Minoan Thera Wallpainting Exhibition: Mistress of Animals and Saffron Gatherer 17th C. BCE

"Xeste 3,

Room 3a, first floor, North Wall
H: 2.30 / W: 3.22 m

The northern wall depicts a crocus-filled landscape. Here, a third female figure empties crocus stamens from her basket into a larger holding vessel. We can assume that she is a third saffron-gatherer. To the right, seated upon a stepped pedestal, is a fourth female figure. Positioned well above the other three females, this woman is richly dressed, adorned with an assortment of jewelry.

Animal themes and motifs decorate this central figure; she wears two necklaces, one with duck beads and the other with a dragonfly motif and on her head, a snake-like band. In front of her is a blue monkey climbing up the pedestal, holding outstretched a posy of crocuses. At her side sits a Griffin. The Griffin, half-lion half-eagle, is a mythical creature long associated with majesty and power.

Placed on this ‘podium’ in the midst of real and mythical animals, academics have interpreted the woman as a divinity and thus named her the ‘Mistress of Animals’. It is possible that this wall-painting depicts a religious celebration, the offering of the crocus harvest to the Nature Goddess.

While this wall-painting seems to depict elements of the divine, the act of saffron gathering is firmly rooted in reality and represents ancient traditions of dyeing, of fine perfume and pharmacology."

-taken from therafoundation link below

Minoan Thera Wallpainting Exhibition: Mistress of Animals and Saffron Gatherer 17th C. BCE.


The fresco, restored.

The Saffron Goddess, sometimes called Artemis.
The griffin.

Gatherer detail.

Modern painting of the Saffron Goddess.




Source:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Akrotiri_Xesti_3_Fresko_Frau_auf_Thron_01.jpg

https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiedosto:Potnia_Theron,_Akrotiri.jpg

https://www.pinterest.jp/pin/818036719792952874/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/558446422544095901/

https://fi.pinterest.com/pin/473370610830822297/

https://www.pinterest.de/pin/716564990689814865/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/347973508705849758/

https://aras.org/sites/default/files/docs/00090Rutter_0.pdf

 

Quote:

https://web.archive.org/web/20120309063352/http://www.therafoundation.org/wallpaintingexhibition/mistress-of-animals-and-saffron-gatherer/wallpainting

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