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)

272 TRIPLE PALM TREES AND 'SACRAL IVY'

Fig. 202.r This triple palm group is of great interest as derived from some
such fine M. M. II polychrome model as one found in the 'Loom Weight
Basement' at Knossos,3 and the continuous degeneration of which has been

Fig. 202. Clay Alabastron with Triple Palm Group, found in Egypt
(Cairo Museum).

i

Fig. 203. ' One-handled Alabastron' : a, Maket Tomb, Egypt (probably
Thothmes Hi's time), L. M. Ib ■ b, A'olo, L. M. lb; c, Voi.o, 'L. M. I c '.

traced above to quite late Mainland types.3 These later offshoots, such as
we see them on the.' Ephyraean' cups and goblets, afford another good
illustration of what has been called above the ' L. M;. I c' phase. A stage in
this evolution parallel to that seen on the alabastron found in Egypt
occurs on part of a similar vessel from Zakro,4 and in a fuller and more
ornate form on a 'pear-shaped rhyton' from Pseira, and this traditional
design, of which Knossos was the source and Crete the first distributing
centre, found a beautiful development at the hands of the Minoan ceramic
artists who executed the noble amphoras of Nestor's Pylos.5

1 From a photograph kindly supplied me by Table).
Mr. J. D. S. Pendlebmy. ' Ibid., p. 497, Fig. 303.

' P. ofM., i, p. 254, Fig. 190. - See Kurt-Muller, Alt Pylos (Atti. Mitth.

"' P. of M., ii, Pt. II, p. 496 (Comparative xxxiv, 1909), p. 31 r seqq., Pis. XXI, XXII.