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"Restoration"
Minoan "Bull Leaping" Toreador Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Neo-Palatial Knossos, Crete, Greece. This is the third in our series of precision minimalist restorations. The Minoan "Bull Leaping" Toreador Fresco from Knossos was a very difficult restoration that took several weeks to complete. As with all of our restorations it was derived from multiple original sources.
"Original"
Minoan "Bull Leaping" Toreador Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Neo-Palatial Knossos, Crete, Greece. Fragments of this fresco (painted plaster) were discovered in the East Wing of the Palace of Knossos in the Courtyard of the Stone Spout during the excavations conducted by Arthur Evans between 1900 and 1904. The restored fresco is on display in Greece at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, Crete. It is 78.2 cm (30.8 inches) high and 104.5 cm (41.1 inches) wide. It is dated from the Middle Minoan (MM) III through to the Late Minoan IB period or perhaps later. It depicts what is thought to be a male acrobat vaulting over the back of an agressive charging bull accompanied by two female attendants positioned at the front and back of the bull. The attendant in front of the bull has its left horn in her grasp and the one at the rear appears to be preparing to catch the leaper at the end of his vault.
"Restoration"
Minoan Minature Frieze "Flotilla" Fresco
Thera Closeup
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Late Minoan I period, Akrotiri, Santorini (Thera), Greece. This is an attempt to precisely restore the closeup view of the island of Thera from the Miniature Frieze "Flotilla" Fresco. It was derived from multiple original sources. While it represents a minimalist effort to accurately display the artist's original intention some areas of the fresco were so damaged that some degree of subjective interpretation was required to complete it. The focus of this closeup view of the Miniature Frieze "Flotilla" Fresco is the island of Thera on the left side of the composition. This is a contemporary view of the ringed island before the great Bronze Age eruption of the Santorini marine volvano. It clearly shows an inner island ringed by water in the middle of the caldera with a large palace complex dominating the scene.
"Original"
Minoan Minature Frieze "Flotilla" Fresco
Thera Closeup
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Late Minoan I period, Akrotiri, Santorini (Thera), Greece. The focus of this closeup view of the Miniature Frieze "Flotilla" Fresco is the island of Thera on the left side of the composition. This is a contemporary view of the ringed island before the great Bronze Age eruption of the Santorini marine volvano. It clearly shows an inner island ringed by water in the middle of the caldera with a large palace complex dominating the scene.
Minoan Dolphins Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Neo-Palatial Knossos, Crete, Greece. Pieces of this fresco were found in the East Wing's Residential Quarters of Knossos Palace in a room next to the Hall of the Double Axes which Arthur Evans named the Queen's Megaron. Other names associated with this section of the palace are the Queen's Apartment, the Queen's Hall, and the Dolphin Sanctuary. Evans thought of it as the Queen’s private reception room. Combining dolphins, fish and sea urchins it's one of Knossos’s most distinctive frescoes. It was restored by the artist Piet de Jong between 1922 and 1930. The original restoration is in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, Crete. A replica of the fresco is displayed over the door on the north side of the room.
Minoan Feathered Prince of Lilies
"Priest-King" Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Neo-Palatial Knossos, Crete, Greece. The first fragments of the "Feathered Prince" fresco were found during Evans' excavation near the south entrance to the central court of the palace at Knossos on May 11, 1901. It was restored by the artist Emile Gilliéron in 1905. The original restoration is in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, Crete. A replica of the fresco is on display at Knossos near to where its fragments were found. The fresco's young male figure with broad shoulders and a narrow waist is dressed in a type of kilt similar to those worn in the "Bull Leaping" fresco and a crown of lilies and peacock feathers. He is also adorned with a necklace of golden lilies. The figure is thought to be leading a griffin or sphinx by the rope in his left hand through a field of lilies.
Minoan "Ladies in Blue" Women Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Neo-Palatial Knossos, Crete, Greece. Pieces of this fresco were found during Evan's excavation in the west wing of the Palace of Knossos and was later restored by Emile Gilliéron. His original restoration is in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, Crete. The three white-skinned female figures with narrow waists and beautifully coiled hairstyles in this fresco are wearing form-fitting dresses with bare breasts. They are elaborately adorned with delicate necklaces, bracelets, and hair ornaments in a display of the great wealth of the Minoan court.
Minoan Octopus Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Neo-Palatial Knossos, Crete, Greece. A replica of this fresco is displayed in the "Loggia" (a light-well open to the air) directly above the Throne Room in the West Wing of Knossos palace. The original restoration is in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, Crete. On the south side of the Throne Room is a room behind a balustrade with three wooden columns and a short flight of six steps leading down to a sunken floor. Arthur Evans called these sunken rooms "Lustral Basins". He assumed they were filled with water for use in ritual cleansing. But since his time this has fallen into question. Directly above the Lustral Basin was a light-well with an opening in the ceiling that probably extended to the roof of the palace. The floor above the basin where the Octopus fresco is displayed allowed for the observation of whatever occurred below to be viewed from overhead. During Evans' excavation several objects and pieces of crystal and gold were found in the basin that they believed had fallen from above.
