BABESCH 91 (2016), 17-27. doi: 10.2143/BAB.91.0.3175641 Two Minoan moulds for small cult objects reconsidered Jan G. Velsink Abstract In 1899, nearby the modern village of Palaikastro in eastern Crete, two remarkable stone moulds were found by chance. These moulds, which were mainly intended for the manufacture of small cult objects, are considered by many as products of the Late Minoan III period (ca 1420/10-1075/50 BC). This is due to the resemblance between the female figures who are holding up attributes on both moulds and the large well-known terracotta figures from Late Minoan III shrines at Knossos, Gazi, Karphi, etc. For stylistic and iconographical reasons, it is argued in this paper that these moulds should be dated much earlier, to Middle Minoan II or III (ca 1875/50-1700/1675 BC).* INTRODUCTION Material: schist (?), greenish, argillic, rather soft and friable8 In October 1899 an inhabitant of Karydi Siteias, Dimensions: L. 22,5 cm; W. 10 cm; Th. 2 cm9 in eastern Crete, found by chance two stone moulds while ploughing a field 150 m NW of the The mould is a thin, rectangular slab of which one modern village of Palaikastro.1 These moulds – of the corners is missing. On the front are at least here called Pa 1 and Pa 2 after their find-place – three matrices. The back, which shows one com- show a strong artistic and technical relationship. pleted matrix, is largely unused and a large part of Most likely they were cut by the same hand. The it seems to be damaged. Most matrices have a pour- moulds are distinguished from other recovered ing funnel. One has ventilation channels as well. In Minoan moulds in that their main purpose was one of the corners there may be a registering hole, not the production of implements2 or relief i.e. a pin-hole for aligning a counter-mould. S. Xan- beads.3 The purpose of almost all matrices in the thoudides observed a trace of bronze wire, from two moulds was the manufacture of small metal which he inferred that it was a two-piece mould.10 cult objects. The Palaikastro moulds are considered by Mould designs, side A many as products of the Late Minoan III period4 (ca. 1420/10-1075/50 BC).5 This is due to the 1 Woman (?) with disc resemblance between the female figures who are A human figure in frontal view holds a round holding up attributes on both moulds and the disc or shield behind which the body is largely large well-known terracotta figures from Late hidden. Above it, a human head, neck, arms and, Minoan III shrines at Knossos, Gazi, Karphi, etc. perhaps, breasts are visible; beneath it is a more According to the author, the dating of these or less conical base on which the disc rests. The moulds should, however, be revised. Below, a base is decorated by horizontal curving lines. On new date is proposed on stylistic and icono- the disc, along the edge, run a dotted circle and a graphic grounds. The relation of these moulds to similar inner circle. At the bottom, between these other Minoan moulds will also be considered. circles, a horizontal crescent moon is depicted. The centre of the disc shows a small cross with DESCRIPTION OF THE MOULDS6 spherical ends. Dimensions: L. more than 5 cm. Pa 1 2 Woman with raised arms and poppyheads/flowers Palaikastro-mould 1 (figs 1-2) The woman wears a skirt decorated with curved Whereabouts: Herakleion, Archaeological Museum lines. She is bare-chested and has small breasts. (inventory number unknown) Both her arms are raised. In one hand she holds Provenance: Palaikastro7 two opium poppyheads11 or flowers. What she holds in the other hand can no longer be deter- 17 1. 2. 3. 4. Fig. 1. Cast of Palaikastro-mould 1 (front), Xanthoudides 1900, pl. 3, top. 5. 6. Fig. 2. Cast of Palaikastro-mould 1 (back), Xanthoudides 1900, pl. 3, bottom. mined. Her flat cap is embellished with transverse cross, which, like the spokes of a wheel, runs to lines and topped with a sprig of three opium pop- the inside of the edge. The upright of the cross pyheads (?). Her elongated face is characterized by consists of two lines, the cross-beam of three. a long straight nose, plump cheeks and eyes set Between each pair of lines is a series of drilled close together. Around each upper arm and wrist points. A large dot represents the centre of the she wears a bracelet (unless these lines belong to cross. Along the upper half of the matrix, parts of the depiction of her top garment). the circular sketch line are visible within which Below the skirt there is a vertically grooved the design was cut. On the left side of the matrix pouring funnel. some wide grooves run to the edge of the mould. Dimensions: L. ca 8 cm.12 The bottom one makes contact with the solar disc and is possibly a pouring channel. 