The origin of Minos
The early round Mycenae pottery from the Greek mainland (BC 1550- 1450) was described as "Crete Province", which really conveyed the fact that although the shape and decoration style originated in Crete, the final decoration was not like Minoan centers such as Knossos and Festus. However, despite the different quality, potters from Crete may indeed have migrated to the mainland. But as far as raw materials are concerned, the quality of Mycenae pottery is actually better than Minoan pottery, because most pottery is made of ancient yellow photosensitive clay, and the firing temperature is higher than that of Crete. These patterns themselves are drawn from red to black with shiny iron-based mud (or "pigments"), and there are often mottled traces according to different firing processes.
Mycenae continued Minoan's love for the flowing shapes and vivid expressions of animals, oceans and plants in the style of ocean and flowers, and octopus and nautilus remained particularly popular. The design also continues to fill all decorative surfaces and follows the contour of the container. However, gradually, the form of expression became more stylized and symmetrical, and did not fill all the decoration space, leaving a significant blank, which is rare in MINO pottery. The depiction of plants such as lilies, palm trees and ivy has become more memorable and evolved into common patterns mainly used in large flowerpots.
From BC 1450, Mycenae's overseas expansion led to the takeover of the palace in Crete, and Mycenae pottery began to dominate the production of Greek and Aegean islands. In fact, pottery is the most important symbol of Mycenae's political rule in the Aegean region. Decoration can be divided into two categories: pattern style and pattern style. The former is designed under the influence of contemporary murals and tries to express daily life scenes, while the latter adopts decorative scales, herringbone and marine life. The design has gradually become bolder and more stylized. Usually, there is only one pattern design on each side of the container, and white space is added. Perhaps the most famous example of this minimalist style is Ephyrean goblet, a two-handle goblet from Mycenae, decorated with a large wreath on each side. Simple and bold horizontal lines and threads are still very popular decorative forms, usually carefully selected to complement the shape of containers.
Popular ships
The form of utensils is also evolving. For example, with the passage of time, the stem of a cup with a stem becomes longer and the bowl becomes shallower. New containers have been produced, such as single-handle teacups, goblets and kettles with vertical handles and spout or open neck. The most popular Mycenae container is the stirrup jar, so it is called because the handle is similar to a double stirrup. The center of the handle is often decorated like a spout, but the real spout is actually on the side, separated from the handle. Stirrup jars first appeared in Crete in 16 BC, but since 14 BC, they have become more common and have different sizes, and are usually used to store wine and oil.
Ordinary people use pottery, so they can't afford more expensive metal plates to meet their daily needs.
The second most popular container shape is alabaster, a short pot of different sizes, so named because the early examples were made of alabaster. This form first appeared on the Greek mainland in the15th century, and usually has three small ribbon handles near the neck. The alabaster container can be used to store ointment.
Some pottery is canned, perhaps to imitate more expensive silverware. In addition, many designs, especially threads, are probably copied from metal containers. These two facts show that ordinary people can't afford to buy more expensive metal versions to meet their daily needs when using pottery.
Evolution of design
With the passage of time, the ceramic decoration in Mycenae era became more and more abstract, so that it was sometimes difficult to determine the original theme. The evolution of octopus in pottery design is a good indicator of style change. The performance of early octopus is more or less accurate. Its twisted tentacles with delicate suction cups cover the whole vase randomly, but gradually they become more formal, and the tentacles cover the sides of the body symmetrically. Finally, the tentacles become lines, and the size can't grow, usually less than eight.
Dark bands with different widths become the main decorative forms, and only the space near the neck of the container is used for graphic representation. It is particularly popular that the chariot scene also includes characters, which is extremely rare in Minoan pottery. Sacral knots, double axes and ivory helmets are popular themes, as are animals, birds and Griffins. They are usually arranged in heraldry and decorated with patterns, which may imitate contemporary textile design. A good example of this technique can be seen in the bull and bird decorative vase in the British Museum, in which the main body is divided into several parts, and each part is decorated with dots, wavy lines, scales, crosses or herringbone. This container shape-deep bowl-has been very popular since13rd century BC, and there are few examples of white decoration on a dark background.
Since BC12nd century, there has been greater regional diversity in pottery design and decoration, which may reflect the political instability in that period, as evidenced by the destruction of settlements. Designs can now be divided into four categories. The first is the closed style (influenced by Crete, but originated from Algrid), where all ships or their designated areas are filled with various patterns, usually rosettes and birds. The tassel style mixes bold curves or lines with tassels and more detailed secondary decoration of thin lines in abstract patterns. The evolution of octopus design is a subgroup of this style. The pictorial style continues. A famous example is Mycenae's warrior vase, which depicts 1 1 marching soldiers with spears, each carrying a bag that may contain their daily rations. A woman stood aside and said goodbye to them. Interestingly, this will become a kind of pottery with the same theme in Greece in the 4th and 5th centuries BC. Finally, there is the granary style, which is either simply decorated with only a few stripes or wavy lines, or in some cases, the whole container is decorated in monochrome or not at all. This rather bad style was the forerunner of the rough Amazonian pottery that was popular in 1 1 century BC.
Statues, sarcophagus and Rhyta
Clay figurines were found in all parts of Mycenae Empire, dating back to14th century BC to12nd century BC, and their designs were very similar. It is so stylized that it is almost impossible to recognize human figures, which are most common women and standing. These characters usually hold their arms high or cross their chests, wear long skirts and conical headdresses. They are simply decorated with thick lines, and sometimes jewelry is painted on people with simple dots. There are also several figurines depicting an example of a woman holding a child. These clay figurines probably represent the goddess of nature from Crete, because several of them were found in the temple environment, but other suggestions about their functions range from vows to children's toys. In Crete, their pottery is always a little different from the figurines of Mycenae. The most common form is a huge female image (up to 75 cm), a hollow cylindrical lower body and raised arms. Since 1200 BC, clay animal images have also been very popular. They are made on wheels, and the limbs and head are made by hand. They are just decorated with lines and dots.
Clay sarcophagus is widely used to bury the dead in Minos. They usually appear in the form of short-legged cabinets or bathtubs, and are decorated in much the same way as pottery. In Crete, this tradition became more popular during Mycenae, but examples from other parts of Mycenae Empire were limited to the cemetery of Viotiata nagra (BC 1400- 1200). Clay is also used to make Rhyta, a container for pouring wine and ceremonial drinking in religious ceremonies. These are the most common conical shapes, and they are decorated as contemporary pottery.
Mycenae legacy
Mycenae pottery was not only exported to the whole Aegean region and imitated, but also as far away as Anatolia, Syria, Egypt and Spain. There is also evidence that Mycenaean potters have actually emigrated, especially in Anatolia and southern Italy. In fact, it is likely that after the end of the so-called dark ages, the design of Mycenae origin introduced into these areas will continue to exist and be reintroduced to the Greek mainland. Therefore, the decline of these three centuries in all cultural fields, especially in the field of arts and crafts, will not be the end of the evolution of Greek culture, but only an interruption. In the eighth century BC, pottery design will flourish again with geometric pottery, which is of course because Mycenae people like highly stylized pottery decoration very much.