Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 2.djvu/473

 4i6 Primitive Greece: Mvcenian Art. general, and crucibles without number poured the coloured molten paste into moulds ready prepared to receive It. Almost all the glass objects that have been brought out of the graves were of native make. The style of ornament they exhibit is that which other products of Mycenian art have brought to our knowledge. The same favour is shown to inflected and parallel lines (Figs. 215, 494), to rosettes (Fig. 495), and imita- tions of different flowers, palm blossoms for instance (Fig. 496) and buds of the lotus (Fig. 497) ; but above all, to marine forms. Here fish are seen swimming in deep waters (Fig. 240), there we have clustering shells, the trocus tuberculatus (Fig. 498), and the purple-giving murex (Fig. 500) ; whilst the argonaut recurs again and again on countless objects (Fig. 479, and tail-piece Fig. 499.^-Gla$s-piisie. Fic. 500. — Glass-pastes. end of Chapter XI.). Bivalves, oysters and mussels, are also met with. The presentment of deities (Figs. 335, 336) and of fictitious beings is the same as that on other instances of this art ; thus, the plumed sphinxes of the ivories are beheld on many a glass-specimen (Fig. 411).' Glass-paste was sometimes introduced into somewhat elaborate inlays to heighten and vary the effects of colour ; but it was more frequently employed to adorn the person, in the shape of ornamental buttons (Fig. 500). To glass-pastes, royalties — men and women — added a small proportion of gold buttons and squares. ^ In order to give a more complete idea of this decoration, it would be well to reprint here those glass specimens which in our third volume were attributed to Camiros, whilst they come from the lalysos graves. Then, too, instead of placing them as we did among the Phccnician products, they should lie classed with the instances of Mycenbn art. Upon the lalysos glass-ware, which is in every respect similar to that of MycenE and Spata, see Mykenische Vasen.