The Mycenae-Vapheio Lion Group

The Mycenae-VapheioLion Group.

IOHN G. YOUNGER

A bstract Fewer rings and sealstonessurr.ive than sherds. Efiorts * to .identify artistic workshops of the Late so lesshas been attempredin the u.av of artribu- Age Frg"T have generally .o.r."nt."tid on products tion. Certain scholars,horvever, have erpressed in individual media. Certain media, however, share more cor.rfidence;and Boardman and the presenr techniques;for example,chasing in metal and carv- writer have assembledgroups of stvlisticallr. ing in stone both use engraving techniques. Thus re_ lated seals it is theoreticallypossible io ,ttrilbut. woris in vari- and rings as the prod.,ci, of r-arior-r: ous media. to a single workshop. The present paper glyptic workshopsand masters.2 discusses thirty-two Mycenaean-objectsranging'from So far, scholars have attempted to identifv a bronze and niello daggers to lentoid sealsiones.On master or shop only from work in one medium. stylistic grounds, these pieces may be divided into There is, however, no reasonto assumethat an early and a late phaie of a single artistic work- arusrs -of in the Bronze shop. On the bases the proven'ience and dated Age confined themselvesto a sinsle contexts of the attributed works this rvorkshop be- medium alone. Insread,it is likely that the pie- gan production ar Mycenae in LH I for the nobles historic artist was a versatile artisan, working in buried in Shaft Grave III; the workshop,s styie a range of materialsand techniques. seemsto have run its course in LH II, as seen'in If there is any possibilityof identifying such the attributed works from the Vapheio and Rutsi an artist of tholoi. Becausethe products of the workshop have the Bronze Age, his diverse producrs mainly been identified through cerrain siylistic ought to be recognizedeasily within a large. grorrp traits in the rendering of lions, and because-these of works that all come from one place and were p-roductshave mainly come to light at Mycenae and all depositedar much Vapheio, the same time. The artifacts _they may be said to Iorm the Mycenae- Vapheio Lion Group. found in the Shaft Graves at Mycenae rhus con- stitute a natural point d'appui, for they are roughly No'"v that the efiorts of many scholars have contemporary,belonging to the formative years of helped to arricuhte the general ,rii.n, characreris- the Mycenaean period, and they differ grearly in tics of Late Minoan and Mycenaean styles in a form, function, and material. Another distinctive number of artistic media, a few are beginning to featuremakes analysis easierl though the repertory attempt to go further and identify workshops and of figured represenrarionsis large, the lion is the hands. For the ceramic material results have been animal most frequently depicted. encouraging; with some confidence we can make This paper is concernedwith thirty-two objects, attributions to a Reed Painreq to a Polyp Work- many of which carry lions rendered in a highly shop, and to a group of Pictorialists.l distinctive way. Most of these objects come from

