Byzantine Terracotta Oil Lamp with Linear Decoration

£ 95.00

A Byzantine moulded terracotta oil lamp produced in the Holy Land, possibly by the Samaritans. It features an ovoid body with a central filling hole surrounded by four raised ridges. The shoulders are decorated with hatched lines and net patterns in relief, except for the nozzle which is sunken to form a channel.  A conical knobbed handle is placed at the rear of the lamp, now unfortunately chipped. The reverse presents a base ring with a central knob.

Date: Circa 5th-7th century AD
Provenance: Ex Jacob Shacham collection, Caesarea.
Condition: Fine condition. Earthly encrustations to the surface. Blackening to the nozzle and reverse from use in antiquity.

In stock

This particular lamp might be identified as the so-called Samaritan type, characterised by its ovoid body, a relatively long nozzle with a channel and geometric designs which typically include ladder-like or herringbone patterns. The Samaritans, who still exist as a minority group today, are an ethnoreligious group from the Middle East. They occupied the region of modern-day Tel Aviv to Haifa. Their numbers grew the most during the Byzantine Period and by the 6th century numbered in their millions. Revolts against the Byzantine Empire caused their numbers to dwindle as the Eastern Roman Empire crushed their uprisings, decreasing their numbers to just thousands. From excavations undertaken it is known that there were large Samaritan communities in Caesarea and Beit Shean.

To discover more about oil lamps in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: Lighting The Way.

Weight 94.2 g
Dimensions L 9.8 x W 5.8 x H 3.5 cm
Culture

Region

Pottery and Porcelain

Reference: For a similar item,The Penn Museum, USA, item 29-102-1.

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