piinch-marlied coins of Tlindustan, ^e. 
2G7 
1890.] 
seen on three buttons ; (1. c. 405, 407, and 412) wherein the central dot 
or ‘ lingam,’ is surrounded by a labyrinth formed by four pair of fantas- 
tically recurved and elongated ‘ labia,’ beneath which guise, however, 
the expert in such symbols finds no difficulty in tracing the design of a 
four-spouted ‘ lingam,’ analogous with the four-headed or five-headed 
‘ lingam ’ now seen in Hindustan. Another significant symbol also, 
used in MyceiiDB jewellery is Fig. 227, which appears on three buttons, 
(1. c. 378, 383 and 385). In the two first quoted instances, a row of 
these crosses is used as an ornamental border to the central lozenge, 
whilst in the last instance, the cross within a circle fills up the acute 
angles of the central lozenge. The fact of this symbol not occupying a 
more prominent position may perhaps be due, to the preference displayed 
in ornamental art in Mycense, for rounded and fluent designs, rather than 
those of angular pattern. 
A cluster of seven spheres identical with Fig. 1 57 found on the 
coins, is seen on a button (1. c. 398), and a variant of the same (1. c. 
399) wherein each of the spheres, except the central one, is a variant 
of the ‘ omega ’ symbol. Yet another vai’iant of this symbol occurs 
(1. c. 401) wherein seven ‘ omegas ’ are ranged round a central sphere. 
Another rare symbol on the coins Fig. 129, may I think be recognised on 
a gold button (1. c. No. 397), where within a square area, four such 
‘ twinned spheres, ’ each pair enveloped by a sigmoidal cincture or band, 
are ranged round a central dot, the peculiar feature of the •' twinned 
sphere ’ being skilfully made prominent. 
Schliemann was evidently much struck with the peculiarity of this 
“ beautiful intaglio ” as he terms it, but his interpretation of it, I am 
wholly unable to accept. He resolves this symbol into “four long 
knives, whose handles are prolonged into spirals,” (1. o. p. 263). In my 
opinion the knives or blades are simply the four blank arcs of a circle, 
which intervene between the internal square and the periphery of the 
button, and I can see no ground whatever for regarding the ‘ twinned ’ 
or paired circles, as ‘ liandies.’ Had there been only four spheres, instead 
of eight, it is conceivable that these might have been regarded as ‘ ears,’ 
or ‘ loops ’ to four knife blades, but the ‘ twinned ’ or paired spheres are 
clearly seen and bear, in my opinion, not the remotest resemblance to 
knife-handles. Another interesting symbol on the coins of symbolical 
import is Fig. 158. Two distinct variants of this are met with on the 
Mycenoe jewels. On one button (1. c. No. 410) six equal spheres are so 
disposed as to form an equilateral triangle, within a circle, and in the 
space between the periphery and the central sphere in each side of the 
triangle, a cluster of three small spheres is introduced (though only one 
perfect cluster is seen iu the engraving), making nine in all. Another 
