Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 2.djvu/318

 The Human Figure as Decorative Element. 265 of the stalk of the leaf on either side of the capital are distinctly indicated. In the hands of the two women seen on this tablet is held a palm-leaf, which they use as a fan. Despite distinct differences, the three mirrors are so remark- ably alike, that one is tempted to think their having come from the same workshop, mayhap from the same artisan. A curious fact to be noticed about these female heads, is that all have short curly hair. Such crimping and dressing of the hair is very unusual in the monuments of this art. As a rule, women are portrayed, now with several plaits falling low over their shoulders Fig. 382. —Glass-paste. (tail-piece, Chap. VIII., and Figs. 325, 34^), now with a single twist (tail-piece. Chap. VII., and Figs. 334, 382). . According to M. Tsoundas, this is not the only point which singles out these figures from among their fellows ; the lips, too, are thicker, and the end of the nose wider than is generally the case with Mycenian figures, a peculiarity which the draughtsman has omitted in his drawing.^ The artist, it is argued, intended to represent foreign women, perhaps Syrian priestesses of Aphrodite. The con- jecture is a likely one. In making palms the chief element of his decoration, the artist may have wished that the features of his figures should be in unison with the vegetable forms therein introduced. In that case we should have here a refinement not a little creditable to his taste. ^ I confess to being unable to distinguish the peculiarity in question on the photograph from which Fig. 378 has been reproduced, and for which I am indebted to M. Koumanoudis. The surface of the ivory i)lates may have greatly deteriorated since they were taken out of the graves.