Lamp

Lamp

TERRACOTTA

Terracotta, dark reddish-brown glossy slip. Uneven slip on shoulder, body, nozzle and base creating a mottled appearance. Slip worn on relief figures of discus, edges of discus and shoulder, top of handle, and around the handle's pierced hole, on the base-ring and around the singature in base-ring. Slip worn down to terracotta around the wick hole. Chips over entire lamp and handle. Fine cracks from nozzle, handle and discus rim to air hole and right discus figure. Cracks down right side of nozzle and body towards base-ring, and under handle. Protrusions around signature within base-ring, possibly on the mould itself. Grey matter on discus figures, around handle and shoulder join, and in base-ring. Deep, broad, circular body with smooth, plain surface. Narrow shoulder slopes gently up to groove surrounding the large, shallow, concave, circular discus. Top of deep, short, rounded nozzle with large, circular wick hole, defined from shoulder by a lateral groove with an impressed dot on each end. Roughly formed pierced loop shaped handle, attached vertically to back of the body. Two impressed grooves on top of handle, which joins outer groove of discus, with an impressed dot on each side of the handle. A ridge runs down back of handle to end near flat, base-ring. Loeschcke Type VIII, Bailey Type P. group i. Loeschcke shoulder-form VIIb.

Decoration:
Rim: plain shoulder
Discus: two airholes; minute hole under figures' feet, closr to discus rim of two hoplomachi in close combat, wearing greaves and plumed helmets. Gladiator on right carries a rectangular shield with diamond motif, on his left arm.
Base: impressed signature QNVMICEL

Purchased from B. A. Seaby Ltd, London, 1984.

AD 100 - 175

84.007