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. II: LOOM-WEIGHT DEPOSIT (CERAMIC PHASE*) 269

mouthed ' type, adorned with bands showing a similar succession of coloured
disks, and a cup and fragment with stellate flowers, b, c, the petals of which
are in this case rounded as on the Abydos example.

The angular foliation of the middle band of the 1 hole-mouthed' vase
from Knossos, Pig. 199, e,x is a very characteristic feature of this epoch. As
will be seen from the comparative examples given in Fig, 200 2 it is in fact
an outgrowth of a simple flower chain, such as children make of daisies. As
a motive of jewellery such chains are of frequent occurrence in Late Minoan
times, derived no doubt from a much earlier tradition (see inset, a)} It
is a remarkable fact, moreover, that a common decorative motive on L. M. Ill

pottery is clearly copied from this later chain-
J|\ work in precious metal (inset 6)} It would seem,
ffffpL' indeed, by no means improbable that the appear-
^i?/ ance of this motive on pottery was clue to the
actual overlaying of vessels with flower chains cut
out of gold foil. A polychrome design of such a
chain (Fig. 200,a), conventionally rendered in alter-
nating red and white flowers, already occurs on
a M. M. I a vase, and recurs in a more natural shape
in the crocus bands of a jar of the close of that
Period. The relation of the M. M. II types b and
c of the Figure is clearly seen. On the other hand, by the close of M. M. II
the foliation, as illustrated by the specimen, d, from a large jar of the Loom-
Weight Basement, had taken on a more attenuated and naturalistic shape
under the influence of ceramic plant designs such as the lily and crocus
illustrated above, which themselves are the reflection of similar designs
that now appear on the Palace walls. On a paler lilac brown ground, with
inferior glaze, this attenuated foliation survived on M. M. Ill pottery
(Fig. 200, e), and is even traceable in certain sprays that occur on pottery of
the beginning of L. M. I. It is noteworthy in this connexion that the poly-

1 Restored from fragments found in the
area W. of the Loom-Weight Basement.

2 Fig. 200, a, is from a sherd belonging to
a M. M. I a deposit, S.E. of the Palace site at
Knossos b is from the ' Kouloura ' or walled
rubbish pit. c is taken from the : hole-mouthed'
vase, Fig. 199., e, above, d appears on one of the
large jars of the Loom-Weight Basement (see
above, p. 255, Fig. 191). e is from a M.M.

Ill a goblet found in the Kamares Cave
(Dawkins, B. S. A., xix, PI. XII, 1). The cup,
Fig. 199, d, from the Loom-Weight Area shows
a simple survival of the angular type of foliation,
Fig. 200, b, c.

3 Cf. Preh. Tombs of Knossos, p. 76, Fig. 85.

4 Furtwangler u. Loeschcke, Myk. Vasen,
PI. XIX, 139, and cf. PI. X, 60, and XXXVII,
380, &c.