Minoan Art

Minoan art at Knossos testifies to the zenith that cultural activity attained in the city. The exquisite frescoes adorning the palaces number among the few surviving examples of Greek pictorial art. Pottery and vase painting are of particular interest, production consisting in the main of ritual vessels, most especially of the bull head rhyton type. The arts of jewellery making and seal cutting were also important - in both, Minoan artists lent graceful expression to their fondness for miniatures.

The proto-palatial period (2000-1700 BC) was typified by the appearance and flourishing of Kamares style pottery, while in the neo-palatial period (1700-1450 BC) there was a clear predilection for the use of features drawn from nature, both in vase painting and in the frescoes adorning palaces and villas. Finally, the period from 1450 to 1000 BC was marked by the presence and influence of Mycenaean features.