Heraklion Archaeological Museum - CollectiveAccess System : Glass objects : Faience bell-shaped object [Υ278]

Faience bell-shaped object

Υ278

Faience

Mended and restored.

Height 5.8 cm.

Poros

Well Deposit

Middle Bronze Age. Protopalatial period, Middle Minoan IB period.:

1900-1800 BC:

Gallery:

III

Case:

Exhibition thematic unit:

Middle Bronze Age - Protopalatial period (1900-1700 BC). The First Palaces. The emergence of palatial societies

Religion and Cult. Cult in palaces and settlements

Description

This object is a particularly interesting miniature version in faience of the clay bell-shaped objects with an irregular cylindrical body, elongated conical appendages and a bow handle, probably for suspension. The surface is flaking, but it preserves the original greenish tint and the facial features (eyebrows, eyes, mouth) painted black. Clay bell-shaped objects, which are occasionally found in joined pairs, have been interpreted as “votive bells”, “votive model dresses”, “figurines” and “hieratic mask models”. This example, due to its material, small size and painted rendition of human facial features, may be a figurine or a miniature anthropomorphic vessel, although its size renders it functionally useless. It was found together with many clay objects of the same type and mostly small vessels in a small-scale rescue excavation, so the archaeological context does not offer definitive information on the character of the assemblage and the function of this particular artefact.

Bibliography:

Λείπει

Author:

I. N.

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