• Bone seal in shape of recumbent calf



Bone seal in shape of recumbent calf
Bone seal in shape of recumbent calf

Bone seal in shape of recumbent calf

Σ-Κ1044
Bone
Intact
Height: 1.3 cm. Length: 2.9 cm. Width: 2.4 cm.
Platanos
Annexe ζ
Early-Middle Bronze Age. Prepalatial period. Early Minoan ΙΙΙ- Middle Minoan ΙΑ period:
2200-1900 BC:
Gallery:
I
Case:
13
Exhibition thematic unit:
Early Bronze Age - Prepalatial period (3000 - 1900 BC). Settlements and cemeteries - the rise of ruling groups
Seals
Description
Seal in the shape of a lazily recumbent calf. It is made of bone, probably from a domestic animal. The shape of the seal and the walking lions framed by spirals on the sealing surface are very similar to those found on the contemporary precious seals of hippopotamus ivory. This is probably not a coincidence or experimentation, but rather a deliberate attempt to recreate a valuable item in easily accessible, “cheap” materials. However, the artistic rendering of the recumbent calf and the miniature composition on the sealing surface attest to the craftsman’s skill, which did not depend solely on the use of precious materials. The seal was found in a funerary annexe of the communal Tholos Tomb A, one of the largest known tholos tombs in Crete, in the rich cemetery of Platanos in the Mesara, together with a wealth of offerings accompanying dead members of the prosperous local communities.
Bibliography:
Xanthoudides, S. 1924. The Vaulted Tombs of Mesara. An account of some early cemeteries of Southern Crete. London. Krzyszkowska, O. 2005. Aegean Seals. An Introduction. University of London. Platon, N. 1969. Iraklion Archäologisches Museum.Die Siegel der Vorpalastzeit. CMS II, teil I. Berlin.
Author:
I. G.


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