Clay model of circular building
ΣΓ376
Clay
Mended and restored in places, particularly on the figures on the roof
Height: 18 cm.Base diameter: 14.2 cm.
Archanes
Geometric period:
c. 810 BC:
Gallery:
XVIIICase:
183Exhibition thematic unit:
Geometric - Archaic period (10th-6th c. BC). The cemetery of the city of PriniasDescription
Clay model of a circular building. The exterior is decorated with spirals and herringbone patterns. It has a cylindrical opening in the roof for a chimney, and a separately made door leaf with a chequerboard pattern and animal-headed doorknob. Two male figures are lying on the roof and looking through the opening. They are wearing headbands, while their garments and facial features are picked out in brown paint. A dog is lying in front of the hole. Inside the building is a seated goddess with upraised arms, wearing a polos headdress. Her garments and details of her anatomy are also rendered in brown paint. The building model has been made on a potter’s wheel, while the figures were modelled separately and attached. The building has been interpreted as a shrine or a tomb, while the female figure inside is believed to represent a goddess. The male figures are probably worshippers or secondary deities such as the Dioscuri. The identification of the goddess is based on surviving cult elements of the Late Minoan period. The theme of secret observation is thought to be a chthonic underworld theme, while this model may come from a burial.Bibliography:
Alexiou S., “Πρωτογεωμετρικός ναΐσκος της συλλογής Γιαμαλάκη”, Κρητικά Χρονικά vol. 4 (1950), [441]-462.Author:
S. P.Photographs' metadata