18 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



period than that of most of the other plaques, perhaps dating 

 from the first half of the sixth century B.C. 



In addition to these plaques for the decoration of fibulw, 

 several examples of ivory animal carvings have been un- 

 earthed here. An especially interesting and artistic work 

 of this kind represents a lioness throttling a calf, and the 

 idea of a chain of destruction, or else of a speedy vengeance 

 for the victim, is illustrated by a third figure in this 

 strange group, that of a man standing alongside the 

 lioness and thrusting a sword into the animal's neck. This 

 ivory is also attributed to the later period of from 600 B.C. 

 to 550 B. C* 



Even more valuable from an historic viewpoint is a relief 

 carving on a large half disk of ivory, the base line of the 

 semicircle measuring 23.5 cm. (9 J in.), the extreme width 

 being 11 cm. or 4 J in. On this is carved a representation 

 of a warship of the period, not a very formidable one it is 

 true, since the armed crew consists of but three persons, a 

 number of others being engaged in navigating the craft. 

 One of the warriors wears a plumed helmet. The artist has 

 evidently intended to portray the departure of the ship, and 

 the captain seems to be taking leave of a woman, supposedly 

 on land, but given the rather unsteady support of one of the 

 ship's paddles, as the carver lacked space to figure the shore. 

 Behind the woman is a large bird and the prow of the ves- 

 sel bears the inscription in early Greek characters fopBaCa, 

 proving that the carving was a votive offering to the temple 

 of Artemis Orthia. While we have followed Mr. Dawkins' 

 description as to the purely human quality of the female 

 figure, it is not easy to avoid making the conjecture that this 

 was in reality intended to represent the figure of the goddess 

 of the temple. Around the edge of this semicircle of ivory 

 runs a border with a series of circular depressions which Mr* 



*0p. cit.. Fig. 23, p. 89. 



