DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7519#0119
84 THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF CRETE
The introduction of curvilinear motives, however, is more
important. The simple semicircle either above or below the
line (Fig. n ; 3, 4, 11, 12) might be accounted for by supposing
a revival of the incised designs of E.M.i, but when we come
to the interlocked curves and the running spirals we must
certainly look elsewhere, and certainly towards the Cyclades,
where the spiral motive was already well known. In Crete,
nearly every variation appears in this period, spirals with thick
centres, simple forms of running or rather connected spirals,
joined by one or more lines or by triangles (PI. XIII, 4, a),
and even an elaborate design taken from contemporary seal
stones.1
But in this new passion for linking the designs the earlier
free standing motive was not forgotten, and we find in the
circles, decorated inside with hatched segments, squares or
crosses, the true forerunners of the rosettes which are to be such
a feature of later Minoan pottery. Sometimes, admittedly, the
painter fell between two stools. He had a good single piece of
decoration, but he felt he must keep up with the times, and what
might well have been an effective design, if unconnected with
its fellow on the other side of the vase, is spoiled by meaningless
lines between the two, which only serve to exaggerate the
intervening space by dividing it up in an ugly way.2
For the first time animal figures make their appearance. It
is easy to see how they began. An adaptation of the old
' double axe ' motive such as Fig. 11, 19, gave the idea of
the body of an animal, and it is a small step to add the head
of a goat at one end. Sometimes a hatched oval gave the potter
the same idea and legs and ears are added.3 Eventually animals
designed as animals from the first appear.4
Before the end of the period polychromy is found, red paint
as well as white being used on the black background. This
may well be the result of a scheme of decoration not yet
mentioned in which a part only of the vase was covered by white
1 P. of M., I, Fig. 77, from the Kamarais cave. It is the only
good specimen of E.M.ni pottery from the whole of the Messara
district.
2 e.g. Palaikastro, B.S.A., Sup., Fig. 5c.
3 Trans. Penn. Univ., I, PI. XXVIII, 28.
4 B.S.A., Sup. PI. Ill, 1. This sequence of events has already
been seen in the faces on the Neolithic pottery at Trapeza, p. 41,
above. Naturalistic forms result from chance resemblances in
geometric patterns just as often as geometric patterns are the outcome
of stylizing naturalistic forms.
The introduction of curvilinear motives, however, is more
important. The simple semicircle either above or below the
line (Fig. n ; 3, 4, 11, 12) might be accounted for by supposing
a revival of the incised designs of E.M.i, but when we come
to the interlocked curves and the running spirals we must
certainly look elsewhere, and certainly towards the Cyclades,
where the spiral motive was already well known. In Crete,
nearly every variation appears in this period, spirals with thick
centres, simple forms of running or rather connected spirals,
joined by one or more lines or by triangles (PI. XIII, 4, a),
and even an elaborate design taken from contemporary seal
stones.1
But in this new passion for linking the designs the earlier
free standing motive was not forgotten, and we find in the
circles, decorated inside with hatched segments, squares or
crosses, the true forerunners of the rosettes which are to be such
a feature of later Minoan pottery. Sometimes, admittedly, the
painter fell between two stools. He had a good single piece of
decoration, but he felt he must keep up with the times, and what
might well have been an effective design, if unconnected with
its fellow on the other side of the vase, is spoiled by meaningless
lines between the two, which only serve to exaggerate the
intervening space by dividing it up in an ugly way.2
For the first time animal figures make their appearance. It
is easy to see how they began. An adaptation of the old
' double axe ' motive such as Fig. 11, 19, gave the idea of
the body of an animal, and it is a small step to add the head
of a goat at one end. Sometimes a hatched oval gave the potter
the same idea and legs and ears are added.3 Eventually animals
designed as animals from the first appear.4
Before the end of the period polychromy is found, red paint
as well as white being used on the black background. This
may well be the result of a scheme of decoration not yet
mentioned in which a part only of the vase was covered by white
1 P. of M., I, Fig. 77, from the Kamarais cave. It is the only
good specimen of E.M.ni pottery from the whole of the Messara
district.
2 e.g. Palaikastro, B.S.A., Sup., Fig. 5c.
3 Trans. Penn. Univ., I, PI. XXVIII, 28.
4 B.S.A., Sup. PI. Ill, 1. This sequence of events has already
been seen in the faces on the Neolithic pottery at Trapeza, p. 41,
above. Naturalistic forms result from chance resemblances in
geometric patterns just as often as geometric patterns are the outcome
of stylizing naturalistic forms.