Un nuovo vaso policromo e riflessioni sull'iconografia delle scene sui vasi di Centuripe

The polychrome 'Centuripe ware' is of special interest as direct evidence of the Hellenistic vase-painting in Sicily. Its study, however, is quite difficult because it is related to issues of authenticity and of understanding of scenes, sometimes unique, painted with very friable tempera colours. A new vase of the Centuripe class kept in the Interdisciplinary Regional Museum of Catania, confiscated in 1992 by the Guardia di Finanza (Italy's financial and customs police), once its authenticity has been verified via non-invasive archaeometric investigations (MA-XRF and XRD), has provided the opportunity to return to these issues. After the review of the several interpretations, which were proposed through a century, an interpretation of the scene painted on the new vase is suggested.