VA·28.3

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Inscription
Reading in transliteration:	aesia
Reading in original script:
Variant reading:	vesia
Object:	VA·28 Samarate (bowl) (Inscriptions: VA·28.1, VA·28.2, VA·28.3)
Position:	bottom, outside
Orientation:	180°
Direction of writing:	dextroverse
Script:	North Italic script
Letter height:	6 cm2.362 in <br />
Number of letters:	5
Number of words:	1
Number of lines:	1
Workmanship:	scratched
Condition:	unknown
Archaeological culture:	unknown [from object]
Date of inscription:	late 2nd c. BC [from object]
Type:	unknown
Language:	prob. Celtic
Meaning:	'Aesia' or 'Vesia'
Alternative sigla:	Whatmough 1933 (PID): 300 bis Solinas 1995: 115 Morandi 2004: 128 C
Sources:	Morandi 2004: 607 f. 128 C

Images

Inscriptions VA·28.1, VA·28.2 and VA·28.3

Commentary

First published in Bertolone 1931: 43.

Images in Bertolone 1931: 44, fig. 13 (drawing), Morandi 2004: 609, fig. 17.128 (drawing).

Inscribed upside-down on the bottom of the patera, farther from the rim and about 9 cm to the left of the remains of VA·28.1. Whatmough (Addenda p. 630), Solinas and Morandi read aesia, but, as pointed out by Morandi, the two different variants of alpha constitute a problem. Alpha with two hastae being an archaic letter form, the first letter could be identified as waw (vesia), but this does not agree with the likely dating of the object. Tibiletti Bruno 1978: 149 alternatively suggests a Latin reading fesia (in which case the letters forms show stylistically North Italic influence). In either case, the sequence is most likely an ā-stem personal name; both aesia and vesia find comparanda.

Corinna Salomon

Bibliography

Bertolone 1931	Mario Bertolone, "Scoperte archeologiche nell'Agro Gallaratese", Rivista Archeologica dell'Antica Provincia e Diocesi di Como. Antichità ed Arte 102–104 (1931), 23–52.