Snake Goddess from Knossos
c. 1600 – 1550 BCE (New Palace Period)
Crete/Minoan Culture
Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete
The Snake Goddess is a Minoan goddess associated with the snake cult. The snake is both connected with welfare of the household and is a symbol of the underworld deity. She is wearing a Minoan court costume consisting of a flowing skirt and open bodice.
Faience is a term for earthenware covered with a solid glaze containing crushed quartz, which is the cause for the bluish tint and glassy surface. It was probably imported from Egypt in the Pre-Palace period.
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