Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Apollo Riding a Chariot Pulled By Griffins

£ 695.00

An ancient Roman terracotta oil lamp featuring a decorated discus with rounded shoulders, a heart-shaped nozzle, and a ring handle. The outward-sloping shoulders of the lamp are trimmed with a fluted petal-pattern. The concave discus of the lamp is decorated with an image of a figure riding in the chariot pulled by griffins, mythological animals with the body of a lion, and head and talons of an eagle. In Classical iconography, chariots pulled by griffins are a particular attribute of Apollo the god of archery, art, truth and prophecy, healing, the Sun and light. Here he is depicted nude, holding the reins in his right hand and seemingly spurring the griffins with his raised left hand. There is a filling hole above the griffins and an air hole at the base of the image on the discus. The reverse of the lamp is undecorated and displays a raised base ring with two incised concentric circles within. The reverse of the nozzle seems to have been originally decorated by a band of vertical ridges, now worn due to age.

This oil lamp resembles Loeschcke VIII; Bussière form D IX

Date: Circa 1st–4th century AD
Provenance: Private British collection of Roman pottery, 1990s.
Condition: Very fine condition. The image on the discus is clear. Minor burn marks around the nozzle. Slight damage to the inner ridge of the discus, that does not affect the image.Some discolouration particularly to the reverse.

SOLD

SKU: SK-183 Category: Tags: ,

The roman oil lamp, a product almost unparalleled in its distribution throughout the empire, developed towards the end of the Hellenistic period and was to keep its general shape longer than any other item of pottery throughout the Mediterranean. The vast trade networks set up with the expansion of the Roman empire allowed for this item to be spread across Europe, Eastern Asia and Northern Africa. Favourite subjects for decoration of oil lamps included gods and mythological scenes, scenes from everyday life, gladiatorial depictions, drawings relating to entertainment and theatre, and various animals, fish and birds.

The griffin was linked to Apollo, given the existence of the cultus of Hyperborean Apollo, with a cult center at the Greek colony of Olbia on the Black Sea. The main Temple of Apollo at Delphi featured a statue of the god flanked by griffins, or so it can be presumed based on the representation struck on the tetradrachm coinage of Attica. It was believed that Apollo rode a griffin from Delphi to Hyperboria each winter. Apollo hitched griffins to his chariot according to Claudian.

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

Weight 116.5 g
Dimensions L 11.2 x W 8.1 x H 4.6 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

Roman Mythology

Reference: For a similar lamp, Getty Museum, item 83.AQ.377.240

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