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 4,1): Emergence of outer western enceinte, with new illustrations, artistic and religious, of the Middle Minoan Phase (London, 1935)

104

'BARBOTINE' IMITATION OF PRICKLY SHELLS

In this secondary stage the elements of relief show a more ordered
arrangement, and its ridges often act as frames to bands of coloured

Fig. 70. 'Thorny Oyster ', Spondylus

GAEDEliOI'US.

Fig. 71. 'Thorn-back' Crab.



Its _

marine

sources —

the

'thorny'

oyster.

patterns. Their bizarre contours disappear, giving place to distinct thorn)'
protuberances, or to mere prickles and warts.

But the marine origin of the excrescences now in vogue is none the
less apparent. There can be little doubt that some were supplied by sea-
shells. One likely species at least—the Spondyhis gaedcropus—belonging
to the family popularly known as 'thorny oysters'—was of frequent recur-
rence in the excavations at Knossos.1 A series of specimens were in iac
found, some of them in a very complete state, among' the M. M. U-i
refuse of the newly discovered ' Koulouras '. The appearance of thorn-
like protuberances on this large shell, arranged in rows and on nclge ,
maybe gathered from Fig. 70 reproducing a modern specimen—withou
however its beautiful rosy lilac colouring. Shells of this kind w
actually found in a M. M. II medium in ' Kouloura ' 2, the prickles of winch

1 Specimens also occurred with the other and which seem to have served as a
shells found in the 'Temple Repositories', pavement,decoration for the Central