Decorative arts

• Techniques

  1. cloisonne
  2. granulation
  3. nieklo
  4. filigreè
  5. repoussé
• Niello

  • black mixture of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead
  • used as a inlay engraved or etched on metal
  • in form of powder or paste then fired until it blackens
• Njello artifact uses

  • lion hunt dagger
• Repoussé

  • malleable metal (like gold) is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief/ less detail
• Granulation

  • minute grains or balls of gold are applied to surface in geometric or linear pattern
• Filigrée

  • ornamental work of fine wire (gold or silver) formed into delicate tracery
• Cloisonné

  • soldering of wire onto metal and then putting glass or gemstones into the pattern
• Lion-head spirit signet ring

  • rings used as symbol of power; gold would show status of owner
  • technique used= repousee
  • woman seated on folding chai; could be a goddess
  • lion spirits carry jugs; used for sacrificial purpose
  • lion represents power
  • wheat and sun; could be used for ritual connected to crops

  
• Mycenaen Diadem

  • worn by kings; gold as it’s a symbol of power
  • granulation technique used: balls in linear pattern
  • filigree (fine wire) used around balls
  • gives insight to craftsmanship of important ornamental objects

  
• Fresco influence and creation

  • influenced by Minoan style from crete
  • admired for use of colour and fine detail
  • created by using thick layer of plaster put on a stone wall to be decorated
• Colouring

  1. red= haematite mineral
  2. yellow= ochre
  3. white= lime
  4. green= mixture of blue and green or malachite
• Blue colour didnt occur naturally so it was expensive

  blue was used to impress observers
• Akrotiri Fresco

  1. fisherman
  2. coastal town procession
  3. women picking saffron
• Repeated patterns featured in frescos included swirls spirals or wavy lines
• Frescos location

  • found in palaces private houses and sometimes in public building
  • location of fresco provides an insight into the purpose and nature of their creation
• Strength of Frescos as evidence

  1. could show realistic portrayal of life
  2. provides information about specific aspects of society like clothing and hunting
• Limitations of Frescos as evidence

  1. often broken and heavily restored by archaeologists
  2. lacks perspective so subjects are disproportionate and therefore unclear
  3. limits depiction of people
• Fresco of fisherman (akrotiri)

  • red colour of skin represents tanned; shows occupation of a fisherman is a low status job
  • shows typical style of figures with averted gaze (seen in mycenaen lady)
  • has elaborate hairstyle suggesting he is young
  • uses blue colours; suggests owner is that of high status

  
• Procession and coastal town fresco

  • ships decorated with flower lilies and swallows
  • extreme detail; all clothes of figures are shown
  • abundance of flowers and high status clothes suggests this may be a festival
  • helmets hang underneath canopies of ships; suggests scene of conflict

  
• Lyre player fresco at palace of nestor in pylos

  • darker skin suggests worker of lower status
  • red background suggests fresco is less esteemed than that of its blue counterparts
  • heavily restored;purpose is vague as most details are unknown
  • doge could be a religious symbol like that of a bird omen (owls frequently mentioned in literature)

  
• Mycenaean jewelry

  • found in burial sites of Mycenae and tiryns
  • rings commonly made from gold
  • beads modules from gold or carved from gemstones amber or ivory
• Decorative injects

  1. pottery
  2. vessels
  3. figurines and ivory carvings
• Pottery

  • produced on potters wheel with iron rich slip and fired in kiln
  • common decorations were marine life and plant life
  • had spiral and linear patterns
• Purpose of pots/jars

  1. pithoi= storage
  2. amphorae= storage
  3. stirrup jar= storage of a liquid
  4. krater= mixing water
  5. kylix= dribling
• Pithoi

  • stored oil and food
  • fire hazard= lots of mycenaen cities suffering fires potentially due to the fact pithoi stored oil
• Vessels

  • cups made from gold
  • Schliemann named “cup of Nestor” after its mention in the Illiad; was significantly lighter than described
• Rhyta

  • animal head used to pour lqiuid
  • examples are the lion rhythm and bull rhyton
• Figurines

  • found in private houses and in tombs
  • found in children’s tombs suggesting there tous
  • also could be used in religious offerings as votive offerings to fulfill a prayer
• 3 types of figurine

  1. phi
  2. psi
  3. tau
• • phi and psi figures usually depict females
  • animal figurines such as snakes could be used for religious offerings
• Ivory carvings

  • obtained from elephants boat and hippopotamus
  • items made from ivory included columns, shields, sphinxes and ornaments
• Lion Rhyton (PS)

  • made out of a single sheet of gold; would’ve had a handle
  • found in grave circle A
  • uses techniques granulation in the eyes and repousse in fine details of the mane of the lion
  • lion was a high status animal and a potential symbol of mycenae (lion gate)
  • normal rhythms made from clay; suggests this was designed to be used for ceremonial events

  
• Wooden Hexagonal Pyxis (PS)

  • found in grave circle A
  • made from sheets of gold and wood (still intact/no restoration)
  • purpose for holding cosmetics and jewellery
  • high status item as it was found alongside 2 gold death masks (agamemnon)
  • depicts lion chasing a deer; gives impression of animals hunted
  • repousse techniques used for detail and filigree around each panel

  
• Amphora from Argos

  • has octopus as it’s subject sureounded by geometric pattern
  • amphorae used for storage
  • suggests decoration, despite detailed, was not to impress based on the puropose of amphorae