The Ephorate of Antiquities has collected fragments of the replica of the dolphin fresco from Knossos Palace

The Ephorate of Antiquities of Heraklion completed on Friday evening the collection and removal of the fragments of the 1960 copy of the fresco dolphin from the Queen’s Megaron, in Knossos Palace, Crete. According to the announcement of the Ministry of Culture, “the mural was detached on Friday afternoon due to the gale force winds blowing in the area. Due to adverse weather conditions, the operation of the archaeological site was temporarily suspended.”

It is noted that the original dolphin fresco is on display at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

According to the same statement, maintenance and restoration studies for this part of the Minoan Palace of Knossos have already been completed, and the project is set to begin imminently as part of the initiatives funded by the Regional Operational Programme of Crete – NSRF 2021-2027.

According to the Heraklion Museum, the dolphin fresco is a magnificent seascape as well as a decorative masterpiece. Two dolphins are shown swimming among small blue, yellow and pink fish. The light blue background with a darker blue net pattern represents the iridescent surface of the sea. The fragments of the fresco were found in a lightwell at the east end of the Queen’s Megaron in the Palace of Knossos, and Evans believed that it adorned a wall above the entrance.

A different interpretation of the excavation data is that the fresco probably decorated a floor on the upper storey rather than a wall. Although the location and dating of the fresco are uncertain, it belongs to a long Minoan tradition of seascape imagery, with wonderful examples dating from as early as the beginning of the Neopalatial period.

Source: AMNA