. II, came to light the highly
decorative spouted vase shown in Coloured Plate III and Fig. 186, a.
This is the most elaborate specimen of M. M. polychrome ceramic design
yet known. The front and back display a variety of scroll-work and
curving sprays, while the central motive of the sides is a kind of fleur-de-lis.
The design is laid on in creamy white, orange, and crimson on a lustrous
black ground. The decorative scrolls ma}- be compared with those on the
contemporary prism seal, Fig. 207, a, below.
Details of the scroll-work on this vessel agree in a remarkable manner Corres-
with decorative features on some of the earliest imported fragments found at ^°"h ence
Phvlakopi in Melos, which have for this reason been set together with it in Decora-
. tion on
Fig 186.2 In some cases, as 0, the correspondence is so remarkable as to imported
involve the conclusion that the group of vases here represented from the ^e^'s at
Melian site was of Knossian Palace fabric. The whole group, including the Phyla-
jar from Knossos, must be regarded as belonging approximately to the same Acme of
epoch as the fine egg-shell cups, and as illustrating the acme of the earlier Ceramic
M. M. II polychrome class, which may be distinguished from the later series Style,
as M. M. II a.
1 See Knossos, JZeport, 1903, p. 118, Fig. 73, Phylakofii, pp. 149, 150, Figs. 128, 130, 133.
and p. 119, Fig. 74, and cf. Vol. II. Among With these has also been grouped the bowl,/,
the vessels here found was a jar with drip from the Kamares Cave, showing a schematized
ornament, and several characteristic cups. figure of a sepia, with asterisks and foliation in
2 For Fig. 186, b, c, d, e, see C. C. Edgar, this particular style appended to its tentacles.
reproduction is made evident by the recurrent thickening at the ends of the
curves. It is possible that these C-shaped prints were produced by a half
section of cane. The white blotches of Fig. 184, 6, look as if they had been
dabbed on by a small sponge at the end of a stick.
Another good illustration of the simultaneous usage of the light on dark Light on
dark and
and dark on light technique is afforded by the elegant crinkled bowl, Suppl. dark on
PI. Ill, a, found with the fragments of the ■ arcaded' goblet, Fig. 183 a, 2, hght-
with which, indeed, the arched decoration of its inner border shows con-
siderable affinity. Its crinkled sides, with their lustrous black ground and
white festoons are further distinguished by deep-red prickly bosses, imitating
the thorns of a briar rose. In contrast to this polychrome effect, however, the
interior part of the bowl shows the buff ground flaked with dark glaze. This
vessel belongs to the acme of the M. M. II style and to an epoch con-
temporary with the fine egg-shell ware.
On the clay floor of a small cellar belonging to the North-West Spouted^
Building at Knossos,1 in company with characteristic vessels, the style of Elaborate
which points to the earlier phase of M.M. II, came to light the highly
decorative spouted vase shown in Coloured Plate III and Fig. 186, a.
This is the most elaborate specimen of M. M. polychrome ceramic design
yet known. The front and back display a variety of scroll-work and
curving sprays, while the central motive of the sides is a kind of fleur-de-lis.
The design is laid on in creamy white, orange, and crimson on a lustrous
black ground. The decorative scrolls ma}- be compared with those on the
contemporary prism seal, Fig. 207, a, below.
Details of the scroll-work on this vessel agree in a remarkable manner Corres-
with decorative features on some of the earliest imported fragments found at ^°"h ence
Phvlakopi in Melos, which have for this reason been set together with it in Decora-
. tion on
Fig 186.2 In some cases, as 0, the correspondence is so remarkable as to imported
involve the conclusion that the group of vases here represented from the ^e^'s at
Melian site was of Knossian Palace fabric. The whole group, including the Phyla-
jar from Knossos, must be regarded as belonging approximately to the same Acme of
epoch as the fine egg-shell cups, and as illustrating the acme of the earlier Ceramic
M. M. II polychrome class, which may be distinguished from the later series Style,
as M. M. II a.
1 See Knossos, JZeport, 1903, p. 118, Fig. 73, Phylakofii, pp. 149, 150, Figs. 128, 130, 133.
and p. 119, Fig. 74, and cf. Vol. II. Among With these has also been grouped the bowl,/,
the vessels here found was a jar with drip from the Kamares Cave, showing a schematized
ornament, and several characteristic cups. figure of a sepia, with asterisks and foliation in
2 For Fig. 186, b, c, d, e, see C. C. Edgar, this particular style appended to its tentacles.