Young Theran woman carrying safron in a basket on her shoulder (restored vs original). Akrotiri, Thera. Cycladian-Minoan, 16th century BC. Santorini, Greece. This painting is part of the “Goddess of Nature Fresco”, with this young woman walking towards the goddess from the right… [1920×1280] [OC]

…This painting, part of the so called [Goddess of Nature Fresco](https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtefactPorn/comments/1ak9li6/goddess_of_nature_fresco_akrotiri_island_of_thera/), originally decorated the walls of a room on the first floor of Xeste 3. Xeste 3 is an impressive three story private house from ancient Akrotiri, thought to have been owned by a very wealthy and powerful person who hosted the religious ceremonies and likely held an important position in the religious hierarchy. It is one of the four buildings that have been unearthed and studied in depth so far in Akrotiri.

Several women with elaborate hairstyles, lavish garments and jewels, are depicted gathering crocus flowers. They are offering the stigmas of the plant through the intervention of a monkey to the Goddess of Nature as this plant was of great value due to its healing and coloring properties. It is possible that it portrays an important celebration honoring the Goddess, where females of successive age groups participated in the context of their initiation in ritual acts and their progression to the next age group.

The narration begins from the wall on the right side of the entrance. portraying two females in a rocky landscape, and gathering the crocuses that are in full blossom. The older one seems to be overseeing the younger one with the shaved head .

The narration continues on the wall across the entrance with the offering of the plant to the seated Goddess in the epicenter of the depiction. Of the two women on the edges of the depiction, the one on the right is headed towards the Goddess with a full basket on her shoulder (depicted here), whereas the one on the left is emptying her harvest in a large pannier. The majestic Goddess is accompanied by a winged griffin and accepts the dried stigmas offered to her by the hand of the monkey in front of her.

The girl in this image is coming from the right towards the Goddess bringing her own offering of saffron.

As usual, my apologies for inaccuracies and mistakes (including the missing f on the tittle😅😜).