* Thc iclea for papcr this was clevelopcd indcpcndently from, Vermeule - E.T. Vermeule, "The Art of the Shaft though approximatcll, at the same time as, Professor Emily T. Graves at Mycenae," lectures in honor of Louise Vcrmeule's lecturc, "The Art of the Shaft Graves at Myccnae." Taft Semple, presenrecl3o April and r May 1973 I am grateful to Pro{essors E.T. Vermeule, G. Kopcke, and at the University of Cincinnati (Universitl, of L. Richardson for rcading this paper ancl for generously of- Oklahoma Press.r975). fering manl valuable suggestions. 1Rcspectively, M.R. Popham,"Late Minoan potter;, A Sum- In addition to the usual abbreviations, the follorving have mary," 8.1,4 6z (t967) P.P. Betancourr, ,,The pol1.p been usetl: 34r-qz Workshop: A Sqlistic Group from LM Ib," AIA 77 g97 j1 AGdS - Antifte Gennen in deutschen Sammltmpen 333-J4i B.L. I3enson,"Observations on M1'cenaeanVasc-paint- (Munich 1968- ). ers," AIA 65 (r96r) 337-47;F. Stubbings,',Some Ml.cenaean CS - V.E.G. Kenna, Cretan Seals (Oxford 196o). Arhsts," BSA 46 (r95r) t68-77. CMS - Corptrs der ntinoischen-myllcnischcn r ,,Towards Siegel (Ber- Respectivelr',GGFR j9 j-96; and J.G. younger, lin r964- ). the Chronologv of Aegean Glyptic in the Late Bronze Age,,' GGFR - J. ISoardman, Grecl1 Gems and Finger Rings unpublishedPh.D. dissertation,University of Cincinnatr r973 (London r97o). (University Microiilms 7j-za, 867) 4o5-49. Angela Tamvakis [i3ys G. - Karo, Die Sc/tac.htgriiber Lon Myftenai (Munich has collcctedfour sealstonesthat may come from a LH IIIB(l) r93o-r933). n'orkshop,AA,1 6 (t97 j) jo8-t5. 186 IOHN G. YOUNGER |AIA 82 the MycenaeShaft Graves; otherscome from the This is a powerful and statelywork; the broad Vaphero Tholos Tomb. The lions on all these planes for iowls and rnuzzle, the firm ridges for cheek muscles. objects share certain anatomicalpecuiiarities and the sharp articulations between head and mane and for nose-andeyebrows, the impressedcircles conventionsin rendering,which will be pointedout for whiskers, the short incisions for rufis, and the in the following catalogue.Additional attributrons overlapping flamelike locks of the mene, are ell de- to the group can be made on the basisof similar liberate conventions which imoart a bold but formal conventionsused in depicting animals other than quality. The face raised,mask-iike, above the rounded lions. plane of the mane is a curious feature: the oppositeis exJrected. Boardman has alreadypointed out stylisticsimi- Many of the lions on smaller works from the larities between the gold lion's head rhyton from Shaft Graves show similar characteristics: broad Mycenae Shaft Grave IV (fig. r) and lions on planes, incised ruffs that now appear on belly and severaisealstones.s This rhyton may be taken as haunches, flame locks for the mane, and the masklike our point of departure and its type of lion then face. These lions also convey, characteristically,great power and spirit. sought in other early works from Mycenae. z. (Fig. u) Karo 395. Dagger in niello. Ob- verse and reverse:three eold lions in iow relief run A. The MycenaeSubgroup in r fying grllop down ih. bl"d.. Wrvy contours in I. From Mycenae niello flow from the margins to fiIl spaces. a. Shaft GraveIV :. (Fig. 3) Karo 394. Dagger in niello. Ob- r. (Fig. r) Karo 273.GoId rhyton in the form verse: a lion attacksa small herd of five sazelles.He of a lion's head. fells one towrrd the hilt while the others flee in e flying gallop down the blade. Three gazelles are in- tent on escaping,but one worriedly turns its head regardant. Reverse:four men armed with shields,spears, and bows and arrows attack r pride of three lions. Two escapedown the blade in fying gallop, but the third, the fiercest, having kiiled one hunter, turns to attack his four comrades.n Besidesthe distinctive rendering of the lions, the gazellestoo exhibit interesting featurespresent in other depictions.Their heads resemble those of the horseson the gold ring No. r3 and on the sword No. r7, both below; their sleek bodies match those of the leopardson the dagger No. rJ, and on the gold pom- mei, No. J, where they appear similarly dappled. This dagger also presentsa highly sophisticated narration. On the obverse,a lion attacksgazelles, while on the reversea lion de{endshimself asainst attackers. In both scenesthe aggressorattacks from the hilt of the dagger, while the attacked is depicted toward the tip of the blade. The composition thus stands as a metaphor lor the use of the dagger itself. b. Shaft Grave III +. (Fig. .1) Karo 295b. Ivory sword pommel. Around the body of the pommel four lions run clockwise in fying gallop; their heads,noses to center,form a tetraskelion design at the top. Though the crimped fur on the belliesand haunchesof theselions is omit- ted, the treatment of manes and heads and the bold Frc. r. No. r. Gold rhyton from Mycenae, Shaft symmetrical composition require the inclusion of this GrevelV (afterKaro) pommel here.

present prefcr s 6G.FR395-96, Groups A ancl |. for them all thc same mrster. The writer woulcl J tu trblc the querti,'n rt this tinre. Vermeule n :i !!c,'mnrrC: irrf t'. )v' the style of this rlagger to that of the Silver Siege Rhyton and Stele K. r4jr, suggestrng t:,

Frc. 3. No. 3. Dagger from Mycenae,Shaft Grave IV, detail (photo author) nffi loHN G. YOUNGER lAlA 82 -ll[&a

Frc. 4. No. 4. Ivory pommel from Mycenae, Shaft Grave III, resrored drawing (after Karo)

S. (Fig. 5) Karo 295a. Gold-plated sword pommel. Around the body of the pommel a lion atracks a leopard; both run clockwise in flying gallop. The leopard's dappling resembles that of the gazelles on No. 3 obverse and the Kerbschnitt decoration on the tail resembles the grooving on the lion tails of No. 6. The crimped belly fur is here presenr Ft9, No. Gold-platedpommel from Mycenae, again. 5, 5. Shaft Grave III, restoreddrawing (after Karo) On the foreiimbs of both felines a prominenr vein curves from the elbow across the leg io the top of the paw. Such a vein occurs in nature across the slope. An arrow has pierced his shoulder and he turns hindleg where on the interior it is called the grear his snarling head toward it.s saphena,and on the exterior the small saphena.These 8. (Figs. 9, ro) Karo y @MS I 9). Gold veins appear in other depictions of animals both cor- cushion-shaped seal. A lion at left rears right to bite rectly on the hindleg and incorrectly on the foreleg, the shoulder of a man who lifts his dagger to stab both interior and exterior; cf. Nos. 7-rr, 19,2c',29,3c.. the lion in the neck. 6. (Fig. 6) Karo trgf no. Inlays of reddish The dimensions of both these gold cushion- gold. Three lions attack a bull running in flying gallop. shaped seals,Nos. 7 and 8, are exactly lhe same and One apparendy complete and one incomplete example so is the style of engraving. Also, both lions exhibit are preserved with the bull to right; another frag- the correcdy placed great saphena (inside the hind, ment shows the bull to left. leg) but the small saphena is boldly, though incor- The lion tails are thick like the leooard's on rectly, placed on rhe ioreleg's ex6rio., no No. 5, and their grooving recalls the latter's Kerb- doubt for effect. ^.rr.rrlr. schnitt. The locks of the mane are also depicted by In addition, both lions have paws rendered by - repouss6ovals, a shape conveniently produced in small clusters of dots. Such a conventi;n was probably metal objects; the same manes appear in Nos. 7 and 8. thought appropriate for srone and gold carving (ai, 7. (Figs. 7, 8) Karo 3a @MS I ro). Gold e_.g.,the oval manes), for such paws appear on all cushion-shaped seal. A lion runs left down a rocky the succeeding sealstones,except \los. rr-and zo. 5 Vermeule,p. 38, seesthis sceneas a detailfrom a larger I 248 from Vapheioand No. z5 below),but the mostcommon composition.It may more likely belong to the genre sceneof are capridson Minoanseals (but cf. No. 3z below). solitarywounded animals; a few of theseare lions (e.g.,CMS te78l Iv{YCENAE-VAPHEIOLION GROUP 289

