Collection of the University of Pittsburgh Art Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA. Gift of Ruth Mitchell Montgomery.
1997.05.03
Oil Lamp
99 BCE – 399 CE (Date created)
Clay
Glazed;Incised
Lamps, Oil
3.063 in W
x
3.25 in H
x
2 in D
(Object)
Notes: 8.25 cm H (handle height) x 7.75 cm L x 5 cm W (width of central piece)
Notes: 8.25 cm H (handle height) x 7.75 cm L x 5 cm W (width of central piece)
Roman
Origin unknown, but probably from a Roman province.
Triple-pronged nozzle oil lamp with spouts at each end. Crescent moon handle, in reference to Cybele, or Magna Mater. The image in middle of lamp (where oil is poured) is a head in profile with a helmet raised and resting on his/her forehead. It could be the head of a soldier. Figure wearing a Corinthian helmet (likely not a representation of Achilles). The crescent moon associated with Magna Mater could symbolize military victory.
Nozzle ends are blackened from use. Lamp is made from clay, glaze is present. There are scroll work decorations around the nozzles and around the central image. Base is a slight pedestal.
Overall design is very regular, which indicates it could have been made from a mold then joined together by hand (fingerprints visible).
Triple-pronged nozzle oil lamp with spouts at each end. Crescent moon handle, in reference to Cybele, or Magna Mater. The image in middle of lamp (where oil is poured) is a head in profile with a helmet raised and resting on his/her forehead. It could be the head of a soldier. Figure wearing a Corinthian helmet (likely not a representation of Achilles). The crescent moon associated with Magna Mater could symbolize military victory.
Nozzle ends are blackened from use. Lamp is made from clay, glaze is present. There are scroll work decorations around the nozzles and around the central image. Base is a slight pedestal.
Overall design is very regular, which indicates it could have been made from a mold then joined together by hand (fingerprints visible).
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.