The wild blue yonder

arthistorita:

Pilgrim Flask with Octopus, Minoan, 1500-1450 BC, Archaeological Museum, Herakleion.

This flask predates its Mycenaean spinoff by at least two hundred years. The more naturalistic octopus motif does fill the space nicely and, because of its tilted angle and heterogeneous tentacles, has a greater sense of movement. That, along with the marine theme, are hallmarks of Minoan style. The belly of the vessel, however, hangs lower which could indicate a slower wheel (or an artist with poorer command of it).