”Sea daffodils”

''Sea daffodils''   Detail of the wall-painting found at the prehistoric city of Akrotiri into “the house of the Ladies” room 1, west section, West wall.

The lower zone of the wall-painting comprises a broad red-dish-yellow surface with an undulating upper limit,presumably an attempt at rendering uneven ground. The upper zone consists of  a system of narrow black,red and blue bands alternating with white. Between these two zones the main theme is a representation of blossoming plants growing out of the uneven ground. Concerning the species of plant is the “Pancratium lily” .The characteristic trait is that it grows on sandy beaches ,hence its popular name of sea daffodil.It has a pungent heady perfume and abounds even today on the shores of Thera.

Dimensions : Height 0,90 m Width 0,50 m

Location of the original : Prehistoric Museum oh Thera

Materials and technique:  The wall-painting is made of handmade lime plaster canvas which is glued on enhanced double seawood. The technique used is the ancient fresco with the original earth colours.The missing pieces of the original are being attributed with the same plaster used for the restoration of the originals.The special finishing applied makes the wall-painting resistant to dust and moisture as well as it ensures longevity without further maintenance,  either when the wall-painting is hanged on the wall or built in the wall.