Collection of the University of Pittsburgh Art Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA. Gift of Ruth Mitchell Montgomery.
1997.05.01
Oil Lamp
99 BCE – 200 CE (Date created)
Terracotta
Incised
Lamps, Oil
2.875 in W
x
3.625 in H
x
1.625 in D
(Object)
7 cm W x 3 cm H x 9.5 cm D (Object)
Notes: 9.5 cm from knob to spout
7 cm W x 3 cm H x 9.5 cm D (Object)
Notes: 9.5 cm from knob to spout
Roman;Egyptian
Single spouted lamp of unknown origin, potentially from Egypt, as the old label suggests. The lamp is heavy. Made of terracotta, unglazed, with irregular oval shape.
The top surface is decorated in repeating half circles, incised lines and dots. These decorations appear in a circle around the central hole. The spout is only a slightly projecting hole. The rest of lamp is not decorated. The simplistic designs and the handmade irregularities of the lamp indicate a rural or provincial origin.
Although the original context of the lamp is unknown, it shows evidence of blackening around the spout, indicating it could have been used in a household context. The handle once attached has broken off. The lamp would have had a lid.
The top surface is decorated in repeating half circles, incised lines and dots. These decorations appear in a circle around the central hole. The spout is only a slightly projecting hole. The rest of lamp is not decorated. The simplistic designs and the handmade irregularities of the lamp indicate a rural or provincial origin.
Although the original context of the lamp is unknown, it shows evidence of blackening around the spout, indicating it could have been used in a household context. The handle once attached has broken off. The lamp would have had a lid.
In Collection
From the Henry Hopkins Collection, gift of his daughter, Mrs. Edison Montgomery (Ruth Mitchell Montgomery)
Roller, Lynn E. In Search of God the Mother: The Cult of Anatolian Cybele. Berkeley, CA: U of California, 1999. Print.
Shelton, Jo-Ann. As the Romans Did: A Source Book in Roman Social History. New York: Oxford UP, 1988. Print.
Shelton, Jo-Ann. As the Romans Did: A Source Book in Roman Social History. New York: Oxford UP, 1988. Print.
Please note that cataloging is ongoing and that some information may not be complete.