Forma e immagine. Il caso delle lekanides centuripine

Abstract

Centuripan lekanides as a whole show a noticeable consistency as for morphology, decoration, imagery, and context of use (whenever some contextual associations are identifiable). So, the iconography of the lekanides must be examined within the “literal” and the “metaphorical” frames that shaped the images and their reception by the ancient viewer, in order to understand the typical features of such vases: the relationship with the mundus muliebris, the rhetorical amplification of scale and ornamentation, the polychromy, the plethora of figures, phytomorphic motifs, and “architectural” details, and finally the allusions to rituals, through which the fulfilment of identity of the dead is suggested.- In Appendix we report the results (still preliminary for sample R1) of the analyes of two lekanides, respectively black- and pink- ground. However, we can already report several similarities between the two finds, especially for what concerns the employed materials. For this reason, we confirm the originality of the two artifacts. However, we should evidence some noteworthy differences. R1 sample is characterized by the presence of a black background, while we can reveal the presence of a preparation layer only for the R2 sample, where is presenta pink background (alizarin dye). is present. Furthermore, the combination of different analytical techniques allowed us to discover several decoration motives, which are not visible anymore under eye inspection due to the poor conservation status.