DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.807#0513
472 THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.
description for this place since it illustrates in its most perfect and sump-
tuous aspect a class of object that had also formed a special feature in
the Treasury of the Priest Kings, as represented by the contents of the
Temple Repositories. The correspondences in detail will be fully illustrated
by the restoration attempted below of parts of similar objects from the
Repository itself and from the Fourth Shaft Grave.
From the close parallelism presented between the Royal Draught-
board and these other remains it is clear that its fabric must date from the
same epoch—the closing phase, that is, of M. M. III. At the same time
the worn state of the gold plating that had originally covered so much of
its surface may be taken as an indication that it had been for many years in
Crystal use. As already stated, moreover, the position in which it was found points
from to the conclusion that this magnificent object may have survived as an
Room of heirloom in the great Hall of the Late Minoan Palace. The same con-
I hrone. &
elusion may also apply to some crystal inlays found in the lustral basin that
flanks the Room of the Throne, and which clearly formed part of the
intarsia work of a similar board. One of the plaques here found was made
so as to fit the angle between two medallions about 11 centimetres in diameter,
while another petal-shaped piece not only reproduces the form of those that
border the upper medallions of the Royal Draught-board, but showed traces
of a similar ' eye' of Egyptian Blue having been applied to its lower surface.1
Owing to the very careful methods adopted in raising and securing
the Royal Gaming Board 2 it has been possible, in spite of the friable nature
of the framework, to preserve the original arrangement in all essential
details.
"Pe . Some idea of this maonificent work is given in Coloured Plate V 3
Royal ...
Draught- which shows its present condition. • The larger fragments here are given
in a darker tone, but a great deal of the remaining part of its superficies
existed actually, in a more or less disintegrated condition. The pale brown
here represents ivory, and the yellow, gold, but there were also considerable
further remains of thin gold plating. Many ragged edges of this over-
lapped the ivory inlays, and it had once entirely coated them over. The
grey colour shows the crystal plaques where they were backed by silver
plates, and the white the same restored. Similarly, the darker and lighter
tones mark the crystal where still, or originally, backed by a cobalt paste
formed of pounded kyanos.4
board.
1 See below, p. 473, and Fig. 338. 4 Both this and the silver plates were
2 See above, p. 387. backed by white plaster.
3 From Mr. Fyfe's drawing.
description for this place since it illustrates in its most perfect and sump-
tuous aspect a class of object that had also formed a special feature in
the Treasury of the Priest Kings, as represented by the contents of the
Temple Repositories. The correspondences in detail will be fully illustrated
by the restoration attempted below of parts of similar objects from the
Repository itself and from the Fourth Shaft Grave.
From the close parallelism presented between the Royal Draught-
board and these other remains it is clear that its fabric must date from the
same epoch—the closing phase, that is, of M. M. III. At the same time
the worn state of the gold plating that had originally covered so much of
its surface may be taken as an indication that it had been for many years in
Crystal use. As already stated, moreover, the position in which it was found points
from to the conclusion that this magnificent object may have survived as an
Room of heirloom in the great Hall of the Late Minoan Palace. The same con-
I hrone. &
elusion may also apply to some crystal inlays found in the lustral basin that
flanks the Room of the Throne, and which clearly formed part of the
intarsia work of a similar board. One of the plaques here found was made
so as to fit the angle between two medallions about 11 centimetres in diameter,
while another petal-shaped piece not only reproduces the form of those that
border the upper medallions of the Royal Draught-board, but showed traces
of a similar ' eye' of Egyptian Blue having been applied to its lower surface.1
Owing to the very careful methods adopted in raising and securing
the Royal Gaming Board 2 it has been possible, in spite of the friable nature
of the framework, to preserve the original arrangement in all essential
details.
"Pe . Some idea of this maonificent work is given in Coloured Plate V 3
Royal ...
Draught- which shows its present condition. • The larger fragments here are given
in a darker tone, but a great deal of the remaining part of its superficies
existed actually, in a more or less disintegrated condition. The pale brown
here represents ivory, and the yellow, gold, but there were also considerable
further remains of thin gold plating. Many ragged edges of this over-
lapped the ivory inlays, and it had once entirely coated them over. The
grey colour shows the crystal plaques where they were backed by silver
plates, and the white the same restored. Similarly, the darker and lighter
tones mark the crystal where still, or originally, backed by a cobalt paste
formed of pounded kyanos.4
board.
1 See below, p. 473, and Fig. 338. 4 Both this and the silver plates were
2 See above, p. 387. backed by white plaster.
3 From Mr. Fyfe's drawing.