Frc. 8. No. 7. Gold cushion-sealfrom Mycenac, Shaft Grale III, impression (photo author)

l r l

Frc. 9. No. 8. Gold cushion-sealfrom Mycenae, (photo Frc. 7. No. 7. Gold cushion-seal from Mycenae, Shait Grare lll author) Shaft Grave III (photo author) 290 IOHN G. YOUNGER IAIA 82

ro. (Figs. 12, 13) AGiS lI Berlin 34, said to be from Athens. Lentoid seal of agate. A srag runs left,.head up. Above. a lion to right bites the stag's nlndquarters. The detailed treatment of the flame-like locks of the mane seems reminiscent of sood metalwork rvith which the rather dry modelling of the animals agrees.Compare the similar style of No. 29.

Ftc. ro. No. 8. Gold cushion-sealfrom Mycenae, Shaft Grave III, impression(photo aurhor)

II. From Elsewhere S. (Fig. n) CMS XIII zo. Lentoid of sard Frc rz. No. ro. Lentoid seal,said to be from Athens from Mycenae. Two lions rampant and antithetic (courtesy, StaatlichesMuseum, Berlin) attack a stag rampant between them.

Frc. rr. No. 9. Lentoid sealfrom Mycenae,impression Frc;.r3. No. ro. Lentoid seal.said to be from Athens, (courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) irnpression (courtesy. StaatlichesMuseum, Berlin) t') 1e781 MYCENABVAPHEIO LION GROUP 291 .o rr. (Fig. 14) CS k. pl. ts 3t4 GGPR 9'),0 provenience unknown. kntoid seal of carnelian. A s lioness stands right on rough terrain? with her head under the belly. is k ts

Frc. r5. No. r3. Gold ring from Mycenae, Shafr Grave III, impression (photo author)

14. (Fig. 16) Karo z4r (CMS I 16). Gold ring. In the cenrer a hand-to-hand duel. At right a nude man sits on the rough ground, while at left a helmeted warrior prepares to strike the dagger wielder with a iong spear, coming from behind a large shield. Clustered drops frame the scene. Frc. 14. No. rr. Lentoid seal,provenience unknown, impression (photo aurhor)

III. Pieces Attributable to the Mycenae Subgroup a. Mycenae, Shaft Grave III , 12. Karo 35 (CMS I rr). Gold cushion-shaped seal. Duel. The warriors compare rvell with those on Nos. 3 reverse and r4. Though this cushion seal is smaller than Nos. and 8 it is 7 similar in shape- and in technique, and must belong with them. b. Mycenae, Shaft Grave IV 13. (Fig. r5) Karo z4o (CMS I r5). Goid ring. Two men stand in a chariot to right drawn by a pair of horses in flying gallop over rough terrain. One of the, men, an archer, prepares to shoot a stag, upper-ind right, running right regardant. Clustered drops a plant serveas fillers. The stag in pose, shape,and dappling resembles the fourth gazell,eon No. 3 obverse, and both stag Frc. 16. No. r4. Gold ring from Mycenae, Shaft and horseshave crimped bellies; cf. No. 32. Grave III, impression (photo author) {iKenna. CS t j4 s.n.k.3r4, identifies this sealas the prod- from Midea Chamber Tomb ro (Younger, "A Gll,ptic Sketch uct of the same master who tlid our No. ro. He also aligns from Isopata HM 9o8," Kudmos 13 lr974l 3 n. rr). Both it with our No. ("Some 3r Eminent Cretan Gem Engravers,', terrain and cloud exhibit an incohcrent outline and vague Fe-etschrilt Friedriclt Jiir Matz lMainz r96z; hereafter abbrevi- moclelling which cliffer markedly' from the crisper forms and ated Frt. Matzl and 9) with CMS YII rrq. distinct gradations of surface used in defining most icono, 7 Coulcl the "rough terrain" bc an unfinishetl part of thc graphic elements on sealstones. compositioni Compare the "leonine cloutl" on CMS l tqz 292 loHN G. YOUNGER IAIA 82 These . two rings, Nos. 13 and 14, are identical simultaneousones. The leopardsare comparableto the in shape: their bezels and hoops are the same size animal on No. 5; the nicllo technique is also found and their decoration is in the iame stvle. The rnen on Nos. 2 and 3; and the narrative quality recalls on No. 14 are rendered similarly to those on Nos. 8 that on No. 3. and r3; and the clusrereddrops compare with those 16. (Figs. r9, zo) on No. 13. . Karo 747. Bronze dagger. Oblerse and reverse: four griffins in c. Mycenae, Shaft Grave V low relieiiun (Figs. clown rhc blede in flying gellop. r5. 17, 18) Karo 765. Dagger in niello. The wings (Jbverseand reverse: two leopards hunt ducks along are decoratedr,vith Kerbschnitt like the griffin's a river_teemingwith fish and bordered by papyrus. on No. 19 below, and like the leopard,s ta-il Karo has pointed out that the obverse carries on No. 5. Both the stiff pose and relief technique two consecutivescenes, while the reversecarries rwo of the grifins narch those of the lions on No. z.

