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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 September 2013
The fragments of an early Mycenaean pictorial krater decorated with fish from Maroni in Cyprus are discussed and illustrated. The piece is considered within the broader context of contemporary representations, and it is suggested that Minoan representations of bird and fish motifs provided the inspiration for the use of these two themes in the early stages of Mycenaean vase-painting.
Acknowledgements. We are most grateful to all those who have helped with information and advice, supplied photographs or drawings, or allowed us to study material in their care: Dr H. W. Catling, Dr K. Demakopoulou, Miss J. L. Fitton, Dr W. Güntner, Mrs V. Hankey, Dr K. Kilian, Mrs E. Korinou, Mr A. A. D. Peatfield. We warmly thank Miss S. Bird for her drawings of the Maroni krater fragments, Mrs A. Traga and Mr R. Leenheer for the drawing and photograph of the Menelaion fragment respectively, and Mr S. Laidlaw for assistance in preparing the illustrations.
Abbreviations in addition to those in standard use:
BMC Walters, H. B., Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum i, 2 (1912).Google Scholar
Maroni Johnson, J. J., Maroni de Chypre. SIMA 73 (1980).Google Scholar
MPVP E. Vermeule and V. Karageorghis, Mycenaean Pictorial Vase-Painting (1982).
1 See Walters, H. B., in Murray, A. S.et al., Excavations in Cyprus (1900) 57–86Google Scholar; and also Maroni. For the recently resumed excavations, mainly in settlement areas, at Maroni see Cadogan, G. in Archaeology in Cyprus 1960–1985, ed. Karageorghis, V. (1985) 195–7.Google Scholar
2 See Maroni 8.
3 Maroni 16 with pls. x–xi: lily fragment—no. 38 (piriform jar with FM 9); chariot fragments–nos. 33 and 34 (BMC 355 = MPVP IV. 59), no. 36 (BMC 356, probably not from the same vase), no. 37 (BMC 336 = MPVP IV. 53).
4 A detailed analysis of amphoroid kraters and their decoration, with special reference to chariot kraters, is to be found in Morris' forthcoming doctoral thesis.
5 E.g. MPVP III.2 and III.7, both from Enkomi and by the same painter.
6 MPVP III.B (Pyla Verghi), III.1 (Dhekelia).
7 MPVP VII.6 (?Attica, Louvre CA 2958).
8 Morris op. cit. (n. 4) for design element analysis of chariot compositions on Mycenaean pictorial pottery.
9 We thank Dr H. W. Catling for this information.
10 Crouwel's examination of these fragments (August 1986) indicates that, despite close correspondence in fabric, shape and decoration, (4) and (5) must come from two kraters and not one, as assumed in MPVP (VII.8). This is demonstrated by slight differences in the decoration, particularly the width of the encircling band below the rim and the filling motifs above the fish as well as the rim diameters.
11 Pylos: an open krater and a closed vessel (MPVP VII.9–10; Blegen, C. W. and Rawson, M., The Palace of Nestor at Pylos in Western Messenia i (1973) pls. 139:right, near top, and 152:top).Google Scholar
Thebes: a remarkable sherd showing a group of fish in a net. From a LM II–IIIA1 Palace Style jar or larnax (MPVP VII.K; Spyropoulos, T. G., ADelt 24:81 (1969) 183, pl. 193a).Google Scholar
Prosymna (Argive Heraion): large, fragmentary bowl, perhaps Minoan (MPVP VII.i2; Waldstein, G., The Argive Heraeum ii (1905) 80 fig. 12Google Scholar; FM 20:1).
Mycenae: small, closed vase (MPVP X.83; (1985) pl. 15:2380.
12 See French, E., BSA 59 (1964) 248–9Google Scholar; Mountjoy, P. A., Mycenaean Decorated Pottery SIMA 73 (1986) 84.Google Scholar On the basis of the evidence of the Atreus Bothros, Mycenae, FS 7 is now considered to be the typical LH IIIA1 form (cf. LH IIIA2 early according to Furumark), with FS 6 being a rather rare variant. While the advanced conical-piriform shape of FS 8 is typical of LH IIIA2 late, the character of the LH IIIA2 early shape is not clear and at present it seems that it cannot be differentiated from the LH IIIA1 form without the criterion of decoration.
13 Amphoroid krater, Knossos (HM 3599): Evans, A., The Palace of Minos iv (1935) 305 fig. 239Google Scholar; Popham, M., The Destruction of the Palace of Knossos. SIMA 12 (1970) 172 pl. 47c.Google Scholar
14 Basket rhyton, Varkiza (NM 8556): Theocharis, M., Antiquity 34 (1960) 266–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Popham, M., AJA 68 (1964) 350CrossRefGoogle Scholar; MPVP VII.J; Mountjoy, P. A., BSA 79 (1984) 213.Google Scholar
15 Basket rhyton, Ashmolean Museum 1910.86, and jar, 1938.496: Mountjoy, op. cit. 174 (Kn.6), and 182 (Kn.46) respectively; rhyton: Mackenzie, D., JHS 23 (1903) 198 fig. 14 topCrossRefGoogle Scholar; bowl: Popham, op. cit. (n. 13) fig. 8:3, pl. 40d (North-West House). There are two additional fragments, from a rhyton and a large closed vessel, in the Stratigraphical Museum, Knossos.
16 Mountjoy, op. cit. 167.
17 Neimeier, W.-D., Die Palaststilkeramik von Knossos. Archäologische Forschungen 13 (1985) 33–6 fig. 9:18.Google Scholar
18 MPVP 17.
19 We thank Dr H. Nijssen and Sheilagh Wall for sharing their knowledge of fish with us.
20 Gill, M. A. V., ‘Some observations on representations of marine animals in Minoan art, and their identification’, in L'Iconographie Minoenne. BCH Supplement xi, ed. Darcque, P. and Poursat, J.-C. (1985) 63–81.Google Scholar
21 MPVP 17.
22 BMC 75.
23 Maroni 16.
24 Common dolphin (Delphinus delphin L): Norman, J. R. and Fraser, F. C., Giant Fishes, Whales and Dolphins (1948) 329.Google Scholar For Bronze Age representations, see Gill, op. cit. (n. 20) 65–7; Kaiser, B., Untersuchungen zum Minoischen relief (1976) 79–98.Google Scholar
25 Tunny fish (Thunnus thynnus): Norman and Fraser, op. cit. 142–8; Bronze Age representations: Gill, op. cit. 70 fig. 11.
26 Red mullet (Mullus surmuletus): (1985) 169.
27 Cf. MPVP 17—‘Their massive bodies are shaded to indicate colour change.’
28 Contra MPVP, where numerous chariot scenes are dated to LH IIIA1. Our grounds for disagreement are given in Crouwel, and Morris, , BSA 80 (1985) 97.Google Scholar