3 Solar disc (?) Dimensions: diameter ca 7.7 cm. The edge is composed of two concentric line circles with, between them, a series of drilled points and, 4 Rod-like forms on the outer edge, 25 triangular projections which Next to the solar disc some wide grooves are are aligned with drilled points on the groove located, each of them ending in a pouring funnel. itself. In the middle part of the matrix there is one The top two are straight. The two underneath more concentric circle, this time consisting of them appear to bend toward each other as the transverse grooves. This circle is intersected by a arms of a pair of tweezers.13 More likely, however, 18 is that they are representing one straight shape. The mould is a thin, rectangular slab of which For the bottom groove, see design 3. one of the corners is missing. On the front are Dimensions: max. L. ca 7 cm. two matrices. On the back, which is largely unused, are positioned one matrix and the begin- Mould designs, side B ning of another one. Completed matrices have a pouring funnel. Probably there is a dowel-hole 5 Running across approximately two thirds of the for a counter-mould in one of the corners. In the width of the back of the mould is a long straight broken-off corner, diagonally opposite, there may groove, the lower half of which (the half away from have been a second one. the edge of the mould) is cut across by a series of about ten transverse grooves. The whole recalls one Mould designs, side A of the axe shafts of design 1 on Palaikastro-mould 2. Possibly it is a wrong start, or a test cutting. 1 Double axe The position on the mould surface is also similar. The blades have rounded cutting edges and a lobed upper and lower contour.16 The entire surface is 6 ‘Horns of consecration’ decorated with lines and dots (incisions and drilled A sharply delineated form, consisting of three points). The lines form strip-shaped and triangular straight sides like a rectangle, and a concave semi- friezes which are filled with dots. On the lobes only circle as the top. On the inside the outline is dec- dots are rendered. The double shaft, which extends orated with a series of drilled points. Between the in both directions to the edge of the mould, is pro- edge of the mould and the matrix three wide vided with transverse grooves along the portion grooves have been cut, of which the middle one is where the blades meet. Perpendicular to the centre a pouring channel and the other two are probably of the cutting edge of the right-hand blade (repro- ventilation channels for the release of gas. duced here as left-hand blade) is a pouring funnel. Between the horns a circle composed of dots, Dimensions: W. ca 12.0 cm.17 with a dot at its centre, is faintly visible. Possibly it is a test cutting. 2 Double Axe Dimensions: W. (length of base) ca 4.2 or ca 4.7 Same as design 1, but of much smaller size and cm; H. ca 3.4 or ca 3.8 cm.14 with only a single shaft, which runs to the edge of the mould. The decoration is simpler, with Bibliography: fewer lines and dots than that of design 1. The Xanthoudides 1900, 25-50, pl. 3; Bosanquet 1901- pouring funnel is located again on the longitudi- 1902, 299-300; Evans 1902-1903, 92-93; Dawkins nal axis of one of the blades. 1905-1906, 1; Dussaud 1914, 392, fig. 289; Evans Dimensions: L. ca 7 cm; W. ca 5.9 cm.18 1921, 479, 514-515, fig. 371; Karo 1925, 8, fig. 50; Nilsson 1950², 167, 282, 413, 419-420, fig. 141; Zervos Mould designs, side B 1956, 450, fig. 744; Alexiou 1958, 213-214; Tzedakis 1967, 204-205; Buchholz/Karageorghis 1973², 50, 3 Woman with raised arms and double axes no 464; Papaefthymiou-Papanthimou 1973, 377; The woman is wearing a possibly flounced skirt, Goodison 1989, 74-76, 79, fig. 132; MacGillivray/ decorated with horizontal bands, zigzag lines and Driessen 1990, 407; Marinatos 1993, 225, 228, fig. rows of dots. She is bare-chested and has small 232; Evely 2000, 413-415, no 10, pl. 91.5; Cunning- breasts. Both her raised arms are bent upwards in ham/Sackett 2009, 95. the shape of a V. In each hand she holds a double axe decorated with dots and curved lines.