Frc. r7. No. r5. Dagger from Mycenae,Shaft Gra'e V, obverse(after Karo)

Frc. r8. No. r5. Dagger from Mycenae,Shaft Gra'e V, reverse(after Karo)

Frc' r9. No. r6. Dagger {rom Mycenae,Shaft Grare v, ob'erse (aiter Karo) l2 re78l MYCE,NAE-VAPHEIO LION GROUP 293 l:te rrc :--. .t-s xa -, +\n-

,,-! r9**a*ar{i

Frc. zo. No. r6. Dagger from Mycenae,Shaft ()rave V, reverse(after Karo)

17. (Fig. zr) Karo 748. Sword. Ten horsestn low reliet run down either side of the keel of the blade in flying gallop. Their shape, manes, and crimped bellies and hrunches compare with those of the team of horses on No. 13; their full tails resemblethose of the leopards on Nos. 5 and 15. ; r8. Karo razJ. (;ra\:e stele found over Shaft Grave V. A man standsin a chariot drawn by a horse in flying gallop over e fallen warrior with shield. Be- low, a lion right hunts en anirnalwith horns and a long tail (roel antelopei). Returning spirais frame the stele.

Frc. zz. No. r9. Lentoid seal from Vapheio, impression(photo author) Frc. z r. No. r7. Sword from Mycenae,Shaft Grave V, detail (photo author) taii on No. J; the monster'slegs are veined; the paws are dotted like those on Nos. ro and zr. The lion is comparable to other lions in this B. The Vapheio Subgroup subgroup, though it is impossibleto attribute it with certainty. I. From Vapheiot d. The Vapheio Cist (LH IIa) a. The Cist (LH IIa) 19. (Fig. zz) CMS I zz3. Lentoid sealof jasper. zo. (Fig. 4) CMS | 252." Lentoid seal of A long robed man (priestl ) standsleft leading a grifin agate. A bull runs right over rough terrain, head on a leash standing left, regardant, and behind the lowered. Behind, a lion rampant right bites the buli's man. neck nerr the shoulder. The griltrn's wings are decorated with Kerb- The distinguishing characteristic of the lions schnitt like those on No. 16, and like the leopard's in the Vapheio subgroup is the shape of the locks in

q r) F,rr rhe r:(,rrect .rssisnment of scalstones to the cist an(l Kcnne. Fest. Mdtz 9, points out thc similarities bctween chambcr, see Younger, "The Vapheio Gems: A Reconsitlcre- this seel antl our No. : r . tion of the Find-Spots," AIA 77 (r97) jj8-4o. 294 ioHN G. YOUNGER IAIA 82 There are strong similarities between this seal and No. zo, both in compositionand in the trearmenr of the mane.

III. Piecesclose to the Vapheio Subgroup 25. CMS I277 frorn Rutsi (LH IIb).10 Lentoid of agate.A lion. bowed clockwise,head down and to left, is wounded in its flank by an arrow. The lions on this seal,and on Nos. z6 and 27, have the locks of the mane renderedby deepV-shaped groovesthat are bisectedby a short, shallower stroke. Frc. 23. No. z,o.Lentoid Frc. 24. No. zz. Lentoid 26. (Fig. z6) CMS I zo4 fron-r Argos Tomb seal Jrom Vapheio, seal from Vapheio, 7 (.LH IIIA). Lentoid of agate. A lion rampanr left lmpre sslon impression ( courtesy, attacks frorn behind the back of a bull srandine left (photo author) cMS) regerdrnt. 27. (Fig. z7) CMS I r.1r from MycenaeCham- the mane : a deep V-shaped groove, not the flan'repat- I '^' . l{. ', tern of the Mycenae subgroup. The subgroup ilso -, ' .r.':..'. seems to depict lions more simply: the saphenous ,.:,3*'. veins appear only on Nos. zo and 23, the crimprng only on No. 23, and most paws do not consist o{ i' tightly grouped dots but of linear claws with dots for X ,, li tips and knuckles. b. The Chamber .:,'. zt. $r CMS I 2,13.Lentoid sealof agate.Lion assis right, regardant. zz. (Fig. z4) CMS I z5o. Lentoid seal of carnelian (sardonyxl). Two lions run clockwise, back Frc. 27. No. 27. Lentoid Frc. 28. No. 28. Lentoid to back, t6te-b6cheand regardant. seal from Mycenae T. seal from Mycenae CMS I 249. tsroken lentoid seal of agate. 4. 5r5, impression (photo T. 5t5, impression Two lions are couchant counterclockwise, back to author) (photo author) back, r6te-b6che,and regardant. ber Ton-rb (LH IIb).11 Lentoid seal of agate. A II. From Nichoria (LH 5r5 IIIA:z-B) lion runs left regardant. u4. (Fig. z5) CMS Y Lentoid seal of +lS. This seal and the next, No. 28, are cut fron-l agate. Bull couchanr left, head thrown back. Above, the same stone.l: The latter, therefore, should be by a lion left attacks the bull's neck. the same artist or workshop as No. 27. 28. (Fig. z8) CMS I r4o from ; Mycenae Cham, f** ber Tomb 5r5 (LH IIb). Lentoid seal of agate. A '; cow left turns her head to lick her nursing ca1f. C. Pieces Related t, to the Mycenae-Vapheio Lion Group I. The Shoulder Subgroup Two sealscarry lions with the mane type of .lJ i': the , Mycenae subgroup, but their shoulders have a characteristicallystrong profile iine; a third seal,No. 29, depicts a bull with the same profile line as well Frc. 25. No. 24. Lentoid Frc. :6. No. 26. Lentoid as saphenousveins. seal from Nichoria, seal from Argos, T. 7. 29. CMS VIII r4r, provenienceunknown. Len- impression (photo impression (courtesy, toid seal of agate. Bull with head contorred under author) CMS) belly. Saphenousveins cross rhe legs.

