Ancient Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Grape and Vines Motif

£550.00

A fine Roman terracotta oil lamp featuring a large decorated discus and an angular volute nozzle. The discus is carefully decorated with a wreath of vines, leaves, and bunches of grapes, tied at the top. Two large leaves flank the filling hole in the centre of the discus. The grapes have been delineated with rows of circles and much attention has been paid to the detailing of the leaves. The whole discus is encompassed with encircling grooves, further enriching this piece. The circular body descends into a dramatically angled nozzle, with scrolling volute spines. The reverse is undecorated and an incised ring is used for the base.

This lamp belongs to the Loeschcke type 1C, characterised by its round circular body, wide nozzle, and volute spines.

Date: Circa 1st Century AD
Condition: Fine condition. The discus has been repaired, with a slight crack and some remnants of glue visible. Some encrustations and discolouring to the surface. Minor chips and scratches consistent with its age. The number 4 has been inked on the ring base of the oil lamp.  

In stock

The earliest oil lamps made from clay can be dated back to the Bronze Age, to around the sixteenth century BC and by the Roman period, oil lamps, or lychnus, from the Greek λυχνος, were commonplace throughout the Empire. They were used for domestic, public, and religious purposes, including funeral ceremonies, lighting up businesses, and creating ‘special effects’ at the theatre. The oldest Roman lamps date back to the third century BC, and it is thought that they were influenced by the Southern Italic style. These were more enclosed than their predecessors, allowing for further decoration on the discus. The vast trade networks set with the expansion of the Roman Empire allowed this item to be spread across Europe, Eastern Asia and Northern Africa, which led to the development of several provincial variations.

The motif of the grapevine was common in Ancient Roman art, featuring on mosaics, frescos, sarcophagi, monumental sculptures, architecture, jewellery, and oil lamps such as this piece. It often referred to Bacchus, the god of wine, theatre, agriculture, fertility, and pleasure, identified by the Greeks as Dionysus. Wine, made from grapes, played a key role in Ancient Roman society, it was a daily necessity, and so was widely available to all in various qualities.

Weight 91.1 g
Dimensions L 12.3 x W 8.6 x H 3 cm
Culture

Region

Pottery and Porcelain

Reference: For a similar grape and vine motif, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, item 74.51.2165

You may also like…