Rhyton with relief decoration of mountain shrine
Λ2764
Stone (Chlorite), Metal (Gold)
Mended from many fragments.
Height: 37 cm. Maximum diameter: 13.8 cm.
Zakros
Palace
Late Bronze Age. Neopalatial period, Late Minoan ΙI period.:
1500 - 1450 BC:
Gallery:
VIIICase:
90Exhibition thematic unit:
Late Bronze Age - Neopalatial period (1700-1450 BC). Minoan religion. Palace cultDescription
Rhyton with relief open-air sanctuary, known as the “Sanctuary Rhyton” or the “Peak Sanctuary Rhyton”. It was originally covered in gold leaf, of which only tiny scraps survive in seven places. It depicts an open-air sanctuary in a rocky landscape with agrimia (wild goats). The sacred space is delimited by the fa?ade of a tripartite building and a wall enclosing an open area around it. The central part of the building resembles a closed door decorated with spirals. In the inner open area are three structures identified as altars: a large rectangular one, a smaller one consisting of two sections of uneven height, and a biconcave portable altar. The sides of the building, the enclosure wall and the altar with the uneven sections are crowned with horns of consecration, one of the most important Minoan religious symbols, often used to mark sacred spaces. Enclosures containing stepped platforms have been excavated at the open-air sanctuaries of Juktas and Syme Viannos, leading most scholars to believe that a similar sanctuary is depicted on the Zakros rhyton.Bibliography:
Dimopoulou-Rethemiotaki, Ν. Το Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ηρακλείου, Athens, 2005, 163-165. Platon, L. "Το Ανάγλυφο Ρυτό της Ζάκρου κάτω από ένα Νέο Σημασιολογικό Πρίσμα". In Α. Vlachopoulos and Κ. Birtacha (eds), Αργοναύτης. Τιμητικός Τόμος για τον Καθηγητή Χρίστο Γ. Ντούμα. Athens, 2003, 331-366. Platon, Ν. Ζάκρος. Το Νέον Μινωικόν Ανάκτορον. Athens, 1974, 150, 152-156, fig.76, 77, 94. Warren, P. Minoan Stone Vases. Cambridge, 1969, 87, 178-179.Author:
E. S.Photographs' metadata