This is the second in a series exploring 3D elements in Minoan art. Find the other posts here: Part One, Part Three, Part Four. 

This time, I'd like to explore some of the amazing 3D elements in Minoan ceramics. Minoan potters were highly skilled and remarkably creative. Many of their works look quite modern and would be right at home in a typical kitchen or living room these days, or maybe in an art gallery.

A while ago, I shared some interesting offering dishes that have 3D decorations sitting inside them. These appear to be a sort of "pre-filled" offering setup, with either the offering itself or perhaps the deity who will be receiving the offering represented by ceramic sculptures within the dishes. Definitely unique!

What I want to look at today is the extensive array of Minoan ceramic containers that have 3D decoration on the outside. Like the large pithos above, with its all-over 3D design. According to archaeologists, these designs were a sort of label identifying the contents: wine, grain, oil, or other staples. The multiple looped handles were used to thread rope through, to stability these giant jars for transport.

That's a fairly utilitarian use of 3D decoration. But sometimes, 3D elements on Minoan ceramics were purely decorative. Minoan potters were quite fond of barbotine decoration, which is a fancy way of saying "pointy bits." Like this beaked jug with its lovely spiraling design:

Image CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Or this one with far less subtle 3D elements along with some painted-on papyrus blooms. There's also a small 3D figure eight shield on the neck:

Image Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Some 3D decorations on Minoan ceramics are quite realistic, like the lovely white flowers on this Kamares ware krater from Phaistos, which may represent sea daffodils:

Image Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Or this lovely little cup from Malia that's decorated with applied-on cats and bushes for a whimsical outdoor scene:

Image CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Or this gorgeous offering stand from Phaistos with its bold dolphin and seashell design depicting an underwater scene:

Image CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

In the case of the offering stand, it's obvious this is a ritual object. But with the other items, we can't really tell whether they had specific religious or sacred significance. Some of the vessels I'm sharing here today might depict scenes from myth, or they might simply be pretty decorations.

Bear in mind that in the Bronze Age, there wasn't a clear-cut division between the sacred and the mundane. In fact, the idea of "the mundane" would probably have been foreign to the Minoans and their neighbors. Like most of the people of the ancient world, the Minoans probably viewed the sacred as permeating every aspect of their lives. Still, there's a distinction between objects used specifically for ritual, like offering stands, and items used for everyday purposes, like dinnerware.

Archaeologists have also found artifacts with 3D decorations that suggest the Minoans had a sense of humor alongside their deep reverence for the divine. Consider, for instance, this jug from Koumasa with a little human figure clinging to the side:

Image CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Or this container from Kamilari with a little person standing on a platform along the side, dangling their arms into the vessel:

Image CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

So as you can see, Minoan potters didn't feel too tightly bound by convention when it came to designing their ceramics. Their designs were full of creativity and imagination and maybe even humor. No wonder so many of them feel positively modern.

Next time, we'll explore some even more expressive 3D container designs.