"Restoration"
Minoan Antelope Fresco
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Late Minoan I period, Akrotiri, Santorini (Thera), Greece. This is a precision restoration of the Antelope Fresco from Akrotiri, Santorini. As with all of our restorations it was derived from multiple original sources.
"Original"
Minoan Antelope Fresco
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Late Minoan I period, Akrotiri, Santorini (Thera), Greece. This fresco was found during the excavations conducted by Spyridon Marinatos from 1967 to 1974 at Akrotiri on the southern coast of the ringed islands of Santorini (the Pompeii of the Aegean) which was covered by thick deposits of ash and pumice from the great Bronze Age eruption of the Santorini volcano that occurred between 1627 and 1600 BC. It was discovered on the west wall of room 1 in the Beta Building and is 2.0 meters (6.6 feet) wide and 2.75 meters (9.0 feet) high. This exquisite fresco is on display at the P. M. Nomikos Exhibition Center's Thera Wallpainting Exhibition Hall in the town of Fira which houses all of the restored frescoes found during the excavations at Akrotiri.
"Restoration"
Minoan Sea Daffodils "Lilies" Fresco
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Late Minoan I period, Akrotiri, Santorini (Thera), Greece. This is the fourth in our series of precision minimalist restorations. As with all of our restorations it was derived from multiple original sources.
"Original"
Minoan Sea Daffodils "Lilies" Fresco
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Late Minoan I period, Akrotiri, Santorini (Thera), Greece. This fresco was found during the excavations conducted by Spyridon Marinatos from 1967 to 1974 at Akrotiri on the southern coast of the ringed islands of Santorini (the Pompeii of the Aegean) which was covered by thick deposits of ash and pumice from the great Bronze Age eruption of the Santorini volcano that occurred between 1627 and 1600 BC. It was discovered on the south wall of the west section of room 1 in the House of the Ladies and is 1.75 meters (5.7 feet) wide and 2.70 meters (8.9 feet) high. This exquisite fresco is on display at the P. M. Nomikos Exhibition Center's Thera Wallpainting Exhibition Hall in the town of Fira which houses all of the restored frescoes found during the excavations at Akrotiri.
Minoan Minature Frieze "Flotilla" Fresco
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Late Minoan I period, Akrotiri, Santorini (Thera), Greece. This exquisite fresco was found during the excavations conducted by Spyridon Marinatos from 1967 to 1974 at Akrotiri on the southern coast of the ringed islands of Santorini (the Pompeii of the Aegean) which was covered by thick deposits of ash and pumice from the great Bronze Age eruption of the Santorini marine volcano that occurred between 1627 and 1600 BC. It was discovered on the south wall of room 5 in the West House and is 3.90 meters (12.8 feet) wide and 0.43 meters (16.9 inches) high. This fabulous fresco is on display at the P. M. Nomikos Exhibition Center's Thera Wallpainting Exhibition Hall in the town of Fira which houses all of the restored frescoes found during the excavations at Akrotiri. It is considered the single most valuable source for information on the life and technology of the Bronze Age Aegean ever found.
Minoan Minature Frieze "Flotilla" Fresco
Ship Closeup
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Late Minoan I period, Akrotiri, Santorini (Thera), Greece. The focus of this closeup view of the Miniature Frieze "Flotilla" Fresco is the large ship in its center section. It's powered by 21 oars on each side of the ship (42 oars total). It must have been a very large ship indeed. It depicts various decorations as if for a festival and appears to be carrying dignitaries from Thera to the northern coast of Crete.
The Lions Gate - 1350 BC
Mycenae, Argolis, Greece
Late Bronze Age (LBA), Mycenaean, 1350 BC, Mycenae, Argolis, Greece. This is a wonderful image of the Lion's Gate in Mycenae taken by Andreas Trepte, Marburg.
Copyright © 2009 W. Sheppard Baird
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Dolphins Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Women "Ladies in Blue" Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Octopus Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Sea Daffodils Fresco Restoration
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Sea Daffodils Fresco
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Minature Frieze Closeup
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Feathered Prince Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Minature Frieze Fresco
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Bull Leaping Fresco Restoration
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Bull Leaping Fresco
Knossos, Crete, Greece
Antelope Fresco Restoration
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Antelope Fresco
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Minoan Thera Restoration
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
Minoan Thera
Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
The Lions Gate
~ 1350 BC
Mycenae, Argolis, Greece