An interdisciplinary approach to studying archaeological vase paintings using computed tomography combined with mineralogical and geochemical methods. A Corinthian alabastron by the Erlenmeyer Painter revisited

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the results of an investigation of an unusual unpainted area in the Corinthian vase painting silhouettes painting technique during the Archaic Period (late 7th to 6th century BC). A painting of two panthers in the heraldic scheme done by the Erlenmeyer Painter on an alabastron contains a striking unpainted circular area inside the shoulder of one of the panthers. Since this feature cannot be explained by iconographical constraints, it has previously been referred to as an “opening”. However, by combining X-ray methods, particularly computed tomography (CT) and related 3D surface renderings, with mineralogical and geochemical methods (SEM-EDS, XRD) and stylistic arguments, we have arrived at a new interpretation. The CT data revealed a feature directly beneath the unpainted circular area that was shaped like an angular plug and had similar structural properties and attenuation coefficients as the surrounding clay matrix. A visible inclusion on the surface of this alabastron was identified as a rock fragment, most likely sandstone or sandy shale, which suggests that a problematic large inclusion had been removed from the vessel and was subsequently filled with clay during the firm leather-hard stage. We argue that the painter intentionally deviated from the usual compositional form by leaving the area of the repair unpainted and adapting the drawing of the panther accordingly. One advantage of this method, particularly for vase collections, is that CT is a non-invasive technique that collects data from the entire ceramic body, which in combination with geoscience methods such as SEM-EDX and XRD allows for minimally invasive analysis that can strengthen the X-ray-based evaluation. Therefore, we contend that integrating CT data combined with mineralogical and geochemical data into pottery studies will open new avenues for the study of ancient vase painting, particularly for interpreting unpainted areas and other irregularities within black-glazed silhouette figures.