Nos. 359-365. Various ornaments of Gold. Sepulchre IV. Actual size.
The rings (Nos. 363 and 364) are also of gold; the former, which is massive and has no ornamentation, seems to have been a finger-ring; the latter is a small ornamented ribbon, which was turned round and fastened in the form of a ring, and may have been used as an earring, similar to which there were found two.
No. 365 is a lion's cub; it is of massive gold, very heavy, and I share Mr. Newton's opinion that it is cast and tooled.
No. 366. Highly decorated Golden Cylinder, probably the handle of a sword or sceptre. Sepulchre IV. Size 4:5.
ORNAMENTED GOLD CYLINDER.
The golden cylinder (No. 366) belonged no doubt, to the wooden handle of a sword or sceptre, because we see all along its middle part the row of pin-holes, and even four flat heads of pins, and in the centre the head of a very large pin, by which it was attached. It is ornamented at both ends with a broad border of wave-lines, and the whole remaining space is filled with interwoven spirals, all in magnificent intaglio work.
There was also found an ornament consisting of three double leaves of gold, which are soldered together in the middle, representing a magnificent star, ornamented all over with shield-like concentric circles of repoussé work. The primitive artist has not forgotten to ornament the borders with small strokes, no doubt with the intention of making the leaves still more conspicuous. There were found two other stars, each of two double leaves of gold, which are soldered together in the middle, and, as the perforation shows, were fastened by a pin on some other object. The leaves of both stars are ornamented with a repoussé work of shield-like concentric circles, interspersed with pear-like designs; the borders of the leaves are also ornamented with small strokes. In what manner all these stars have been used as ornaments, it is difficult to say.
I further found with the five bodies of this tomb two small rings (see No. 367), which have an impressed ornamentation of small circles. There were further found two small double-headed battle-axes, of thin gold plate (No. 368). Of the handle of the one shown, only part remains; that of the other is almost entirely gone. Double-headed battle-axes of precisely the same form are seen on all the medals of the island of Tenedos; we see them also on some of the gold ornaments from Mycenæ, on a lentoid gem from the great Heræum, which will be passed in review in the subsequent pages, and between the horns of the two small cow-heads on gold-leaf found in this sepulchre.[322] Mr. Postolaccas calls my attention to the passage in Plutarch:[323] "But the Tenedians have taken the axe from the crabs, which are with them abundant about the so-called Asterion, because it appears that the crabs alone have the figure of the axe in their shell." The same friend reminds me, besides, that the double battle-axe is the symbol of the Labrandian Jove, who was worshipped in Labranda, and it is represented on the medals of the ancient kings of Caria, as on those of Maussollus[324] (353 B.C.), Idrieus (344 B.C.), Pixodarus (336 B.C.) and Othomtopatos (334 B.C.). I also find in Plutarch[325] that the axe, πέλεκυς, was called in the Lydian language λάβρυς.
