"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 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.