10The pottery context is classecl 11 as LM II late/LH illA:r Furumark, Chronology 5o-5t. 1: for rvhich Marinatos, the excavator, suggests a date about thc l\,f.A.V. Gill suggcstecl that these two seals were cut from enC of the XVth century; in other rvords, ca. LH IIb (Mari- the samc stone, Gnanon j8 (rq66) 266. The prescnt writ€r natos. Antiqtlity 3r lrg57) 97-roo and 1LN 6 April t()57, 5-io-13). 1e781 MYCENALVAPHEIO LION GR.OUP 295

---l I .- :; -1t 3o. (Fig. zfi CS k. 3r5 from Knossos(LM II rnature).13Lentoid seal of rock crystal. Lion right with head contorted under belly. A strong profile line appears along the belly reminiscentof the crin-rpingcharacteristic of the My- tt :;:d cenae-VapheioGroup. Though the paws are dotted, i:c the head is less mask-like. t

Frc. 3o. No. 3r. Lentoid Frc. 3r. Lentoid seal seal from Mycenae from Vapheio, impres. T.26, impression sion (photo author) (photo author)

Discussion Style. A cleariy marked type of lion. depictedon

rLvLrlLLLrl !trtiIdLLst^-':c^^'^ '--rvides PrL the basisfor attribut- ing r group of fifteerrstylistically related works of art to the same artistic milieu. The rvhole group, the Mycenae-VapheioLion Group and its relatives, consistsof a gold rhyton in the shapeof a lion head,three daggersin niello and one in relief, one .-:l srvord and two pommels (one of go1d, one of ivory), one set of gold inlays, three gold cushion l- seals,two gold rings, seventeenlentoid sealsrones, and one carvedstone stele. A11but the sealstonescome from the Mycenae Frc. 29. No. 3o. Lentoid sealfrom Knossos,impression (photo author) Shaft Graves: the daggersand swords,the grave gifts, and the tombstone.The sealstonescome from other areas at Mycenae, from the slightly later (Fig. CMS I 6z from Mycenae Tomb 3i. 3o) Vapheio cist and other burial(s) in the Vapheio 26.1rLentoid sealof agate.A lion sits right regarding its cub which leaps on its back. Tholos, and from placesnearby, Rutsi, Nichoria, -{ The lion here is much like the last two, except and Argos; a singleseal, No. 3o,probably made in that its paws are not dotted, but shown as fairly Crete in the Group's style,comes from Knossos. long clews resembling fingers. A11the rvorks or the figures on them can essen- II. Miscellaneous tially be classedas miniatures, for the most part 32. (Fig. 3r) CMS I zqz hom the Vapheio Cist worked either in stone or in mcral. usually gold. (LH IIa). Lentoid seal of green jasper. Caprid rears Lions of the Mycenae-VapheioGroup are easy right wounded in the chest by an arrow. A tree behind fills the field. to recofJnize.Their heads are square and mask- The fur along the abdomen is crimped recall- like with manes that have locks either like over- ing the common practice for belly-crimping on lions; lapped flames or like arrows. The bodies are the powerful shoulder and linear treatment of the tough and lean usually with the fur on the beily upper legs compare well with similar treatments found on the other sealstonesof the Mycenae Sub- and haunch crimped; the legsare thick, often with grouP. strong veins curving usuallyover the forelegs,and

