Statuette from the Palace of Knossos, Crete

Photographed in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow

At the start of the 20th century Sir Arthur Evans spent several seasons excavating the Palace of Knossos, dating from about 2000 BC, which was the centre of the ancient Minoan civilisation. In May 1903 his crew uncovered two large stone lined cisterns, which contained numerous broken fragments of assorted works of art, including fragments of at least five faience statuettes depicting bare-breasted female snake handlers. Two of these were quickly restored, and immediately became icons of Minoan arts and culture. These discoveries stimulated the activities of illegal smugglers and excavators, and at least 14 more ‘Minoan’ goddessess soon appeared. Samples of these statuettes appear in a number of European museums.

The statuettes depict bare-breasted women wearing garments resembling modern corsets and crinolines. Nothing is known about the meaning of these statuettes, but it has been suggested that they probably represent snake godesses. These examples are in the the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.

 

Statuette from the Palace of Knossos, Crete

Photographed in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow

 

Discussing these figurines, Elizabeth Ewing wrote "The significance of these long-lost ladies is that they show, very early and by an accident of survival and a trick of time, what was to happen aeons later in the Western World. But between them and the valid history of fashion and underwear is another chasm in time and space. The corsetted figures in particular can only baffle and tease one out of thought."

Kenneth D.S. Lapatin, president of the Boston AIA Society, has recently claimed that all but the original two figurines, found by Sir Arthur Evans, are modern forgeries. It is certainly hard to believe that these two examples, which appear to be in excellent condition, are really 4000 years old.

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