These lamps are distinguished as a Kennedy Type 20 or Dobbins (1977) Type 21, characterised by their elongated shape, round-tipped nozzle and ornamental handle. They were mould-made in the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire, where the Byzantine Empire existed as a continuation of Roman traditions. As such, Byzantine art and design displays strong similarities to the Roman style. Faces decorated a variety of Roman pottery and material ware, from flagons and amphorae to urns, ink wells and oil lamps such as these fine examples. The tradition spread via the Roman army, and examples have been found in military sites, domestic settings and funerary contexts across the Roman Empire. Though their exact purpose remains unclear, the faces are thought to have had military and religious associations, and to have provided protection for the contents or owner of the vessels. In the Byzantine period, faces of Saints or Christian figures became prominent.
Roman oil lamps, called ‘lychnus’, from the Greek ‘λυχνος’, are thought to have originated from the Greek colonies of Southern Italy, with the oldest Roman oil lamp dating back to the 3rd century BC. During the Roman Empire, it became commonplace to use lamps in funeral ceremonies and for public, ceremonial, or domestic purposes, and this continued well into the Byzantine Empire. 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. From Byzantine into the early Islamic periods, lamp decoration became more abstract, featuring lines, crosses, dots, and geometric shapes.
To discover more about oil lamps in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: Lighting The Way
