LIONS GRIPPING BULLS
of the ' elongated amygdaloid ' type (Fig. 570) from Central Crete,1 they are
couchant in reversed positions, just as elsewhere we the see two oxen. The
attitude of the lion on another lentoid
from Mycenae has an almost playful look.
More generally, however, they are
depicted as beasts of prey, sometimes,
as we have seen, as the subjects of
heroic ' gestes', but oftener as attack-
ing other animals. Of the schemes in
which the lion springs upon his quarry
enough will have been said in a pre-
ceding Section ; among the select Late
Minoan intaglios set forth in Suppl. PL LV the finely engraved lentoid2 on
which he is shown seizing a stag is photographically reproduced.
In Fig. 571—a green jasper lentoid, said to have been found at
Athens3—the lion, in a half-standing position, grips a bull by the neck. In
Fig. 570. Two Lions couchant. Haema-
tite Amygdaloid : Central Crete.
Fig. 371. Lion gripping Bull by
Neck. Green Jasper: Athens. (a).
Fig. 572. Lion holding up a Wild-
goat in his Jaws. Green Jasper :
Crete. (£).
Lion
holding
up bull-
like
Minoan
genius.
Fig. 572* he holds the whole animal up, like a monster retriever, as also on
a lentoid bead-seal of green jasper, also from Crete,5 where the ' sacral knot'
is introduced below (Suppl. PL LV, c). The lion is, in these cases, depicted
Acquired by me in 18S8. ' On a green jasper lentoid shot with red.
" See above, p: 532, Fig. -181. It is there ■ In the British Museum (Cat., 1926, PI. I,
enlarged to three diameters. 43); Furtw., A.G., PI. Ill, 7 ; Imhoof-Blumer
It was obtained by me there, and said to und Keller, Tier- mid Pflamcnliilder, PI. XIV,
j>e a local find. There is a triple, trailing object 28, and p. 86. The idea of carrying off of the
beneath the lion not easily explained. quarry is missed in the description, B.M. Cat.,
of the ' elongated amygdaloid ' type (Fig. 570) from Central Crete,1 they are
couchant in reversed positions, just as elsewhere we the see two oxen. The
attitude of the lion on another lentoid
from Mycenae has an almost playful look.
More generally, however, they are
depicted as beasts of prey, sometimes,
as we have seen, as the subjects of
heroic ' gestes', but oftener as attack-
ing other animals. Of the schemes in
which the lion springs upon his quarry
enough will have been said in a pre-
ceding Section ; among the select Late
Minoan intaglios set forth in Suppl. PL LV the finely engraved lentoid2 on
which he is shown seizing a stag is photographically reproduced.
In Fig. 571—a green jasper lentoid, said to have been found at
Athens3—the lion, in a half-standing position, grips a bull by the neck. In
Fig. 570. Two Lions couchant. Haema-
tite Amygdaloid : Central Crete.
Fig. 371. Lion gripping Bull by
Neck. Green Jasper: Athens. (a).
Fig. 572. Lion holding up a Wild-
goat in his Jaws. Green Jasper :
Crete. (£).
Lion
holding
up bull-
like
Minoan
genius.
Fig. 572* he holds the whole animal up, like a monster retriever, as also on
a lentoid bead-seal of green jasper, also from Crete,5 where the ' sacral knot'
is introduced below (Suppl. PL LV, c). The lion is, in these cases, depicted
Acquired by me in 18S8. ' On a green jasper lentoid shot with red.
" See above, p: 532, Fig. -181. It is there ■ In the British Museum (Cat., 1926, PI. I,
enlarged to three diameters. 43); Furtw., A.G., PI. Ill, 7 ; Imhoof-Blumer
It was obtained by me there, and said to und Keller, Tier- mid Pflamcnliilder, PI. XIV,
j>e a local find. There is a triple, trailing object 28, and p. 86. The idea of carrying off of the
beneath the lion not easily explained. quarry is missed in the description, B.M. Cat.,