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.

The

Spiral

Fresco.

The painted stucco fragments with spiraliform patterns, amongst which
these column bases were found embedded, occurred in great masses, sloping
away from the West wall of this area. These formed part of decorative
bands of distinctive design and colouring (Fig. 269).

The body colour of the wall was a dark Venetian red. The pattern
of the band decoration consists of an interlaced double row of spirals1,

Fig. 270. Corner of Spiraliform Pattern, restored, (^j)

springing from white disks. Its coils are of a deep ultramarine blue,
with black outlines and spurs, the whole on a white ground. One of the
larger fragments 2 showed a very remarkable arrangement, indicating that
this was not a dado frieze in the ordinary sense. A part of the spiraliform
band is there seen running off at an acute angle, leaving a black interspace.

1 Mr. Fyfe's earlier restoration (Fyfe, Painted bands, executed for me in ig 14 by Mr. J. P.

Plaster Decoration at Knossos : R. I. B. A, Droop (Fig. 269\ made it clear that there were

Journ., x, i2i, Fig. 45) showed a third line of only two rows, and this conclusion is adhered

spirals, on which however he did not insist. to in the restoration given in Fig. 270.

A reconstitution of a section of one of the 2 Fyfe, loc. at., Fig. 46.