The Minoans were great artists, including beautiful plants and animals in their work. I've written before about their depictions of lilies - perhaps the most well-known botanical figure in Minoan art - and papyrus.
Today, I'd like to talk about an unnatural flower, one that doesn't exist in the real world but that appears in Minoan art: the waz lily. You can see two of them on the teacup above (the looped handle is facing away from the camera, so it's not visible). The waz lily is a stylized lily with a pronounced double curl, combined with a stylized papyrus bloom head.
When you mention the phrase "Minoan flower," most people immediately think of lilies. Yes, the saffron crocus was very important to the Minoans - in their religion, their art, and their economy - but somehow lilies have taken the spotlight. And with good reason.
They're beautiful, for one thing. Just look at that image above! It's a portion of the Spring fresco from Akrotiri, showing a typical springtime scene of red lilies blooming and swallows returning from their winter migration to Africa. These are probably wild Turk's cap lilies (Lilium martagon) which are native to the Mediterranean.
Thesseli
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