Lamp

Lamp

TERRACOTTA

Buff clay, light brown slip, with traces of red. Slip very worn on base, underneath nozzle, edges of shoulder and body, and groove surrounding discus. Slight slip colour over entire lamp,with traces of red slip on discus figures, edge of discus, shoulder and in grooves of volutes. Carbon stains around wick hole and rounded edge of nozzle. Chipped on groove surrounding discus. Pitting over entire lamp surface, especially body and nozzle. Deep, broad, circular body with plain surface and rounded sides. Narrow shoulder slopes gently up to groove surrounding shallow, concave, circular discus. Deep, wide, rounded nozzle with a large circular wick hole, defined from body by a volute or obliquely sloping lunate band on each side with one scroll on end of each band, closest to wick hole. Flat raised base. Marker's signature placed centrally on base with marker's mark underneath signature. Possibly created from one generation copy of the original.

Loeschcke Type IV or Bailey Type B, group iv.
Loeschcke shoulder-form VIIb.

Function: a light source or a funerary or votive offering.

Decoration:
Rim: plain shoulder
Discus: large air hole off-centre and below figural relief. Stylised relief scene of theatre masks; tragedy on left, comedy on right, facing each other. A crater is situated in the middle and above the masks.
Base: impressed marker's name- C[G?]ABINIA; below name, an impressed dot and circle.

Purchased from B A Seaby Ltd, London, 1984

AD 100 - 175

84.012