1:JKenna, Fest. IIdtz (1, suggests similarities betrveen this HM 9o8 and 9o9 (both from IsopataT.3; see f.G. Younger, seal ancl C,\.IS VII tr.1 (als<>aligned u,ith our No. rr in his "A Gllptic Sketchfrom Isopata,HM 9o8," Kadmos 13 Lr971l opinion), and, to thc latter, he compares CS k. 296. r-5), HM I66 and r79 (Kallvia Ts.4 antl 9). CS k.3r3, r+Kcnna, Fest. IIatz rr, implausibll aiigns thrs seai rvitb ancl CMS IX rz3. IOHN G. YOUNGER lAiA 82 sometimesover the backlegsas well; the paws are Tomb 5r5 seem close to the Vapheio subgroup depicted as clustersof dots or as dotted claws. and date no later than LH IIb, while No. z6 from Other animals can be associatedwith theselions Argos dates no later than LH IIIA. No. 3o from when they share certain of their characterisrics Knossosis related to the style of the whole group; like crimped fur: sleek gazelles and horses both Evans saysit came from a "LM mature" context. with the snub muzzles of the Przewalski horse On the basis of the pieces from dated conrexrs, (to be seen in full on the ring No. 13 and the then, the Mycenae subgroup should be dated pri- sword No. r7), dappled deet, tuzzy panthers and marily to LH I and the Vapheio subgroup pri- sinewy griffins both decorated with Kerbschnitt, marily to LH II, though this is lesscertain. Nos. and muscular bulls endowed with baggy dewlaps z4 and z6 seem likely to have been heirlooms. and prominent hip bones. It is to be remembered, however, that the My- Some of the detectable difierences within the cenae-VapheioGroup displays a remarkable con- group can be laid to difierencesin the media. For sistencyof style; the distinction between the two paws, gold may require clumped dots; stone, dot- subgroupsis mainly to be laid to the simpler qual- ted claws. Similarly, gold lends itself to plastically ity of the piecesin the Vapheio subgroup. rendered human heads; stone, to flat masklike When therefore ali the works from dated con- faces,like that of the Vapheio "priest" on No. r9. texts are taken together the general pattern favors But for the most part, the characteristicdetails are a date for the whole Group of LH I-IIa, a period the same on both metal and stone objects. which could have lasted as long as a century, ap- Certain other more significant variations in the proximately r55o to r45o B.C. The pieces from depiction of lions have already been noted: manes contexts dated LH IIb or later were probably de- can be rendered as flames or arrows, and legs posited at a time significantly later than their though always naturalistic may be shown with or manufacture. Becausethe piecesthat make up this without veins. Most of the Shaft Grave lions have Group show a limited tolerancefor stylistic varia- flame manes and leg veinsl most of those from tion, they are very likely the products of a single Vapheio are simpler, perhaps becauselater, with small workshop;'u probably for many of its pro- arrow manes and less powerful legs. ductive yearsit was under the guidance of a single Consequently, on the basis of these two main master who was primarily a chaser and engraver sets of variations, in provenience and in iconog- of sealstones. raphy, the Mycenae-VapheioGroup can be clearly It is, however, a rare master who can produce divided into a Mycenae subgroup and a Vapheio great works of art and create a style that will subgroup. endure for more than fifty years;afterwards a work- Chronology. Besides a stylistic difierentiation be- shop might create within his style for fifteen- tween the two subgroups,there is also a chrono- twenty years before slipping into a new or de- logical one. Of the Mycenae subgroup, Nos. 4-8 tectably derivative development. Both spans seem and rz come from Shaft Grave III and date to large, however, even by cautious reckoning. It is LH I early; Nos. r5-r8 from Grave V dateto LH I obvious that if a single master had produced, by late, while Nos. r-3, 13 and 14 come from IV himself, the Mycenae-Vapheio Group, he would which seemscontemporary with, or slightly later have worked for the Mycenae dynasts buried in than V;15 No. r9 from the Vapheio cist dates no Graves III-V; since none of his objects can be yet later than LH IIa. Of the Vapheio subgroup: No. recognized in the latest Grave I, it is possiblethat 20 comesfrom the Vapheio cist (no later than LH he had by that time begun to expand his patrons IIa); No. 25 ftom Rutsi dating no later than LH to include the Vapheio Prince as well, though the IIb: No. 24 from Nichoria no later than LH III artist may not have been active by the time that A:z-8. Nos. z7 and z8 from Mycenae Chamber Spartan noble was buried. The Master's productive

15Furumark, Chronology 46 and 85; Karo 256-58; Ver- be made by one or two craftsmen. ." The present wrrter meule r r. would see at least two artists for the Lion Workshop (Master 16Vermeule, p. r r, suggests "no more than six or eight and his apprentice who later takes over), and probably at people are involved in all the metal objects ," and, pp. least two others responsible for the rest of the Shaft Grave $-44, for the lion representations,"nearly all examples can lions. i.\ 82 1e781 MYCENAF-VAPHEIO LION GROUP 297

