Early Byzantine Terracotta Slipper Oil Lamp with Fish Decoration

£ 95.00

A finely modelled Late Roman – Early Byzantine terracotta ‘slipper’ type oil lamp, featuring an oval body which is pointed towards the nozzle and sits on a ridged foot. The shoulders are decorated with a raised geometric design of cross hatching, forming diamond-shaped hatches around the central filling hole. Two ridges line the channel down the nozzle, between which a stylised fish is depicted with a flaring tail and a single raised dot for an eye. The underside is unadorned. The lamp sits on a flat base.

Date: Circa 5th – 8th century AD
Provenance: Ex. J. R. Mothersole Collection, UK, acquired 1940s-1990s
Condition: Very good condition. Some wear consistent with age and earthy encrustations throughout.

SOLD

SKU: KW-33 Category: Tags: ,

The Byzantine Empire existed as a continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces, meaning that the form of these oil lamps shows strong similarities to the Roman style. Christianity was the predominant religion in the Byzantine world, and this is reflected in the decoration of the lamp, which could have been used for either domestic or ceremonial purposes. From Byzantine into early Islamic times, lamp decoration became more abstract, featuring lines, crosses, dots, and geometric shapes. Lamps feature a variety of names corresponding to their shape and design, such as “animal head” lamps, labelled from the appearance of the knob on the handle, or “slipper lamps,” such as this one, referring to the overall shape.

To discover more about Byzantine art, please visit our relevant blog post: The Byzantine Empire, Art and Christianity.

Weight 136.5 g
Dimensions L 9.3 x W 6.2 x H 3.5 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

,

Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, item 74.51.2128

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