Minoan Art in Ancient Greece

Vassiliki Ware

EM II

Little is known about EM architecture

Kamares Ware

MM II (1800-1750 BCE)

Late Kamares jar with palm trees

MM III (ca 1700 BCE)

Floral style jug

Phaistos

LM IA (ca 1700-1600 BCE)

Marine style stirrup jar

Palaikastro

LM IB (ca 1600-1500 BCE)

Palace style jar with double axes

Knossos

LM II (ca 1500-1450 BCE)

Palace style jar with Mycenaean helmet

Knossos

LM II (ca 1500-1450 BCE)

this piece is more geometric

more references to military

more warlike mindset?

Clay seal impression

Khania

ca 1500 BCE

city/palace scene with male figure

composite perspective (frontal eye on a side profile)

men had long hair

gives an aura of movement

Queen’s Megaron

Palace of Knossos

Dancing girl with flowing hair wall painting

Queens Negaron (Knossos)

ca 1550-1500 BCE

very small areas of the mosaic are preserved

there’s enough to figure out what was depicted and to reconstruct it

Dolphin fresco

Queen’s Negaron (Knossos)

ca 1550-1500 BCE

Snake goddess faience

“Temple Repositories” Palace of Knossos

ca. 1600 BCE

2 examples

more detailed features than those in Cycladic figures

bare chested and emphasized hourglass figure

communicative facial expression?

not a nude figure, rather fully clothed except for the chest

artist could have had mommy issues (interpretative leap)

could either be a divine woman representation (breast feeding was part of goddesses) or a sexually erotic artwork

Gold seal ring with ritual dance

Isopata

ca. 1600 BCE

Male figurine

Palaikastro (Kouros from Palaikastro)

ca. 1500

ivory, gold, serpentine, rock, crystal

Bull head rhyton

Knossos

ca 1500 BCE

Serpentine

rhytons were used for pouring libations for the dead. more symbolic like making an offering

Toreador fresco with gift bearers

Palace of Knossos

ca. 1500

gift bearers are light-skinned—are the female or male?

light-skinned usually means female

“Priest-King” relief painting

Palace of Knossos

ca. 1550 BCE

Processional fresco with gift bearers

Palace of Knossos

ca 1550 BCE

“La Parisienne” fragment from the “Camp Stool Fresco”

Knossos

ca 1500 BCE

Drawing of Camp Stool Fresco

Cat stalking a pheasant fresco

Hagia Triada

ca 1550 BCE

The Phaistos Disc

Palace of Phaistos

ca 1900-1700 BCE

Marble Amphora

Palace of Zakros

Libation Vase (rhyton)

Palace of Zakros

LM I (1550-1500 BCE)

Rhyton with peak sanctuary

Zakro

LM I (1550-1500 BCE)

serpentine (chlorite?)

shows a different way of representing distance'/depth in art

The “Chieftan’s Cup”

Hagia Triada

LM I (1550-1500 BCE)

serpentine

The Harvester Vase

Hagia Triada

LM I (1550-1500 BCE)

serpentine

The Hagia Triada sarcophagus

Hagia Triada

ca 1400 BCE

limestone with surface plastered and painted