VB·31

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Inscription
Reading in transliteration:	a
Reading in original script:
Object:	VB·31 Ornavasso (cup)
Position:	outside, wall
Orientation:	180°
Direction of writing:	sinistroverse
Script:	North Italic script (Lepontic alphabet)
Letter height:	1.5 cm0.591 in <br />
Number of letters:	1
Number of words:	1
Number of lines:	1
Workmanship:	scratched after firing
Condition:	complete
Archaeological culture:	La Tène D [from object]
Date of inscription:	first half of 1st c. BC [from object]
Type:	unknown
Language:	unknown
Meaning:	abbreviation (?)
Alternative sigla:	Whatmough 1933 (PID): note xviii (i) Solinas 1995: 139
Sources:	Solinas 1995: 379 no. 139

Images

Cup with single character from San Bernardo t. 11	Cup with single character from San Bernardo t. 127	Vaso a trottola with single character from San Bernardo t. 129	Mark on the foot of a black-glazed patera from San Bernardo t. 15	Mark on the foot of a black-glazed cup from San Bernardo t. 15
Black-glazed cup with single character from San Bernardo t. 69	Cup VB·31 Ornavasso with inscription VB·31

Commentary

First published in Bianchetti 1895: 67 (no. 1), 123. Examined for LexLep on 20^th April 2024.

Image in Piana Agostinetti 1972: 73, fig. 43.1 (drawing).

A neat single letter alpha inscribed upside-down on the wall of the cup. It is one of a number of one-character graffiti mentioned by Bianchetti, who notes eleven occurences of (p. 68, no. 7, examples in photos above) and thirteen occurrences of (p. 69, no. 16) on ceramic vessels from San Bernardo (see also Rhŷs 1913: 60). Whatmough PID: 119, note xviii, adds (iv) one occurrence of and (v) two occurrences of . A complete list is provided by Piana Agostinetti 1972: 267–270. The one-letter graffiti are included collectively by Solinas 1995 (no. 139) and discussed (without a siglum) by Morandi 2004: 556 f. Some of them may be abbreviations of personal names, but letter-like para-script marks are equally possible.

See also Morandi 1999b: ?.

Corinna Salomon

Bibliography

Bianchetti 1895	Enrico Bianchetti, I sepolcreti di Ornavasso [= Atti della Società di Archeologia e Belle Arti della provincia di Torino 6], Torino: Paravia 1895.