Mycenæ: a narrative of researches and discoveries at Mycenæ and TirynsSchliemann, Heinrich
History
Mycenæ: a narrative of researches and discoveries at Mycenæ and Tiryns
Schliemann, Heinrich
Mycenae (Extinct city); Tiryns (Extinct city)
Of the highest interest are two little golden figures, one of which is
given under No. 273, each having four perforations in exactly the same
places; they appear, therefore, to have been attached to each other,
so that the same figure appeared on either side. They exactly resemble
each other. Regarding the type of the features nothing can be said with
certainty, for it may as well be Hellenic as Asiatic. Nor is there any
indication whether the figures represent men or women, though their rich
female dress leads us to suppose the latter to be the case. Both have
the hands joined on the breast like Aphrodité, but below them we see an
object in the form of a disk, which seems to be suspended from the neck.
On each side of the breast, as well as on the lower part of the gowns,
we see a number of straps, which probably represent ribbons or gold
lace; also two rows of twelve small circles in each, which are no doubt
intended to represent gold buttons with intaglio work, like those of
which such large quantities were found, as we shall see, in two of the
tombs.
[Illustration: Nos. 274-280. Golden Ornaments. Sepulchre III. Actual
size.]
[Sidenote: VARIOUS GOLDEN ORNAMENTS.]
I further gathered in the same tomb eight golden ornaments in the form
of butterflies, of which I represent one under No. 275. Some of them
have two, others have four, perforations; and, as all are exactly of
the same size and shape, I presume that these also have been fastened
together in pairs with pins, so that there was a butterfly on each side.
This supposition seems to be warranted by the reverse side, which is
hollow. I think the same must have been the case with the other objects
here engraved, of which duplicates were found, but not with No. 274,
which represents two eagles. Very curious are the ornaments represented
by No. 279, of which four were found; two of them have two perforations
each, the other two have none. All of them represent two swans standing
opposite each other with the heads joined. There is something between the
feet of the two swans which has the shape of a table, but I cannot say
what it may be. There were found seven golden ornaments like No. 280,
representing hippocampi; all have the head turned backward, and the tail
is curved; all have perforations.
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