Maureen Young Oct 14, 2011:

Hmm, similar to graffiti then? (The old plaster-scratching Italian kind, that is.)

James (Jim) Davis (asker) Oct 14, 2011:

@Stefina If you'd like to post strigilated I'll give you the points, unless somebody comes up with something else more appropriate.

James (Jim) Davis (asker) Oct 14, 2011:

@Maureen Yep Googled it all. The Greeks used a tool called a strigil to scrape the sweat off themselves and it seems a similarly shaped tool was used to "strigilate" stucco or something like that anyway.

stefina Oct 14, 2011:

Yes definitely!

James (Jim) Davis (asker) Oct 14, 2011:

Thanks Stefina Do you think it is "strigilated" as in this image search?

http://www.google.com/search?q=strigilated stucco&hl=en&safe...

Maureen Young Oct 14, 2011:

Strigilated? Interesting! Starting with Stefina's entry, try googling the term 'strigil' and Roman architecture. I'm in a hurry, so can't confirm strigilated, but take a look.

stefina Oct 14, 2011:

Hi Jim, the word is typed correctly...look at the meaning hereunder:

strigilatura s. f. [der. di strigile]. – In archeologia e storia dell’arte, decorazione a scanalature ondulate che ricordano la forma dello strigile, scolpite sulla superficie dei marmi in serie parallela, come baccellature, frequente soprattutto su sarcofagi, vasi ed elementi decorativi varî, romani, cristiani e rinascimentali....
Categoria: Temi iconografici e decorativi

strigilato agg. [der. di strigile]. – Decorato con strigilature: sarcofago strigilato....

Therefore "decorated with stucco grooves" could be a better option...Just an idea

James (Jim) Davis (asker) Oct 14, 2011:

If nobody comes up with anything for sure, I'll ask the author, but I don't want to because, often once asked authors often explain what it is and then go on to insist on a literal and wrong translation.

Teresa Valaer Oct 14, 2011:

Hi Jim. It may mean something like "the vault made clean and trim with stucco". Since "strigliarsi" means to "spruce oneself up", I thought it might work. It is certainly a long shot. But, hey, it is all I could think of.