Magnific Magnification at Locri Epizephyrii: An Insight into the Surface of Western Red-figured Vases

The recent studies on red-figured pottery at Locri Epizephyrii have allowed for an in-depth knowledge of the local production and the characteristics of the Locrian workshops (the Locri Group, the Kneeling Eros Group, the Painter of the Pyxis RC 5089) between 390 and 340 B.C. In the last few years, a project has been launched in order to develop the analysis of the surfaces of some figured vases and fragments belonging to Locrian production: in particular, the goal is to support the archaeologists’ naked eye examination in the detection of micro-morphological features and to gain insights into the techniques, the manufacturing practices, the gestures and the tools used by ancient craftsmen. Several techniques (RTI, OM, SEM-EDS, profilometry) have been applied, in particular to obtain a more detailed picture about the features of the miltos and the black gloss, the stratigraphy of the contour and relief lines, the strategy in the preliminary sketch and in the drawing sequence, the use of the overpainted decorations. The results show the potentiality of this analytical approach in the observation and study of the traces left on the surfaces by the coating and decoration processes, leading to shed further light on some of the techniques and procedures used by the Locrian painters.