DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.811#0166
VAPHEIO DAGGER-BLADE WITH SWIMMERS 127
' antithetic' subject of a male or female figure between pairs of lions is itself
of constant recurrence, and they appear as supporters of the Minoan Rhea
on the sealings of the Central Palace sanctuary at Knossos. They guard
the portal of sacred precincts and, on the ' Ring of Nestor', a lion is seen
couched at the entrance of the Nether World and tended by the little twin
handmaidens of the Goddess.
The Vapheio Blade with Swimmers and that with Flying-fish.
A recent discovery of remains of inlays belonging to a dagger-blade of Vapheio
the Vapheio tomb now enables us to add representations of swimmers to blade
the subjects of this class of ' metal painting'. A similar theme, as already "l'*1.,
pointed out, is also found among the repousse reliefs of the silver ' rhyton ' designs
from Mycenae, where shipwrecked seamen are seen endeavouring to escape mers.
from a dog-headed sea-monster.1 In the present case swimmers by themselves
are depicted, entirely naked and of the male sex, propelling themselves by
means of a kind of side action. The fragments, of which there are five, are
shown in Fig. 81, a, and a full restoration by Monsieur Gillieron, fils, is given
in Fig. 81, b.2 The human figures and the tongue-like convention for rocks
above are of gold plate inlaid in the bronze, the lines and dots being supplied
by niello. The wavy outline indicating the sea below is produced by inlaid
eold wires. The most curious feature is the crown of the head of the central
figure, summarily rendered as a mere disk to be filled with dark niello. It
may be observed that this summary representation of the heads of figures is
also characteristic of a Late Minoan class of intaglio designs.
The flying-fish of the other series of inlays, belonging to a bronze Flying-
weapon from the Vapheio Tomb,3 were shown without their wings in vapheio
Tsountas' original illustration. A further fragment has since been noted, blade-
which has enabled Monsieur Gillieron, fils, to make the complete restoration
1 p. 96 above, and Fig. 54. shape of flying-fish that had for some years
2 Owing to the oxidization of the remains been recognized among the remains of the
these inlays escaped the notice of Tsountas in tomb. These, however, are of a very different
his publication of the contents of the Vapheio scale and have no obvious connexion with the
tomb in 1889. They were observed by Mon- swimmers. Monsieur Gillieron's view that
sieur Gillieron, fils, and their first publication they belong to a larger blade is doubtless
and full description was due to Mr. Sp. N. correct.
Marinatos at present Cretan Ephor of An- 3 See Marinatos, op. at., pp. 65, 66 (Fig. 1)
tiquities, in Essays on Aegean Archaeology, and PI. XI, 5, 5, a, and restoration A. The
p. 63 seqq. Mr. Marinatos, however, in his resemblance to the Phylakopi fresco and the
restoration (pp. cit., p. 67, Fig. 2) endeavoured faience fish of Knossos is there pointed out.
to bring into the design the gold inlays in
' antithetic' subject of a male or female figure between pairs of lions is itself
of constant recurrence, and they appear as supporters of the Minoan Rhea
on the sealings of the Central Palace sanctuary at Knossos. They guard
the portal of sacred precincts and, on the ' Ring of Nestor', a lion is seen
couched at the entrance of the Nether World and tended by the little twin
handmaidens of the Goddess.
The Vapheio Blade with Swimmers and that with Flying-fish.
A recent discovery of remains of inlays belonging to a dagger-blade of Vapheio
the Vapheio tomb now enables us to add representations of swimmers to blade
the subjects of this class of ' metal painting'. A similar theme, as already "l'*1.,
pointed out, is also found among the repousse reliefs of the silver ' rhyton ' designs
from Mycenae, where shipwrecked seamen are seen endeavouring to escape mers.
from a dog-headed sea-monster.1 In the present case swimmers by themselves
are depicted, entirely naked and of the male sex, propelling themselves by
means of a kind of side action. The fragments, of which there are five, are
shown in Fig. 81, a, and a full restoration by Monsieur Gillieron, fils, is given
in Fig. 81, b.2 The human figures and the tongue-like convention for rocks
above are of gold plate inlaid in the bronze, the lines and dots being supplied
by niello. The wavy outline indicating the sea below is produced by inlaid
eold wires. The most curious feature is the crown of the head of the central
figure, summarily rendered as a mere disk to be filled with dark niello. It
may be observed that this summary representation of the heads of figures is
also characteristic of a Late Minoan class of intaglio designs.
The flying-fish of the other series of inlays, belonging to a bronze Flying-
weapon from the Vapheio Tomb,3 were shown without their wings in vapheio
Tsountas' original illustration. A further fragment has since been noted, blade-
which has enabled Monsieur Gillieron, fils, to make the complete restoration
1 p. 96 above, and Fig. 54. shape of flying-fish that had for some years
2 Owing to the oxidization of the remains been recognized among the remains of the
these inlays escaped the notice of Tsountas in tomb. These, however, are of a very different
his publication of the contents of the Vapheio scale and have no obvious connexion with the
tomb in 1889. They were observed by Mon- swimmers. Monsieur Gillieron's view that
sieur Gillieron, fils, and their first publication they belong to a larger blade is doubtless
and full description was due to Mr. Sp. N. correct.
Marinatos at present Cretan Ephor of An- 3 See Marinatos, op. at., pp. 65, 66 (Fig. 1)
tiquities, in Essays on Aegean Archaeology, and PI. XI, 5, 5, a, and restoration A. The
p. 63 seqq. Mr. Marinatos, however, in his resemblance to the Phylakopi fresco and the
restoration (pp. cit., p. 67, Fig. 2) endeavoured faience fish of Knossos is there pointed out.
to bring into the design the gold inlays in