lreriod then plausibly spannedmost of LH I and Axes, and dated to MM IIa'" but whrch also may perhaps a decade or two of LH IIa, say r53o- be laterl" and goid-platedbronze cur1s,possibly rqSo B.C. A career of fifty years may seem too parts of a lion's mane from the East Treasury and long unlesswe rememberthat the chaserand sculp- dated also to MM IIIa." ror Benvenuto Cellini (A.D. r5oo-r57r) worked There are perhaps,then, a ferv Mrddle Mino.rn for an equallylong period.It is unreasonable,how- forerunnersof certain elementsto be seenin the ever, to expect a superannuatedMaster also to Mycenae-Vapheiolions. The flying gallop pose have produced the sealstonesNos. z7 and z8 for used with such grandeur on the niello daggers the patron buried in MycenaeChamber Tomb 5r5 stemsfrom the simpler poseon the Phaistosseal- in LH IIb. ings in MM Il, as Evans suggested.''tFlame locks A workshop begun in LH I under the Master's for lio,n manes occur on the MM III (l) relief exactin5ieye could, of course,have carried on his stucco from Knossos,and a few representations stvle,perhaps in a derivative way, through most of lions in metal were attemptedbefore (l) those of the remaining years of LH IIa, say until at Mycenae. Nevertheless,the Late Bronze Age rqSoB.C. Thus, the Mycenaeanburied in Cham- seesmore lions than did earlierperiods, and there ber Tomb 5r5 wore lentoid sealsthat may have are more representationsof lions in that period been the products of this workshop after the de- than of anything e1se.And of these lions, those mise of its Master. in the Mycenae-Vapheio Group stand apart be- Origins. At the end of the Middle Bronze Age cause of their ciean forms and great force. and the beginning of the Late Bronze Age, Iions Sryle.Contemporary Minoan iions,those on LM Ia seemto have enjoyed a revived popularity. Early sealstonesand on many LM Ib sealings,"convey lIinoan seals,especially the ivories from the Mes- no power equal to that of the Mycenaeanlions. sara, frequently carry lions marching about the Those on Crete are either unaggressive,their sofdy periphery; on the Mainland dogs seem to have modelled bodies often decoratedwith speckles,or enjoyed an equal popularity, especiailyin EH II. else they are rendered schematicallyby tools used For the Middle Minoan period a few depictions for cutting, as in the so-calledTalismanic style." of iions survive.Evans mentionstt iions associated Only three or four LM Ia feline representations rvith hieroglyphs o'n prism seals,though the pres- approachmonumentality: the terracottarhyton in ent writer is arvareof none which usesthe lion as the shape of a lioness's head from Thera,'" and a hieroglyph. On severalPhaistos sealings (MM trvo similar ones in alabasterand marble from the Ib-IIa) lions stand,run in a primitive l1yinggallop, Central Treasury at Knossos-a fragment of a and even attack other animals (CMS II.5z7o-286). smaller but similar rhyton comes from Delphi'tt From Knossos come three other MM representa- Lifesize representationsof lions from Crete have tions of lions: a gold pendant" from the Long not survived, if they ever existed,only domestic Corridor in the West Quarter, dated to MM II cats like that on a fresco from Ayia Triada.'* through proximitv to the Hieroglyph Deposit, The lionessrhyta from Thera, Knossosand Delphi though it is probably later (cf. two other gold may therefore have been inspired by their gold pendantsof couchantlions from Ayia Triada'o); cousin from Mycenae,but they are all modelled lifesizefragments of a lion's mane, neck, and leg more softly. This soft rendering may be the result in relief stuccofrom near the Shrine of the Double of the medium-clay or soft stone, or of Minoan

1z PltI IY, 525-26. LM Ia contcxt; Prafttifta tg67, pl. r9o); a lentoid from Knossos 1sP,'1.1 III, 4rr, fig. z75a; IY, 76. (LM Ib contexr; IHS-AR r96t-t962, fig. :S); sealingsfrom aeMonAnt r4 (r9o4) 73o-3r, figs. z7 and jo. From the Ayia Triada and Kato Zakro (LM Ib contexts; ASAtene 8-9 same tomb come the "statuette" (fig. :+) which seems MM, [tgz5-r926] nos. AT 36-49 and KZ to5, r(.)7-ro9,ctc.); and and the ring (fig. 3r) which coultl be LM. CMS V 493 from Kea (LM IblLH II context). 2s 20PM lI, 332-3.1,fig. r88. Boardman prefers the more neutral terms Hoop and Line 21Vermeule, p. 37 n. 59, would date this fragment to LM Sqle (GGFR 4z-45) and Cut Stllc (GGFR +8). Ib. possiblylater. The presentwriter agreeswith the suggestion' 26M:rrinatos, Excauationsat Thera z (Athens tg6g) rg-zo, 22PM I1I, qt3-rq. frg. 276. fig. ro, pl. 37.r. '::i 27pM e 23PM 1, 7t3-zo. II, 827-33. eaCf., a lentoid {rom the Herakleion-PorosCh.T. (MM III- 28PM 1, 539, fig. 39r. IOHN G. YOUNGER |AIA 82 or Cycladic taste. Whatever the reason, the dif- almost masklike quality of the lion's head, and ference in effect is striking; the Mycenae lion in the veins over the forelegsof both lion and griffin; the rhyton and its congenersare renderedin metals the spiral decoration on the griffin's rvings, how- and hard ston€s,materials whose hardness seems ever, is a later trait. The secondmajor work is to have imparted a new and difierent power, a the Lion Gate at Mycenae(also LH IIIB). On the reflection of the new and different power of the thin block filling the relieving triangle over the dynasts of Mycenae themselves. lintel of the main gate of Mycenaetwo lions stand Importance. Within its own time the Mycenae- antithetically,their forepaws on a double altar. Vapheio Workshop influenced profoundly the pro- Their heads were of a different material from duction of other works of art. Several scholars the bodies and were originaliy attached to look would place the so-calledMask of Agamemnon toward those approaching below.t' The pose and from Shaft Grave V within the circle of the Work- the softly modelled,almost mannered treatment of shop.'n The gold cup from the same Shaft Grave the bodiescan be comparedto the lions on a lare (Karo 656) carries three lions running in flying (LH IIIB?) lentoil seal (CMS I 46) from My- gallop under the lip, their belly fur is crimped, cenaeChamber Tomb 8. Though the Lion Masrer and their claws are thin lines (cf. No. 3r), but influenced neither the composition nor the model- the work is vapid, like the lion on an amygdaloid Iing of the Mycenae relief, the lions with their seal from Vapheio (CMS I 24i. A niello dagger masklike heads,created by him and his workshop from Rutsi30depicts leopards not unlike those on may have provided the inspiration for the attached the Mycenae dagger No. 15, but they are so sleek headsof the lions on Mycenae'smain gate. and supple as to seemimmature. In addition, there At the moment, the Mycenae-Vapheio Lion are many sealstoneswhich carry lions apparently Group identifies the eariiest detectableMycenaean influenced by the Workshop, such as CMS I rcj workshop. It produced works of distinction that from Mycenae Chamber Tomb 68, and CMS I z8o influencedcontemporary and subsequentartists, and from Rutsi; influence can also be seenin the flame it apparently contributed significantly to the crea- pattern on the dress of a lance-bearing woman tion of the style called Mycenaeanby consensus. depicted on the amygdaloid CMS I zz6 from While theseearly Mycenaean works share a num- Vapheio. ber of common characteristicswith Minoan crea- Direct influence from the Workshoo continued tions, highly developedtechniques in chasing and for a long time; it can be seenin two major works. en5Jraving,and certain iconographic elements like From the Mycenaeandeposit (LH IIIB) in the the "priest" on No. 19 and the flying gallop pose, Artemision in Delos comes an ivory inlay por- they also display other characteristicsthat are for- traying a lion attacking a griffin." The engraving eign to the Aegean. Behind the Minoa,n "priesr" is of masterly quality, but completeiy unexpected standsthe grifin, a monster inspired by Near East- are the flamelike locks of the lion's mane, the ern models; supple leopardsseem to hunt in the

