Roman Bronze Oil Lamp

A pear-shaped oil lamp dating to the Roman era. The arched handle terminates in a leopard-head finial emerging from a leafy wreath. The leopards’s features are powerfully rendered, with paws forward in act of defence or aggression. The body of the lamp is set on a high foot foot. The circular filling hole is covered with a beautiful medallion representing the God Hermes. The extended nozzle has the typical shape of earlier Hellenistic types. The majority of oil lamps in the ancient world were made from clay, and only the wealthy could have afforded such a luxurious bronze example. The beauty of the lamp lies in the simplicity of its form, particularly the curve of the handle, and the sensitive treatment of the horse.

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