Made primarily from terracotta, Mycenaean pottery is characterized by dark painting on a light background. As well as urns and pots, terracotta figurines, known as phi and psi figurines due to their resemblance to Greek letters, have been found by archaeologists and are thought to be representations of goddesses in long gowns and formal poses. Other common pottery was in the form of stemmed cups known as kylix and eared vases known as kraters, often painted in aquatic, warrior or chariot themes.
Another common art form found in the palaces of the Mycenaean period are frescoes. A fresco is a wall mural in which paint is applied to wet plaster. The paint consists of various natural pigments, such as ochre and umber, mixed in an emulsion of water and egg yolks or whole eggs known as tempura. In the Palace of Nestor evidence of a purple pigment extracted from the Murex, a marine mollusk, was found in frescoes in the throne room. Other common colors used in fresco painting are red, yellow and blue.
Bronze was heavily used for tools and weapons, but other metals, including gold and silver, were also used. Despite the scarcity of gold in mainland Greece, a great number of gold objects have been found in burial pits. Cups, vases, jewelry and burial masks were made of gold. Precious metal alloys used during the period included electrum, a gold and silver alloy and niello, a mixture of silver, copper and sulfur. Other important metals of the time were copper, tin and iron.
Carved ivory, generally from elephant tusks or hippopotamus teeth, was another art form from the Mycenaean period. Likely imported from Egypt and Syria, the ivory was used to create functional items such as cups and furniture, as well as decorative pieces of jewelry and relief plaques. Ivory carvers also created items of personal care, such as combs and hand mirrors. Tiny bits of ivory, likely scraps created from the larger carvings, became beads
Archaeologists have also discovered evidence of stone carving during the Mycenaean period. Stones such as alabaster, rock crystal and limestone were used to create vases, millstones and mortars and pestles. Obsidian, a black volcanic glass, was used to produce knives and razors. Carvers used precious stones to create jewelry, beads and seals. Seals, small carved discs bearing an insignia or other identification marks, were used both for jewelry and for impressing marks on pottery.