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)

Palmette

decora-
tion.

136 PALMETTE ON M. M. II POLYCHROME VASES

The palmettes on a large fragment (Fig. 106), also from a brido-e-
spouted pot—arranged there in a triple group—have decided points of
affinity with the central design on the highly decorative pot of the same kind

Fig. IOC. Development of Palmette Pattern on Bridge-spouted Pot.

illustrated in colours in the First Volume of this book.' This in its turn
has been compared with a scroll on the fine cornelian prism-seal that bears
the cat badge of a Minoan prince whose titles may lurk in its hieroglyphic
sign-groups.2 In that case the motive certainly stands in relation to the
old tree-symbol of Egypt, for which we have many analogies on Early
Minoan seals. The present group of these palmettes, on the other hand,
is curiously suggestive of Classical vase decoration.

The miniature bridge-spouted vessel (Fig. 107),3 from the JN.W.

Treasury border, shows simple white designs on a black glaze, a no

Abydos' infrequent characteristic of M. M. 11^. It repeats the 'racquet' pattern,

Small
poly-
chrome
parallels
with the

' P. ofM., i, PI. Ill, p. 247.
'- Op. at., p. 277, and Fig. 207 a. Cf.
A. E., Scripta Mima, i, p. 153, P. 23 and

pp. 270, 271.

1 The diameter of the body is only "
centimetres.