What does the octopus flask represent?
The Octopus Flask is an example of Minoan New Palace Period pottery. Made to celebrate the sea, this Kamares Ware jug is covered in decoration of marine life.
Who created the Aegean octopus jar?
Minoan painter
Using dark slip on the surface of the clay, the Minoan painter of this vessel filled the center with a charming octopus, swimming diagonally, with tentacles extended out to the full perimeter of the flask and wide eyes that stare out at the viewer with an almost cartoon-like friendliness.
What was the purpose of the octopus vase?
This vase, found at Palaikastro, a wealthy site on the far eastern coast of Crete, is the perfect example of elite Minoan ceramic manufacture. It is 27 cm (about 10.5 inches) high, wheel-made, hand-painted, and meant to hold a valuable liquid—perhaps oil of some kind.
When was the octopus flask made?
Technical Evaluation. The Octopus Storage Jar is made of ceramic and was produced sometime between the years of 1500 and 1450 BC [2].
What is Minoan art known for?
The art of the Minoan civilization of Bronze Age Crete (2000-1500 BCE) displays a love of animal, sea, and plant life, which was used to decorate frescoes and pottery and also inspired forms in jewellery, stone vessels, and sculpture.
What is the difference between Minoan and Mycenaean art?
The only differences are their iconographic elements. Minoans relied heavily on religious iconography, depicting the images of their gods and especially goddesses. Unlike Minoans, known for their peaceful thalassocracy, the Mycenaean society was oriented towards war and expansion, and it showed in their art.
Why did Minoans make art?
Minoan art was not only functional and decorative but could also have a political purpose, especially the wall paintings of palaces where rulers were depicted in their religious function, which reinforced their role as the head of the community.
What kind of art did the Minoans create?
pottery
Since wood and textiles have decomposed, the best-preserved (and most instructive) surviving examples of Minoan art are its pottery, palace architecture (with frescos which include “the earliest pure landscapes anywhere”), small sculptures in various materials, jewellery, metal vessels, and intricately-carved seals.
What painting technique did the Minoans invent?
dry-fresco
While the Egyptian painters of the time painted their wall paintings in the “dry-fresco” (fresco secco) technique, the Minoans utilized a “true” or “wet” painting method. Painting on wet plaster allowed the pigments of metal and mineral oxides to bind well to the wall, while it required quick execution.