Pigments characterization of polychrome vases production at Lipára: New insights by noninvasive spectroscopicudmethods

摘要

One of the most impressive Sicilian pottery production is attributed to the socalledudLipari Painter and his followers, whose vessels—found in theudarcheological site of Lipari (Aeolian Island, Sicily)—are decorated with characteristicudblue, red, and white figures. From the archeological point of view, theseudartworks keep open many questions concerning dating, production technique,udand cultural background. In this context, new data on the manufacture proceduresudand on the raw materials used for the pigments may contribute to auddeeper comprehension of this early Hellenistic vase tradition. The preciousnessudof the vessels, exhibited at the Archeological Museum of Lipari, imposed theuduse of in situ nondestructive methods to address new insights on the natureudof the colored layers. Thus, analyses by Raman and X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopyudhave been performed with portable instruments on a selection of vesselsudcertainly attributed to Lipari Painter and to some others of his followers. Theudresults of this study testify the use of different pigments: kaolin and gypsum,udprobably supplied locally, for white layers; Egyptian blue for blue hues; redudochre for brown‐reddish hues; and cinnabar for pink and red‐purple nuances.udThe identification of both Egyptian blue and cinnabar opens an interesting discussionudabout dating and circulation of the raw materials.