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The Mycenaean Collection

A rityal scene is depicted in the bezel, where four lion-headed daemons approach a female deity
Signet ring from the 'Tiryns treasure'

This gold ring from the so-called 'Tiryns treasure' is the largest Mycenaean signet ring yet found and a masterpiece of the Mycenaean seal engraver's art. The bezel is deeply engraved with an important ritual scene, while the annulus is decorated in relief. In the ritual scene a female deity sits on a throne at the far left resting her feet on a footstool. She wears a long clerical garment and cylindrical hat, and raises a conical cup or rhyton with her right hand. Four lion-headed daemons carrying libation ewers walk in procession towards the goddess. Various other elements, such as a bird (possibly an eagle), an incense burner atop a short column, and the sun and moon, emphasize this scene's religious character. The “Tiryns treasure” was revealed to the northeast of the Citadel, at the foundation of a mycenaean house, in 1915.

Exhibit Features
Date: Late Bronze Age, 15th c. B.C.
Place of discovery: Tiryntha, Tiryns
Dimensions: diameter: 0.035 m - 0,057 m (bezel), weight: 82,95 gr
Material: Gold
Inventory number: 6208
Exhibition hole: Exhibition hall 4
Copyright: Hellenic Ministry of Culture
 
 
 
  Suggestive Bibliography
 
Sakellariou Α., Die minoischen und mykenischen Siegel des Nationalmuseums in Athen. Corpus der minoischen und mykenischen Siegel, Band I, Berlin, 1964, p. 179
 
Sakellariou-Xenaki A., Texhniques et evolution de la bague-cachet dans l' art cretomycenien, Fragen und Probleme der bronzezeitlichen agaischen Glyptik. Beitrage zum 3. Internationalen Marburger Siegel-Symposium, 5-7 September 1985, CMS Beiheft 3,, Berlin, 1989
 
Δημακοπούλου Κ. (επιμ.), Ο θησαυρός των αηδονιών. Σφραγίδες και κοσμήματα της Ύστερης Εποχής του Χαλκού στο Αιγαίο, Αθήνα, 1996, σ. 94, αρ. 17
 
Το Εθνικό Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο, Αθήνα, 1999, σ. 17