Ancient oil lamp - Atalanta and the Calydonian Boar
Price: on request
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Object number
AR1811GLS006
| Object: | Oil lamp |
| Material: | Yellowish clay with widely preserved dark slip |
| Size: | Length 106 mm, width 78 mm, height 26 mm. Diameter of filling hole 6 mm, Diameter of nozzle 9 mm. |
| Dating: | End of 1st - beginning of 2nd century AD |
| Condition: | Excellent condition worthy of the exhibition in a museum. Small void on the bottom side (created during production). No damages or restorations. Very detailed, fine elevated mirror decoration. |
| Description: | Discus-shaped oil lamp with small, heart-shaped nozzle. The slightly sloping shoulder decorated with egg and dart. Small handle. Flat base with several rings. The discus decoration shows a scene from Greek mythology, the Calydonian Boar Hunt. Atalanta, a virgin hunter, is lunging out to the left, holding a spear in her hands. The spear directly hits the boar approaching her from the left from under a bush. Atalanta is dressed only with a short coat over her shoulder, her naked body was elaborately shaped by the artist. |
| Historical note: | The legends tell us that Atalanta was abandoned by her father, who had hoped for a male heir. She grew up with hunters and herself became an amazon-like huntress. Atalanta pledged eternal virginity and always carried a weapon with her. Once Artemis, angry for having been forgotten in a sacrifice offering by king Oineus, sends a giant boar to devastate the king's fields, Oineus calls for the most valiant heroes of Greece to hunt down and kill the animal. Among others, Atalanta too responds to the kings call and has the honor to draw first blood. This is the scene depicted on the lamp. A very detailed representation for an oil lamp. Lamps from this cycle - which are generally quite rare and sought for - usually show one of the male hunters. |
| References: | For the shape, see Mlasowsky, Die antiken Tonlampen im Kestner-Museum Hannover (1993) Nr. 317 Cf. Catalogue Of Ancient Oil Lamps Of The Mediterranean World by Alte Roemer Gallery, in which many oil lamps offered by us are published. |
| Provenance: | Acquired in 2013 from the collection H. Glaeser who inherited the piece from his father. The pieces later forming the Glaeser collection were excavated in the 1970s in the region of the Limes forts Pfoerring (established in flavian times, as proved archeologically), Eining (80 AD), Pfuenz (80 AD), Koesching (Spring 80 AD.) and Weissenburg (90 AD) and, when necessary, professionally restored by Mr. Rademacher, the conservator of the museum of the city of Regensburg. |
| Authenticity: | We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity. A Certificate of Authenticity will be issued. |