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)

426 FEMALE FIGURINE FOUND WITH TYLISSOS SPHINX

Its front aspect (Fig. 291, a) with its Hathoric side-locks and clawed feet is
almost identical. We have here, too, the same cavities for inlays arranged
like a collar round the neck and in an intermittent row along the top of the
head and along the back curling round at the tail. It will be seen that some
of these show remains of white inlaying
material. There are here, however, two
rounded sockets on the back instead of one,
and it is possible that one of these may have
contained red pigment. The linear inscrip-
tion on a ' stirrup vase' from Orchomenos> FlG 292_ Unmr Side of Base qf
is limned in red letters. Steatite Figure from Tylissos (|).

Minoan In contrast with the steatite ' inkstand',

fiowine clearly belonging to a class of objects imported from the Anatolian side, was
ofstea- a small female figurine said to have been found with it on the site of

tite j.

found Tylissos,2 the style of which is undoubtedly Minoan. A drawing of this

sphinx httle figure enlarged by one-half in order the better to illustrate its small

at Ty- details is given in Fig. 293. Its base (Fig. 292) has a projecting tenon to

fit into a stand, this projection moreover showing two small perforations

for metal pins by which its attachment was further secured.

The flounced skirt and small girdle is quite characteristic, and the

' aprons' in front and behind present a border decorated with ringed disks

and closely approximating to that of the ' Fitzwilliam Goddess'3. The breasts

are well developed. The details of the bodice can, unfortunately, no longer be

Peaked made out, but the coiffure presents a novel fashion. It somewhat suggests

noveTa ^e Peak °f a hood, but is in a separate piece with a short row of conven-

feature. tional curls appearing behind, and longer locks on either side of the face.

Though the features have suffered it is clear that they were well modelled.

The attitude with the arms laid on the sides of the skirt has no very

apparent significance and nothing is held in the hands.

The figurine is cut out of dark brown steatite, made in one piece, and
a good deal of its interest lies in the surface decoration, which is still fairly
preserved. It seems to have been covered with a thin coating or engobe of
white plaster, the patterns of the dress being subsequently rendered in a red
ochreous tint.

1 A. E., Serif ta Minoa, i, p. 53, Fig. 31 leads where possible (generally after an
(H. Bulle, Die Woche, 1904, p. 216). interval of seclusion) to secret exportation,

2 This figurine ' migrated' in company with and the sources of scientific information are
the Sphinx. In all these cases the certainty of hermetically sealed.

the finder that he will not receive adequate 3 This corroborates the genuineness of the

remuneration from the constituted authority Cambridge statuette.