Creamy-White Coated Ware From Protopalatial Phaistos: An Overview

Alessandro Sanavia, Giorgia Baldacci,

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Abstract

This paper deals with a group of Middle Minoan vessels that present a surface coated with a lustrous creamy-white slip, distinguishing themselves from the typical Kamares ware pots characterized by polychrome decorations on a dark ground. The bulk of the creamy-white coated vessels come from the site of Phaistos (Crete), but remained almost unknown, only few specimens having been published. Recent research carried out by the authors on the unpublished material stored in the Statigraphical Museum of Phaistos has led to a better assessment of the features of this ware. In the article, the typology, chronology and diffusion of such ware are presented and discussed. It is argued that the use of a lustrous white slip and the almost constant presence of three-dimensional motifs on the surface of the pots are skeuomorphic elements intended in many cases to imitate or recall the most precious metal artefacts. These characteristics attest to a close interrelation among different classes of material and manufacturing processes, with an exchange of expertise and models that deeply influenced craftsmen/craftswomen.

Keywords

• Creta
• Festo
• Crete