2s Vermeule, p. 36, though not explicitly confirmecl bi to have survived long after Mycenae's prehistoric (lestructi()n G. Kopcke, "Zum Stil der Schachtgribermasken," AthMitt 9t if they were of a material intrinsically valuable, such as bronze (t976) r-r3. or even gold-thus Pausanias would not have seen them. On 30 ILN 6 April, 1957, 54o-q, frgs. rz, 15, 16. the other hand, if the heads were carved in steatite or the 3r For an excellent photograph. see Vermeules Cree,e in like, the details may have been nearly obliterated by time and the Bronze Age (Chtcrgo 1964) pl. 37 C. thus Pausanias woulcl not necessarily have commentetl on them. 32 Wace, Mycenae 52, notes that the large size of the dowel The present writer suggestt a compromise: stcatite covered holes implies not bronze but a heavy stone, perhaps softer, with gold foil. Steatite is easily carved and thus lends itself Iike steatite, than the limestone of the relief. My\onas, AAA to delicate details; the relief of the monument seems to de- 3 G97o) 425, seems to agree, adding that such a material could mand a dramatic effect which a gold covering would provicle. be "elaborately worked with a variety of details. ." That The technique is not unknown: a fragment of a steatite rhyton Pausanias (2. 16.4) recognized the animals on the gate as lions carrying a boar originally gold plated, from Palaikastro, BS,4- does not imply anything about the survival of the heads to his Srpp. I (ryzj) r37 fiq. rr8; a sreatite tripocl originally cov- day; with or without heads the bodies are obviously leonine. ered in gold foil, from Knossos, PM I, j87. Cf. the tablet KN K That he does not mention the heads implies either that they 872 where Ku-ru--eo is found in a context that mat'refer to were not there, or, if they were, they were not wrought in gilding the horns of such bull-head rhyra as that from the (to a remarkable him) material. It is unlikely for the heads Little Palace (PM 11, 527, figs. 33o-32). {rl 82 1e781 MYCENADVAPHEIO LION GROUP L ..nd marshesof the Nile; and a number of daggers objects found in them. Only a few piecesseem from Fin; this early period are rendered in niello, a non-Mycenaeanthere: a few Minoan imports, a hl*'- Near Eastern technique. gold stag from the Russian sreppes,and a gold- oru is Though the Lion Workshop was cosmopoliran, encasedwooden box. The remaining works of art )n :he able to employ non-Greek techniques and themes, seem to be proto-Mycenaeanin style, and, at its cr :he its style, especiallyapparent in its lions, seems best,this style is to be found captured mainly in r;nd wholly Mycenaean:formai,tt parterned,and pow- the products of the Mycenae-VapheioLion Work- :a-tar. erful. Even the realistic saphenousveins infuse shop. t:tm m,ore awesomenessthan life into the Group's fe- DEPART]V{ENT ,.-Ok lines, bulls, and griffins. OF CLASSICAL STUDIES DUKE UNIVERSITY e :nd But the Mycenaean epoch begins with the Shaft DURHATU, NORTH CA.nOr,rNa 277O6 cc':of Graves and the Mycenaean style begins with the a l.rte I \fv- CONCORDANCE CMSV 43;5...... 24 fa.ier CMSVIII r4r...... 29 mCel- Publication No. CMSXIII 2o...... 9 trreir CSk.3r4 ....rr AGdSII Berlin 34...... ro ks:rop ...... 30 CMSI 3r5... m-red 9...... 8 ro"...... 7 Karo 33 .....8 rr...... r2 ...... 7 L:on 34.... 15...... r3 15...... r2 GAEJn 16...... r4 u9fno...... 6 li inat At ...... 3r 24o". . '.... 13 l.:rd r4o...... 28 24r...... r4 C:tra- r4r"' '...... 27 273...... r nlsus. 223...... r9 295a.. .'..... 5 l[i-rTi- 242...... 32 295b...... 4 ciea- 243...... 2r 394..- ...... 3 r -nJ 249...... 23 395...... 2 r Lke 250... .. -.....22 747...... 16 252...... 2o prse, 716..- ....'.r7 264...... 26 /r)>"' """r5 277...... 25 1427...... r8 dest'' East- 33 Vermeule, pp. 3,3-34, suggests that this formalism ma1' have pottery. ! :he originated early; she points out the formal qualities in LM Ia

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