Dipinti
Modern graffiti, as is mentioned in the text here, should really be classified as dipinti, as it is painted on walls and not carved.
(Source: http://files.vividscreen.info/soft/f668ed8bc5ff6b95deb74f0e665e1825/Street-Graffiti-wide-l.jpg)
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An Ancient Dipinto from Athens
(Source: Lang 1976)
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Dipinti
Dipinti (sg. Dipinto) differ from graffiti in that they are painted onto, rather than incised into, a surface. This makes them less permanent than graffiti: dipinti can be removed by repainting the surface, or scraping off the paint. This would not damage the surface nearly as much as the removal of a graffito.
Dipinti from Athens come in a variety of colours: most of them are either in red or black, which are both colours which contrast with the underlying surface. There are a few orange and brown dipinti, but they could be discoloured versions of the red and black ones. A number of pots have both red and black dipinti on them, which probably means that they were placed at different points in time.
Dipinti are often equated with graffiti: some of the best known “graffiti” from Pompeii are actually dipinti, and even modern urban “graffiti” should be classified as such. It is nevertheless important to distinguish the two types in this exhibition, because their functions can differ.
The Function of Dipinti
Dipinti are almost exclusively found on amphorae, which were used in a commercial context. It is likely that the dipinti were used to denote the content of the vessel or possibly the prices. This type of information could change quite easily, which means that they should be relatively easy to change in the epigraphy as well. These dipinti could then be removed or changed when necessary. These types of information should also be more easily accessible, which fits in with the fact that the dipinti are all on visible locations such as the shoulder or neck.
Nevertheless, the idea that they are denotations of ownership should not be discounted: one of the pieces from Byzantine Athens is a painted jug with a very small dipinto on the neck. It is unlikely that this information was supposed to denote content, since a jug is not a long-term storage vessel. Additionally, the dipinto was placed on top of the decoration, it is unlikely that it would be removed. This dipinto is therefore likely to have been a sign of ownership.
These interpretations fit with the study of dipinti from Antinoopolis (Fournet and Pieri 2008), which showed that the dipinti on the amphorae found their contained information such as the price and owners of the vessels.
