Deinos from Castellazzo di Palma di Montechiaro with triskeles

Among the most important finds in the entire second room is a beautiful vase with a distinctive shape, originating from Castellazzo di Palma di Montechiaro: it is a deinos, used to mix wine and water.

It is decorated with very bright colors both inside and outside, with repeating geometric and plant-shaped designs that emphasize its circular shape. On the convex outer bottom, there is an image of a triskelion with the toes pointing to the right, a symbol of Eastern origin that usually has four legs. The choice to represent three legs, a motif found only in this area of Sicily (another example can be found on a small cup from Gela on display in the same room, in showcase 6), suggests that the craftsman who painted the object may have deliberately transformed the familiar symbol (with four legs) to represent the geographical shape of Sicily with its three points. The ornamental motif is, in any case, evidence of cultural contacts between Sicily and the eastern Mediterranean.