Adam I believe it possible to take a genuine antiquity and modify it. I think that is what Peter is saying. I agree that there is a possibility the sgrafitto was fired with the cup. At least, it would most probably have been if the whole of it is genuine. I was examining the enlargement of the letters AI and the edges give the impression of having been fired. But, I always thought the descender was drawn first on the A before the diagonal V shape. Has anyone else found this, or have I got it wrong? Or, maybe it does not really matter.
As I said before, this might be satirical in the same way as the Palatine sgrafitto of Alexamenos worshiping his god. If it is not satirical it could be connected with Egyptian mystery cult or Gnosticism or Menander the Samaritan, or some similar cult. It would certainly be exciting to have a relic of an early Christian heretical group in Egypt dating between AD 30-50. John John N. Lupia III New Jersey, USA; Beirut, Lebanon http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Roman-Catholic-News/ God Bless Everyone --- On Thu, 9/18/08, Adam Bülow-Jacobsen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: Adam Bülow-Jacobsen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [PAPY] Dia Christou &c. > To: [email protected] > Date: Thursday, September 18, 2008, 12:11 PM > This is a highly interesting observation, if the inscription > was made > before firing, and it certainly looks that way. I cannot > quite work > out how it was done. > Adam > > >The photo provided by Der Spiegel looks clear enough to > me: old > >(genuine) cup, new (fake) inscription. > > > > Peter Green > >-- > > > >Peter Green, F.R.S.L. > >Dougherty Centennial Professor Emeritus of Classics > >The University of Texas at Austin; > >Adjunct Professor of Classics and Editor, Syllecta > Classica, > >404 Jefferson Building, The University of Iowa, > >Iowa City, IA 52242-1418, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Home: 1268 Chamberlain Drive, Iowa City, IA 52240-2922, > >tel.: 319-341-9805/6573, fax 319-335-3884.
