Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Kanthros and Herms

£ 395.00

A fine Roman oil lamp moulded from terracotta featuring a circular, concave discuss enriched with a central kanthros. To the right is a herm in left profile with a hoop behind while there is a further herm to the left of the kanthros. Three concentric bands frame the scene and the filling hole is in the upper right field. The oil lamp displays a voluted angular-tipped nozzle. The flat base features one incised band and a central planta pedis with a raised arrow-like motif to the right.

This oil lamp resembles Loeschcke type I B, Bailey A group III

Date: Circa 1st century AD
Provenance: Madame Suzanne Gozlan then by descent. Madame Suzanne Gozlan (1921-2022), Doctor of History and Archaeology, professor at the Ecole Normale d'Instituteurs de Chartres and lecturer at the University of Paris, Sorbonne.
Condition: Fine condition, some encrustation to the surface. Label to the base from the previous owner.

In stock

SKU: LD-754 Category:

During the Roman Empire, a lamp was originally called a ‘lychnus’, from the Greek ‘λυχνος’, with the oldest Roman lamps dating back to the third century BC. It is thought that the Romans took the idea for lamps from the Greek colonies of Southern Italy. During the Roman Empire, it became commonplace to use lamps in funeral ceremonies and for public purposes. Over time, the manufacture of lamps increased, and so did the variation in decoration, which depended mainly on the shape and size of the lamp. Common decorative themes depicted on the discus were entertainment scenes (such as gladiators in combat), common myths, and animals. Pottery oil lamps could be made in three different ways: handmade, wheel made, or by mould. The use of the mould (which was made from clay or plaster) quickly became popular, because one mould could produce several lamps.

‘Kantharoi’ were an ancient Greek drinking vessel, used to hold wine. They were an attribute of the god of wine, Dionysus, who was also associated with vegetation and fertility. Herms, herma, were displayed as a head, sometimes with the torso, on top of a square sectioned platform. They were placed at crossings or boundaries to ward off evil or harm but also to protect homes, temples, sanctuaries and other public places. A common depiction is of Hermes, hence the name herm, but also as he is the protector of merchants and travellers. Other popular imagery is of other gods, heroes and renowned mortals.

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

Weight 78.4 g
Dimensions L 11 x W 8 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

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