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

Abstract

One of the most impressive Sicilian pottery production is attributed to the socalled Lipari Painter and his followers, whose vessels-found in the archeological site of Lipari (Aeolian Island, Sicily)-are decorated with characteristic blue, red, and white figures. From the archeological point of view, these artworks keep open many questions concerning dating, production technique, and cultural background. In this context, new data on the manufacture procedures and on the raw materials used for the pigments may contribute to a deeper comprehension of this early Hellenistic vase tradition. The preciousness of the vessels, exhibited at the Archeological Museum of Lipari, imposed the use of in situ nondestructive methods to address new insights on the nature of the colored layers. Thus, analyses by Raman and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy have been performed with portable instruments on a selection of vessels certainly attributed to Lipari Painter and to some others of his followers. The results of this study testify the use of different pigments: kaolin and gypsum, probably supplied locally, for white layers; Egyptian blue for blue hues; red ochre for brown-reddish hues; and cinnabar for pink and red-purple nuances. The identification of both Egyptian blue and cinnabar opens an interesting discussion about dating and circulation of the raw materials.

Combined 3D Surveying and Raman Spectroscopy Techniques on Artifacts Preserved at Archaeological Museum of Lipari

“…The previously important result of the study in Lipari Museum collection is the identification of cinnabar in the color palette of both Lipari Painter and his followers. This suggests an identical use of materials and a local production [19]. In clay mask number 11248 (Figure 12a), the spectrum presents bands at 410, 498, and 610 cm −1 attributable to hematite pigment (Fe 2 O 3 ) and a band at 1008 cm −1 imputable to gypsum (CaSO 4 ·2(H 2 O)) per literature data [18].…”

“…The previously important result of the study in Lipari Museum collection is the identification of cinnabar in the color palette of both Lipari Painter and his followers. This suggests an identical use of materials and a local production [19].…”

Exploring the Coroplasts’ ‘Techne’ in Greek Architectural Terracottas from Sicily: an Archaeometric Approach

“…Concerning kaolin, the most reliable hypothesis locates the origin of the material in the Sicilian island of Lipari, where it was largely used to decorate fine ceramic artefacts as well (Barone et al . ). Therefore, also in the case of pigments, a circulation of knowledge and raw material can be hypothesized.…”

In situ Raman spectroscopy for cultural heritage studies

“…Van de Voorde et al [ 25 ] applied a multi‐analytical molecular and elemental approach on a 16th century Belgian majolica floor. Analysis with portable Raman spectrometers, in combination with other techniques, has been applied on glyptics, [ 135 ] vases, [ 136 ] Roman bricks [ 137 ] and Pompeian pigments recovered in their bowls, [ 138 ] to identify calomel (Hg 2 Cl 2 ) as a pigment of intentional choice. [ 139 ] Pozzi et al [ 140 ] reported the potential for the characterization of inorganic/organic compounds found on artefacts from New York museums.…”