DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3044#0158
No. 21: LILIES 143
INDEX: Lilies
1 CMS IV 127a. 2 CMS IX 17b; AGD II 4a; CMS III 145c; 112 126c; IX 17b, 18c. 3 CMS XII 113b, 106c;
CS 118, 129, 170b, Cf: CMS 112 256a; CS 141. 4 AGD II 6c, Cf: CS 171b. 5 CMS 112 286b, 316a; IX 29;
Knossos P74al; Priv. Coll., England, side c. 6 CMS III 122. 7 Knossos L13*.
22: BRANCHES
Branches occur rather infrequently as decoration on seals of the MM IB-II Malia Workshop
Complex. In the example shown in no. 1 the branch runs the length of the seal face. Two paral-
lel branches are arranged the length of the field in no. 2. The date of the seal bearing this mo-
tif is roughly fixed by its comparison with the seals of this complex.
On seals of the MM II (-? ) Hieroglyphic Deposit Group branches are common as fill orna-
ment (cf. no. 3). These branches may have regular, feather-like twigs or may appear without fol-
iage.
A decoratively stylized representation of a branch appears in no. 4, a sealing design from
the MM IIB Phaistos sealing deposit. This feather-like branch forms an encircling frame for the
main motif.68
INDEX: Branches
1 CMS IV 128a, Similar: CMS VII 28b. 2 CMS 112 201a, Sim: CMS VII 30a. 3 Knossos P63al; CMS VIII 43;
XIII 37; CS 112, 121, 133, 138, 168b, 170d, 201, Sim: CM Ilia. 4 CMS 115 310*.
23: TUBULAR DRILL ORNAMENT
> Ornament cut with a tubular drill is the single most common motif documented on early
Cretan seals; about two hundred seal faces show this kind of decoration. The vast majority of
cases are carved into seals in soft stone. The borings are formed by a center point which is en-
circled by one or more concentric rings. Generally the point is cut more deeply than are the cir-
cles. Occasionally, however, this motif is irregularly cut, evidently by hand (cf. no. 9). In the
case of examples cut in hard stone, the centerpoint does not appear (cf. nos. 4, 8, 10, 11).
Dozens of examples of concentric circles with a center point are carved on seals from MM
II and MM III contexts (cf. nos. 12-14, 18, 19) but the earliest occurrences of such motifs are
imperfectly understood.70 The example shown in no. 1 occurs on a Reel from an EM H-MM IA
context in Lenda. In this design a boring from a concentric drill forms the center of a Dreipass.
The seal bearing no. 2 is attributed to the EM III-MM IA (-? ) Border/Leaf Complex on the basis
of the motifs on the other seal faces. No. 2 differs from the main series of centered circles for
several reasons: Although each circle is oriented on a middle point, the distance between the cen-
ter and perimeter is relatively broad. Also, the circles overlap each other symmetrically; generally
the concentric circles which appear on seals in soft stone (cf. nos. 5, 6, 18) are composed asym-
INDEX: Lilies
1 CMS IV 127a. 2 CMS IX 17b; AGD II 4a; CMS III 145c; 112 126c; IX 17b, 18c. 3 CMS XII 113b, 106c;
CS 118, 129, 170b, Cf: CMS 112 256a; CS 141. 4 AGD II 6c, Cf: CS 171b. 5 CMS 112 286b, 316a; IX 29;
Knossos P74al; Priv. Coll., England, side c. 6 CMS III 122. 7 Knossos L13*.
22: BRANCHES
Branches occur rather infrequently as decoration on seals of the MM IB-II Malia Workshop
Complex. In the example shown in no. 1 the branch runs the length of the seal face. Two paral-
lel branches are arranged the length of the field in no. 2. The date of the seal bearing this mo-
tif is roughly fixed by its comparison with the seals of this complex.
On seals of the MM II (-? ) Hieroglyphic Deposit Group branches are common as fill orna-
ment (cf. no. 3). These branches may have regular, feather-like twigs or may appear without fol-
iage.
A decoratively stylized representation of a branch appears in no. 4, a sealing design from
the MM IIB Phaistos sealing deposit. This feather-like branch forms an encircling frame for the
main motif.68
INDEX: Branches
1 CMS IV 128a, Similar: CMS VII 28b. 2 CMS 112 201a, Sim: CMS VII 30a. 3 Knossos P63al; CMS VIII 43;
XIII 37; CS 112, 121, 133, 138, 168b, 170d, 201, Sim: CM Ilia. 4 CMS 115 310*.
23: TUBULAR DRILL ORNAMENT
> Ornament cut with a tubular drill is the single most common motif documented on early
Cretan seals; about two hundred seal faces show this kind of decoration. The vast majority of
cases are carved into seals in soft stone. The borings are formed by a center point which is en-
circled by one or more concentric rings. Generally the point is cut more deeply than are the cir-
cles. Occasionally, however, this motif is irregularly cut, evidently by hand (cf. no. 9). In the
case of examples cut in hard stone, the centerpoint does not appear (cf. nos. 4, 8, 10, 11).
Dozens of examples of concentric circles with a center point are carved on seals from MM
II and MM III contexts (cf. nos. 12-14, 18, 19) but the earliest occurrences of such motifs are
imperfectly understood.70 The example shown in no. 1 occurs on a Reel from an EM H-MM IA
context in Lenda. In this design a boring from a concentric drill forms the center of a Dreipass.
The seal bearing no. 2 is attributed to the EM III-MM IA (-? ) Border/Leaf Complex on the basis
of the motifs on the other seal faces. No. 2 differs from the main series of centered circles for
several reasons: Although each circle is oriented on a middle point, the distance between the cen-
ter and perimeter is relatively broad. Also, the circles overlap each other symmetrically; generally
the concentric circles which appear on seals in soft stone (cf. nos. 5, 6, 18) are composed asym-