[Illustration: No. 224. Fine decorated Vase of Terra-Cotta, with two Handles and two great upright Wings. From the Palace (7½ M.).]
Among the smaller terra-cottas found in the palace of Priam, I have particularly to mention a vessel 2¾ inches long, in a human form, with the owl’s head of the Ilian Athena and unusually large eyes: two lines on the temples appear to indicate the helmet, three horizontal lines on the neck her armour.[266] The body is covered with an arched shield 1½ inch long, upon which there are ten rows of dots, which are probably intended to represent the heads of the small nails with which the layers (πτύχες) were fastened together; the shield of Ajax, for instance, consisted of seven layers of hides and an outer case of copper.[267] The Trojan goddess carries on both sides a large wing, in the form of a bottle, which is decorated with horizontal lines. The long hair at the back of the goddess’s head is very distinct; it is gathered into a plait, and falls down almost as far as her ankles, and is wrought with great care, reminding one extremely of the very similar plaits of the Caryatides in the Erechtheum of the Acropolis of Athens. Not only is the idol hollow, but so also are the wings; the latter must positively have some symbolical significance.
In the palace of Priam I further met with four marble and three bone idols, with the owl’s head of the tutelar goddess of Troy: one of the bone idols is painted with a white colour. I likewise discovered there ten marble idols, without the owl’s head; also the fragment of a sword, as well as of a lance, a knife, and some copper implements; further, a dozen long, thin copper nails, which must have served as hair or dress pins; besides these, a packet of five dress pins, which have been molten together in the heat of the conflagration: one of the pins has two heads, one above the other, the lower head being perfectly round. I also discovered here a perforated cylinder, 1¾ inch long, made of blue felspar, and ornamented all round with extremely remarkable engraved symbols. I there also discovered an extremely curious ivory article, which must be part of a musical instrument;[268] six sling bullets of loadstone and an arrow-head.