DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.34678#0021
EDITH H. HALL—DECORATIVE ART OF CRETE IN THE BRONZE AGE.
21
attempt to suggest by a wild goat and plant a scene from the outdoor world
attracts attention. Nothing so naturalistic or so original has appeared on
vases. Equally interesting is the design of the other seal. For here amid
spirals, scrolls, quatrefoil rosettes and other decorative motives familiar to
us from vases of this period appears a conventional flower which resembles
the papyrus blossoms known in contemporary Egyptian art/ and in later
stages of Cretan artd Again, among the clay sealings found in the remains
of a Middle Minoan II building to the southeast of the Knossos palace was
one (R. & A. 1901-2, VIII, p. 106, Fig. 63) which showed a lily design derived
from a Xllth dynasty scarab and two others (Zoc. cfh p. 107, Figs. 64 and 65)
which bore the design of the sacred double axe. Both of these motives appear
in the following period on vases. Two conclusions may be drawn: first, that
the gem cutter's art was subject to Egyptian influence in this period/ and
second, that the seals of this period anticipate the motives of later vases. The
designs of seal stones seem in some cases to have furnished inspiration to the
vase painters of this period. The decoration of the jar in PI. I, Fig. 1, is obviously
adapted from the gem cutter's art as Sig. Pernier points out (Afo%. A?rh
1905, XIV, Part 2, col. 459). The circle which confines the main part of the
decoration is equivalent to the field of a seal while the spiraliform pattern
within is such as is commonly used for decorating seals.
MIDDLE MlNOAN III.
We come now to the Middle Minoan III period, the era of the beginning of
the new palace at Knossos. At the first glance over the material available for a
study of the design of this period we observe that, contrary to what has before
been the case, painted vases are less numerous than other decorated objects.
Our knowledge of the character and tendencies of the art of this period would be
far less complete than it is, were it not for the lucky circumstance which pre-
served the collection of small faience objects in the "Temple Repositories"
of the Knossos palace. These well-known repositories included the appurte-
nances of a shrine of the snake goddess, conspicuous among which were the
figures of the goddess herself and of her votaries. There were also found a
number of votive robes and a series of small models of shells, fruit and flowers
iCompare, c. g., the papyrus blossoms from a Beni Hasan wall painting in Borchardt,
Dfe p. 27, Fig. 46, and the later Ptolemaic treatment of the
flower in f&fd. p. 42, Fig. 68.
s See PI. II.
^ For further evidence of the influence of Egyptian XII the dynasty scarabs on seals of
this period see A. J. Evans, Crehm p. 58, Fig. 49, and Pernier in A?h.
1905, XIV, Part 2, col. 446.
21
attempt to suggest by a wild goat and plant a scene from the outdoor world
attracts attention. Nothing so naturalistic or so original has appeared on
vases. Equally interesting is the design of the other seal. For here amid
spirals, scrolls, quatrefoil rosettes and other decorative motives familiar to
us from vases of this period appears a conventional flower which resembles
the papyrus blossoms known in contemporary Egyptian art/ and in later
stages of Cretan artd Again, among the clay sealings found in the remains
of a Middle Minoan II building to the southeast of the Knossos palace was
one (R. & A. 1901-2, VIII, p. 106, Fig. 63) which showed a lily design derived
from a Xllth dynasty scarab and two others (Zoc. cfh p. 107, Figs. 64 and 65)
which bore the design of the sacred double axe. Both of these motives appear
in the following period on vases. Two conclusions may be drawn: first, that
the gem cutter's art was subject to Egyptian influence in this period/ and
second, that the seals of this period anticipate the motives of later vases. The
designs of seal stones seem in some cases to have furnished inspiration to the
vase painters of this period. The decoration of the jar in PI. I, Fig. 1, is obviously
adapted from the gem cutter's art as Sig. Pernier points out (Afo%. A?rh
1905, XIV, Part 2, col. 459). The circle which confines the main part of the
decoration is equivalent to the field of a seal while the spiraliform pattern
within is such as is commonly used for decorating seals.
MIDDLE MlNOAN III.
We come now to the Middle Minoan III period, the era of the beginning of
the new palace at Knossos. At the first glance over the material available for a
study of the design of this period we observe that, contrary to what has before
been the case, painted vases are less numerous than other decorated objects.
Our knowledge of the character and tendencies of the art of this period would be
far less complete than it is, were it not for the lucky circumstance which pre-
served the collection of small faience objects in the "Temple Repositories"
of the Knossos palace. These well-known repositories included the appurte-
nances of a shrine of the snake goddess, conspicuous among which were the
figures of the goddess herself and of her votaries. There were also found a
number of votive robes and a series of small models of shells, fruit and flowers
iCompare, c. g., the papyrus blossoms from a Beni Hasan wall painting in Borchardt,
Dfe p. 27, Fig. 46, and the later Ptolemaic treatment of the
flower in f&fd. p. 42, Fig. 68.
s See PI. II.
^ For further evidence of the influence of Egyptian XII the dynasty scarabs on seals of
this period see A. J. Evans, Crehm p. 58, Fig. 49, and Pernier in A?h.
1905, XIV, Part 2, col. 446.