ic ▁myth ology . ▁Small ▁stat u ettes ▁of ▁animals ▁were ▁made ▁for ▁vot ive ▁use ▁and ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁se als , ▁the ▁devices ▁being ▁cast ▁under ne ath ▁their ▁bases . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁series ▁of ▁such ▁figures , ▁mostly ▁horses , ▁standing ▁on ▁eng ra ved ▁or ▁per fo ir ated ▁pl ates , ▁which ▁were ▁evidently ▁derived ▁from ▁se als ; ▁among ▁the ▁later ▁examples ▁are ▁groups ▁of ▁men ▁and ▁cent a urs . ▁Pie ces ▁of ▁tri pod - ca ul dr ons ▁from ▁Olymp ia ▁have ▁animals ▁lying ▁or ▁standing ▁on ▁their ▁u pr ight ▁ring - hand les , ▁which ▁are ▁stead ied ▁by ▁human ▁figures ▁on ▁the ▁r ims . ▁Hand les ▁and ▁legs ▁are ▁cast , ▁and ▁are ▁en rich ed ▁with ▁grace ful ▁geometric ▁m ould ings . ▁The ▁bow ls ▁are ▁wr ought , ▁and ▁their ▁shape ▁and ▁technique ▁are ▁pre - H ellen ic . ▁Here ▁are ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁elements ▁of ▁classical ▁Greek ▁art ▁in ▁full ▁course ▁of ▁development : ▁the ▁forms ▁and ▁processes ▁of ▁earlier ▁times ▁inv ig or ated ▁by ▁a ▁new ▁a est h etic ▁sense . ▁ ▁Oriental ▁influence ▁ ▁A ▁third ▁element ▁was ▁presently ▁supplied ▁in ▁the ▁rich ▁re pert ory ▁of ▁decor ative ▁mot ives , ▁Egypt ian ▁and ▁Ass y rian , ▁that ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁Europe ▁by ▁Pho en ician ▁trad ers ▁or ▁fetch ed ▁from ▁Asia ▁by ▁advent ur ous ▁Gree ks . ▁A ▁vast ▁amount ▁of ▁orient al ▁mer