Le ambre figurate preromane del 'Maestro delle sfingi alate'. Valenze simboliche, contesti e diffusione tra Basilicata, Campania e Piceno

Among Italic figured ambers, some specimens made by a particularly refined craftsman (or workshop) stand out, known as the "Master of the Winged Sphinxes", stylistically linked to the "Armento Group", characterized by an extraordinary delicacy of the design and a remarkable accuracy in the rendering of every single detail. Since there is still no specific study on these carved ambers, this work will present the most refined artifacts found within prestigious contexts and widespread especially among the indigenous settlements of Basilicata, outlining the main stylistic elements. However, this analysis also includes many specimens found in Campania and Picenum, which show several common stylistic features such as to suggest the same origin. Here the proposal for a re-reading of the problem relating to the production of these objects will be addressed not only considering the stylistic and typological aspects, but also the sociological ones, framed in a broader context of the issues relating to indigenous handicraft of the Archaic period.