ANCIENT CARVED IVORIES 17 



in the excavations of Knossos, in Crete, during the season 

 of 1902-1903. This was a carving in the shape of a knot 

 with a fringed border, and it evidently possessed a certain 

 symboHc character connected with some of the rehgious 

 rites or beHefs of the Cretans of about 1500 B. C. As in- 

 stances of the use of this form elsewhere in ancient Greece 

 there are noted two alabaster knots of similar design from 

 one of the graves at Mycenae. This ivory knot of Knossos 

 was found near the great gypsum pillar in the centre of a 

 room of the ancient palace, and on a gold ring from Mycenae 

 is figured a sacred pillar from the entablature of which are 

 suspended two knots of this type ; a seal impression from the 

 Palace of Knossos shows similar knots hung upon a tree. 

 This form also appears on a gem from the Herseum at Argos, 

 the examples being figured here on either side of a bull's 

 head.* 



On the site of the Spartan temple of Artemis Orthia have 

 been found a considerable number of very interesting speci- 

 mens of relief carving in ivory.f Many of these are plaques 

 which were riveted on bronze clasps for their adornment. 

 The ivory plates are of rectangular form, and vary in di- 

 mensions from 11 X 8.25 cm. (4| x 3i in.) down to 3.5 x 2.75 

 cm. (1| X 1 in.). The greater part belong to the period be- 

 tween 750 B. C. and 650 B. C. The largest and finest of 

 them depicts the slaying of the Gorgon. | Although con- 

 siderably damaged, enough remains to show the design satis- 

 factorily; the execution is very spirited, and this particular 

 work indicates an Oriental influence, possibly indirectly an 

 Assyrian one, and is believed to belong to a somewhat later 



*A. J. Evans, "The Palace of Knossos," in the Annual of the British School of Athens, 

 No. IX, London, n. d., pp. 1-154; see pp. 7, 8, and Fig. 4 on p. 8, "Sacred Knot of Ivory." 



fR. M. Dawkins "The Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia"; "Excavations at Sparta, 1907"; 

 in the Annual of the British School of Athens, No. XIII, Session 1906-1907; see pp. 77, 

 sqq. 



JOp. cit.. Fig. 19. p. 79. 



