Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Silenus

£ 225.00

A small Roman terracotta oil lamp featuring a concave discus encased in a circular ridge. The oil lamp slightly tapers to a pointed nozzle and a short, solid, vertical handle is displayed at the rear. The discus is enriched with the side profile of Silenus, he has shaggy hair along with a shaggy beard. The god is facing left towards a kantharos, a cup used to hold wine. A filling hole is visible below the bust along with four swirl motifs along the ridge by the nozzle. The oil lamps sits on a ring base which features a small circle at the centre and an etching of the letter ‘H’.

Date: Circa 2nd-4th century AD
Provenance: From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
Condition: Fine condition, some wear and encrustation to the lamp consistent with age. Black soot around the nozzle from previous use.

SOLD

SKU: LD-816 Category: Tags: ,

In Antiquity, a lamp was originally called a lychnus, from the Greek λυχνος, with the oldest Roman lamps dating back to the third century BC. During the Roman Empire, it became commonplace to use lamps in funeral ceremonies and for public purposes. 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.

Silenus was the rustic god of wine-making and drunkenness, and always depicted as an old man. He was the foster father, tutor, and companion of the god, Dionysus, who was entrusted to Silenus’ care by Hermes after his birth from the thigh of Zeus. Silenus rode in the train of Dionysus, seated on the back of a donkey, and it was believed that he could predict the future when intoxicated.

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

Weight 53.8 g
Dimensions L 7.8 x W 6.1 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

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