Pottery production of the Pittore di Lipari: chemical and mineralogical analysis of the pigments

One of the most impressive Sicilian pottery production is attributed to the so-called Pittore di Lipari, famous for his numerous vessels – found in the archaeological site of Lipari (Eolian Island – Sicily) – decorated with characteristic blue, red and white figures. From the archaeological point of view, these vessels keep open many questions concerning dating, production technique and cultural background. The chronology proposed by Trendall (Trendall, 1967) – who dated these potteries to the last quarter of the IV B.C. – is questioned on the basis of field observations by Bernabo Brea and Cavalier, who suggest a more recent production (Cavalier, 1976). In this context, new data on the manufacture techniques and on the raw materials used for the pigments may contribute to a deeper comprehension (Mastelloni, 2015; Quartieri et al., 2015). The importance of the vessels, exposed in the Archaeological Museum of Lipari, imposed the use of non-destructive and in situ methods. Specifically, here we present the results of the mineralogical analysis performed by portable Raman spectroscopy (I- Raman Plus - BWTECH) and the chemical data obtained by a portable XRF (Titan System - Bruker). The results of this study testify the use of a series of different pigments. Among these, only the white one is made by kaolin and gypsum, suggesting the use of a local supply. The blue portions are probably made by Egyptian blue, while two types of pigments were employed for red colors: ochre for the brown-reddish hues and cinnabar for the red purple nuance. The latter one is reported for the first time in the decoration of pottery, while its use is known in Sicilian and Roman wall paintings. Interestingly, the use of cinnabar suggests commercial and cultural relationships between Lipari and the Etruria area, or, subordinately, with Spain, where this mineral was quarried on the Carthaginian and Roman Republican periods. References Cavalier, M. (1976):Nouveauxdocumentssur l'art duPeintre de Lipari, Naples, Bretschneider, 66 p. Mastelloni, M.A. (2015): I Pittori di Lipari, delle tre Nikai e di Falcone: l'apporto delle analisi alla ricerca.in“Lipára ed il teatro in età tardo classica ed ellenistica”, Palermo, 73-75. Quartieri, S., Sabatino, G., Di Bella, M., Gianesella, M., Ardizzone, F., Mastelloni, M.A. (2015): Analisi non distruttive sui pigmenti di materiali prodotti a Lipari tra fine IV e I metà III sec. a.C.. in“Lipára ed il teatro in età tardo classica ed ellenistica”, Palermo. Trendal, A.D. (1967): The red-figured vases of Lucania, Campania and Sicily, Oxford, 700 p