DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.807#0305
§13. M. M. II : (E) The Hieroglyphic Deposit: Sealings
and Seal-Stones.
Advance in naturalistic design atso affects glyptic works ; Gem-impressions
on Clay Sealings from Hieroglyphic Deposit; Attempts at portraiture—
Effigies attributed to Minoan Dynast and his Son ; Naturalistic scenes on
other seal-impressions; Types of M. M. II seals ; Signets and prism seals with
hieroglyphic formulas; Royal bead-seal; Advanced Hieroglyphic Script
of Class B ; Clay bars, labels, and tablets ; Linearized sign groups ; Nu merals ;
Independent Evolution of Minoan Hieroglyphic script, aided by Egyptian
suggestion; Hieroglyphic signary—an epitome of early Cretan culture;
Selected signs—Saffron, Bee, Olive Spray, and Ship ; Silphium-like figures—
compared with types on coins of Cyrene.
Steatite and ivory representations of living objects in intaglio or small
relief had been already executed with considerable skill by the close
of the Early Minoan Age. Early in M. M. I, moreover, we have evidence
that the Minoan lapidaries were beginning to attack hard materials such as rock Hard
crystal1 and, apparently, liparite for the production of vases, and the Egyptian J^enals
Twelfth Dynasty scarab of amethyst engraved below by a Cretan craftsman attacked,
with characters of the Minoan hieroglyphic Class A has been included
above within the lower limits of that Period.2 But the general use of hard
materials for signets and the growing freedom of treatment mark a real
advance.
Two signet impressions on clay sealings from the Hieroglyphic Deposit Por-
at Knossos, representing respectively the heads of a man and of a very o^'sig!
young boy, even show considerable achievement in the direction of portraiture nets:
(Fig. 201, a, b).'d Impressions of both these heads appear on one sealing, and Dynast
on another (Fig. 206) the man's head, here impressed without the other, is j£f nt
associated with the stamp of a hieroglyphic formula consisting of the leg, Son.
and gate combination, which recurs, apparently as an official title of an
hereditary nature, on seal-stones of both the earlier and later hieroglyphic
class. It has even been possible with the aid of this and parallel formulas
to compose a kind of ' Family Tree ' of Middle Minoan titles and personal
badges.4 On Fig. 207, a, we see this formula on what may be reasonably
1 See p. 170, above. 4 See Scripta Minoa i, p. 266, Fig. 119 and
2 See p. 199. p. 268, seqq.
3 See, too, above, p. 8, Fig. 2.
and Seal-Stones.
Advance in naturalistic design atso affects glyptic works ; Gem-impressions
on Clay Sealings from Hieroglyphic Deposit; Attempts at portraiture—
Effigies attributed to Minoan Dynast and his Son ; Naturalistic scenes on
other seal-impressions; Types of M. M. II seals ; Signets and prism seals with
hieroglyphic formulas; Royal bead-seal; Advanced Hieroglyphic Script
of Class B ; Clay bars, labels, and tablets ; Linearized sign groups ; Nu merals ;
Independent Evolution of Minoan Hieroglyphic script, aided by Egyptian
suggestion; Hieroglyphic signary—an epitome of early Cretan culture;
Selected signs—Saffron, Bee, Olive Spray, and Ship ; Silphium-like figures—
compared with types on coins of Cyrene.
Steatite and ivory representations of living objects in intaglio or small
relief had been already executed with considerable skill by the close
of the Early Minoan Age. Early in M. M. I, moreover, we have evidence
that the Minoan lapidaries were beginning to attack hard materials such as rock Hard
crystal1 and, apparently, liparite for the production of vases, and the Egyptian J^enals
Twelfth Dynasty scarab of amethyst engraved below by a Cretan craftsman attacked,
with characters of the Minoan hieroglyphic Class A has been included
above within the lower limits of that Period.2 But the general use of hard
materials for signets and the growing freedom of treatment mark a real
advance.
Two signet impressions on clay sealings from the Hieroglyphic Deposit Por-
at Knossos, representing respectively the heads of a man and of a very o^'sig!
young boy, even show considerable achievement in the direction of portraiture nets:
(Fig. 201, a, b).'d Impressions of both these heads appear on one sealing, and Dynast
on another (Fig. 206) the man's head, here impressed without the other, is j£f nt
associated with the stamp of a hieroglyphic formula consisting of the leg, Son.
and gate combination, which recurs, apparently as an official title of an
hereditary nature, on seal-stones of both the earlier and later hieroglyphic
class. It has even been possible with the aid of this and parallel formulas
to compose a kind of ' Family Tree ' of Middle Minoan titles and personal
badges.4 On Fig. 207, a, we see this formula on what may be reasonably
1 See p. 170, above. 4 See Scripta Minoa i, p. 266, Fig. 119 and
2 See p. 199. p. 268, seqq.
3 See, too, above, p. 8, Fig. 2.