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 3): The great transitional age in the northern and eastern sections of the Palace (London, 1930)

EXCRESCENCES ON BORDERS OF 'MARINE' PANELS 365

Fig. 241. Sponges or Seaweeds above Rock with
Serpentine Veins : ' House of Frescoes', Knossos.

RED BAND

Fig. 242.
Part of Border of ' Dolphin Fresco '
showing Sponge-like Growths. .

what seems to have been
the lower border of some
large panel in this
' marine style' found in
a space formerly occupied
by the ' Service Stair-
case '* to the North-East
of the 'Queen's Megaron'
(Fig. 243). It was cut
out of a kind of red, por-
phyry-like gypsum, much
in vogue from about the
middle of M. M. Ill, and,
from the position in
which it lay, was probably
derived from some upper
room on this side. It
fits on in form to the class
of marine inlays and re-
liefs so beautifully illus-
trated by the faience
group from the Temple
Repositories, and, indeed,
closely resembles, though
on a much larger scale,
the ramifying border,
with its suggestions of
marine growths, that was
there associated with the flying-
fish and sea-shells.2 For the
'nature-printing' itself, more-
over, we have a striking con-
temporary parallel in the terra-
cotta reliefs from the ' Kou-
lpura' of the West Court—
found in association with masses

1 A. E., Knossos, Report, 1902, p. 75.
It does not seem to have been part of
a seal as there suggested.

2 P. of M., i, pp. 520-2, and Fig. 379.

Section
of red
gypsum
border of
' marine'
panel.