The Clythrae: The Egg 



pass an attentive lens between the two humps 

 at the lower end, we very often see, en- 

 crusted in the earthy mass, the remains of the 

 shell of the egg. This is the potter's mark. 

 The arrangement of the spiral ridges, the 

 number and the shape of the pits enable us al- 

 most to read the name of the maker, Clythra 

 or Cryptocephalus. 



From the very first I could not imagine the 

 worker in ceramic paste designing its own 

 pottery by drafting the first outlines. My 

 doubts were justified. The grubs of the 

 Clythra and the Cryptocephalus possess a 

 maternal legacy in the shape of a shell, a 

 garment which they have only to enlarge. 

 They are born the owners of a layette which 

 becomes the groundwork of their trousseau. 

 They increase it, without, however, imitating 

 its artistic elegance. A more vigorous age 

 discards the laces in which the mother de- 

 lights to clothe the new-born child. 



477 



