DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1118#0089
TALISMANIC BEAD-SEALS WITH LIBATION VASES 445
Relation of Genii ewer-bearing to ' Talismanic' Class of Seal-stones.
To understand the function of the Minoan Genii as waterers and pro- Talis-
moters of vegetation it is necessary to recall a special function of the seal- "Jass'of
stones themselves on which these representations appear. They were in be:ui'
. . , r » seals with
fact, largely worn as charms to secure certain material benefits of more than libation
, - 1 vessels.
one kind.
In the present case it will be seen that the vessels borne by these m.m.iii
daemons, with their mostly prominent spouts, fit on to the motives of a -L-M-I<1
series of talismanic seal-stones that were already in very general use in the
Age immediately preceding that to which the bulk of these seals belong.
Some account of the general category of engraved stones to which this
series belongs has already been given in the First Volume of this work,
where their talismanic or amuletic character is clearly demonstrated.1
From the hasty execution of many of these intaglios and their conven-
tional designs it might at first have been thought that they belonged to
the very close of the Minoan decadence. The occurrence, however, of
many stones of this class, including specimens with spouted vases, in the
graves of the Sphungaras Cemetery in East Crete,2 belonging to M. M. Ill
and the succeeding L. M. I a stage3 shows that they are really a product
of a very flourishing period of Minoan Art history. It is clear, indeed,
that some of the types of this magical class, such as the lion's mask, go
back to the Second Middle Minoan Period.4
The area in which by far the greatest number of these have come
to light is the Province of Siteia, comprising the Easternmost district
of the Island, though they are also found in Mirabello, Pedeada, and
Central Crete generally, including Knossos,5 and extend sporadically to
Polyrrhenia in the extreme West.0 Among common types of this class
1 P. of .1/., i, pp. 672-5, and cf. Figs. 492, the hieroglyphic series.
493. ■'' E.g., Xanthtidides, 'E<f). 'Ap^., 1907, PI.
■ E. H. Hall, Sphoungaras {Univ. of Pen- 8, No. 155. high-spouted vase, 156, flying
sylvania Museum, Anthropological- Piiblica- eagle. A ship type of this class is also from
tions), pp. 70, 71, and Fig. 45. See on this, Knossos (No. 49), another from Phaestos
P. of J/., i, p. 672. (No. So, PI. 7), a sepia appears on one from
Some imported specimens of this class, of .Rethymnos (No. 74), Scripla Miitoa, p. 209.
greenish fai'ence; were found in Melian tombs Cf.. too, Nos. 40 and 46 for similar types of
associated with pottery of the L. iVl. lb style, spouted vase.
see P. ofJtf., i, lot: oil. Two of these faience ,; I have impressions of two specimens
specimens are in the Collection of the British from that site, one apparently a conventional-
School at Athens. ization of the octopus type, another a degrada-
A kindred ' lion's mask ' type appears in tion of a spouted vase between branches.
Relation of Genii ewer-bearing to ' Talismanic' Class of Seal-stones.
To understand the function of the Minoan Genii as waterers and pro- Talis-
moters of vegetation it is necessary to recall a special function of the seal- "Jass'of
stones themselves on which these representations appear. They were in be:ui'
. . , r » seals with
fact, largely worn as charms to secure certain material benefits of more than libation
, - 1 vessels.
one kind.
In the present case it will be seen that the vessels borne by these m.m.iii
daemons, with their mostly prominent spouts, fit on to the motives of a -L-M-I<1
series of talismanic seal-stones that were already in very general use in the
Age immediately preceding that to which the bulk of these seals belong.
Some account of the general category of engraved stones to which this
series belongs has already been given in the First Volume of this work,
where their talismanic or amuletic character is clearly demonstrated.1
From the hasty execution of many of these intaglios and their conven-
tional designs it might at first have been thought that they belonged to
the very close of the Minoan decadence. The occurrence, however, of
many stones of this class, including specimens with spouted vases, in the
graves of the Sphungaras Cemetery in East Crete,2 belonging to M. M. Ill
and the succeeding L. M. I a stage3 shows that they are really a product
of a very flourishing period of Minoan Art history. It is clear, indeed,
that some of the types of this magical class, such as the lion's mask, go
back to the Second Middle Minoan Period.4
The area in which by far the greatest number of these have come
to light is the Province of Siteia, comprising the Easternmost district
of the Island, though they are also found in Mirabello, Pedeada, and
Central Crete generally, including Knossos,5 and extend sporadically to
Polyrrhenia in the extreme West.0 Among common types of this class
1 P. of .1/., i, pp. 672-5, and cf. Figs. 492, the hieroglyphic series.
493. ■'' E.g., Xanthtidides, 'E<f). 'Ap^., 1907, PI.
■ E. H. Hall, Sphoungaras {Univ. of Pen- 8, No. 155. high-spouted vase, 156, flying
sylvania Museum, Anthropological- Piiblica- eagle. A ship type of this class is also from
tions), pp. 70, 71, and Fig. 45. See on this, Knossos (No. 49), another from Phaestos
P. of J/., i, p. 672. (No. So, PI. 7), a sepia appears on one from
Some imported specimens of this class, of .Rethymnos (No. 74), Scripla Miitoa, p. 209.
greenish fai'ence; were found in Melian tombs Cf.. too, Nos. 40 and 46 for similar types of
associated with pottery of the L. iVl. lb style, spouted vase.
see P. ofJtf., i, lot: oil. Two of these faience ,; I have impressions of two specimens
specimens are in the Collection of the British from that site, one apparently a conventional-
School at Athens. ization of the octopus type, another a degrada-
A kindred ' lion's mask ' type appears in tion of a spouted vase between branches.