COUPLED WITH MAN-BULL

459

■
Fig

3S3. Haematite Cylinder found in
Crete showing Minoan Genius.

scene is not completed as in the case of the Tifyns signet by a seated God-
dess, but the object of the worship is sufficiently indicated by the flying-
dove above the ewer.

In front of the Genius is
a standing figure—facing above,
in profile below—of a man-bull,
with his forearms folded inwards
as in the case of the young God
beside the Genius on the gem
shown in Fig. 392 below. His
belt and loin-cloth are Minoan,
and, except for the facing head
and standing or pacing attitude,
it might seem natural to identify
this semi-bovine figure with the
' Minotaur' types of Late Minoan
bead-seals. It must be observed,
indeed, that a parallel pair of erect man-bulls—though in non-Cretan loin-
clothing—is exemplified by a cylinder (Fig. 384)1 of a typical Syro-Anatolian

group in association
with a God in Hittite
garb and the naked
Goddess. Here, too,
the dove appears as a
symbol. Once more
we are led to infer a
good deal of coale-
scence of Minoan and
Oriental religious ima-
gery at this time.

The cylinder (Fig.

383) is of haematite, as is usually the case with the Syro-Hittite and
Cypriote group.2 That the cylinder form was also occasionally used in
Crete and Mainland Greece at this time is established by several examples,
of which a good specimen is illustrated in Fig. 387 below.3 But the intaglios
on these follow the usual Minoan tradition in the style of their designs,
while the cylinder before us (Fig. 383), though exceptional in including a

Con-
nected
with
Dove

Goddess
and
Man-
bull.

Fig. 384.

: Syro-FIittite' Haematite Cylinder showing
Man-bulls.

Probably
of Cypro-
Minoan
fabric.

1 Ward, op. at., p. 285, and p. 286, No. S69.
Fate Minoan lentoid and amygdaloid bead-

seals are also not infrequent.
3 F. 463.