Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 2.djvu/493

 436 Primitive Grkece: Mvcenian Art. lower portion of the handles is fastened by a broad gold band — which divides itself into three ribbons about the middle of its length — to the solid circular foot. Two doves, one on each of the horizontal plates, are turned to the cup and front each other. It was in the nature of things that this vase should have called Up to Schliemann's mind the remembrance of the cup of Nestor, which the poet describes in the following lines: " Hecamedes then placed a magnificent cup on the table, which the old man had brought with him from his own land. It had four handles, and the surface was studded with bosses. On each of the handles were two doves pecking ; the cup had two supports." ' Nestor's cup ' Iliad. We have followed Helbig {Das Homcrhche Epos) in our rendering of the line fvu l^uwo xoSiuvct Sjaap, the sense of which was already obscure in antiquity. Schliemann lakes it to signify a double bottom, that of the vase proper and the foot itself. Helbig advances valid reasons why such an interpretation should be set
 * . 5J2. — Gold Clip. Tliree-eiglillis.