Dated to around 1500BCE, this jar was found in the Knossos Palace in Crete. The images adorning it are indicative of the aquatic-centered lifestyle that the people of this time had. Filling the space between its outstretched tentacles, the octopus is surrounded by seaweed or coral as well as other fish and shells. Unlike the cave paintings of Lascaux, the artist that painted this sea-creature did not attempt to display multiple angles. They instead focused on the 2D perspective and let the familiar motif speak for itself.
The jar is expressive even through an animal that I have no connection to nor the time period in which it was created in. I still find the piece beautiful and whimsical, due to the fluidity of the octopus and its non-threatening nature. The body of the octopus seems suited for the curved surface with its tendril limbs and soft body, as well as the liquid contents that would have gone inside of this amphora.
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