DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.810#0114
THE 'OG1VAL CANOPY' MOTIVE 489
from L. M. I a to the Mainland equivalent of L. M. II, is given at the end of
this Section.
Thus, by a truly remarkable chain of metamorphoses, the original
papyrus stem, coupled with a canopy above, after passing through
a succession of decorative and more or less geometrical types, returned to
life as a vegetable form throughout, belonging to quite a different family.
But in one respect, though the leaf on the vases resembles that of the Divergent
Southern ivy closely enough, traces of an origin outside the S^j,
vegetable world still left its mark on this sacral plant. There Geometri-
is a double or even treble stalk, the ends of which often
diverge or form parts of a chain.1 This itself has nothing to
do with the papyrus stem, but is a recurring decorative
feature of the ' ogival stems'2 which in Minoan borders—
as shown in the ideal sketch of the inset—often forms part of
a continuous ornament linked by the returning spirals.
This decorative feature is of great interest since the
inherent tendency towards divergent lines, springing from the
lower part of the heart-shaped figure, gives the key to another
form of decorative design, characteristic of the L. M. I b phase, to which the
name of ' ogival canopy' motive may be conveniently applied.
The 'Ogival Canopy' Motive.
This motive is well exemplified on Cretan soil by the painted jug found
in the lower stratum of House /3 at Palaikastro 3 with other pottery of the
same Period (Fig. 296 a, a). The shoulders of a fragmentary vessel from
Knossos present part of a similar design, while the cup (Fig. 296 a, 6), one
of four specimens from the Vapheio Tomb, supplies a close parallel.4 This
decorative design, moreover, is repeated with brilliant effect—combined in
this case with sprigs of coralline taken from the marine cycle—on the fine
amphora from the Beehive Tomb A at Old Pylos (Kakovatos) (Fig. 296 a, c)
' For a remarkable Pontic offshoot of the were not then accessible,
triple-stemmed ivy-leaf see below pp. 658, 659, 3 R. C. Bosanquet, B. S. A., ix (1902-3),
and Fig. 422. pp. 284-6 and Fig. 5. The deposit in which
2 A connexion between the 'ivy-leaf and this jug occurred also contained an inscribed
this geometrical pattern was already pointed clay tablet of the Linear Class A, showing that
out by Miss Edith H. Hall (Mrs. Dohan) in the East of Crete this form of script was still
in her excellent dissertation on T/ie Decorative in vogue in L. M. I b.
Art of Crete in the Bronze Age (Philadelphia, 4 Tsountas, 'Apx- "&<$>; 1889. PL VII, 19
l9°l)- PP- 37, 38. The materials for the his- and p. 154.
tory of its combination with the waz symbol
from L. M. I a to the Mainland equivalent of L. M. II, is given at the end of
this Section.
Thus, by a truly remarkable chain of metamorphoses, the original
papyrus stem, coupled with a canopy above, after passing through
a succession of decorative and more or less geometrical types, returned to
life as a vegetable form throughout, belonging to quite a different family.
But in one respect, though the leaf on the vases resembles that of the Divergent
Southern ivy closely enough, traces of an origin outside the S^j,
vegetable world still left its mark on this sacral plant. There Geometri-
is a double or even treble stalk, the ends of which often
diverge or form parts of a chain.1 This itself has nothing to
do with the papyrus stem, but is a recurring decorative
feature of the ' ogival stems'2 which in Minoan borders—
as shown in the ideal sketch of the inset—often forms part of
a continuous ornament linked by the returning spirals.
This decorative feature is of great interest since the
inherent tendency towards divergent lines, springing from the
lower part of the heart-shaped figure, gives the key to another
form of decorative design, characteristic of the L. M. I b phase, to which the
name of ' ogival canopy' motive may be conveniently applied.
The 'Ogival Canopy' Motive.
This motive is well exemplified on Cretan soil by the painted jug found
in the lower stratum of House /3 at Palaikastro 3 with other pottery of the
same Period (Fig. 296 a, a). The shoulders of a fragmentary vessel from
Knossos present part of a similar design, while the cup (Fig. 296 a, 6), one
of four specimens from the Vapheio Tomb, supplies a close parallel.4 This
decorative design, moreover, is repeated with brilliant effect—combined in
this case with sprigs of coralline taken from the marine cycle—on the fine
amphora from the Beehive Tomb A at Old Pylos (Kakovatos) (Fig. 296 a, c)
' For a remarkable Pontic offshoot of the were not then accessible,
triple-stemmed ivy-leaf see below pp. 658, 659, 3 R. C. Bosanquet, B. S. A., ix (1902-3),
and Fig. 422. pp. 284-6 and Fig. 5. The deposit in which
2 A connexion between the 'ivy-leaf and this jug occurred also contained an inscribed
this geometrical pattern was already pointed clay tablet of the Linear Class A, showing that
out by Miss Edith H. Hall (Mrs. Dohan) in the East of Crete this form of script was still
in her excellent dissertation on T/ie Decorative in vogue in L. M. I b.
Art of Crete in the Bronze Age (Philadelphia, 4 Tsountas, 'Apx- "&<$>; 1889. PL VII, 19
l9°l)- PP- 37, 38. The materials for the his- and p. 154.
tory of its combination with the waz symbol