• Stone sceptre head in the shape of an axe and panther



Stone sceptre head in the shape of an axe and panther
Stone sceptre head in the shape of an axe and panther

Stone sceptre head in the shape of an axe and panther

Λ2109
Stone (Schist)
Intact
Height: 5.2 cm. Length: 15 cm.
Malia
Palace, West Wing
Middle Bronze Age. Protopalatial period, Middle Minoan ΙΙI period.:
c. 1700 BC:
Gallery:
III
Case:
24
Exhibition thematic unit:
Middle Bronze Age - Protopalatial period (1900-1700 BC). The First Palaces. The emergence of palatial societies
Symbols of authority. Weapons and symbols of authority
Description
Stone sceptre head in the shape of an axe and a panther in profile, made of grey-green schist. The right end is shaped like the forepart of a panther (head and forelegs), while the left side is a single axe head. The panther’s eyes are inlays of a different material, while the holes in its shoulder may also have been inlaid. The sceptre bears relief and incised decoration of spirals, small circles, chevrons, zigzags and straight lines. It was found in the West Wing of the palace of Malia, together with a large bronze sword with a gold-sheathed hilt and rock-crystal pommel. It was unquestionably an emblematic object, perhaps a badge of rank.
Bibliography:
Chapouthier, F. and Charbonneaux, J. Fouilles ex?cut?es ? Mallia I. Paris, 1928. Dimopoulou-Rethemiotaki, Ν. Το Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ηρακλείου. Athens, 2005, 116.
Author:
G. F.


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