Roman oil lamp with personification of Africa
Price: on request
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Object number
AR2861
| Object: |
Oil lamp
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| Material: |
Red clay with partially preserved dark reddish-brown slip
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| Date: |
120 - 180 AD Roman Empire, North African workshop |
| Description: |
Oil lamp with round body and round nozzle, three groves separate the mirror from the shoulder. The mirror motif is usually attributed as Selene/Luna. In this case, the Pharaonic headdress, however, suggests a personification of Africa between elephant tusks, the exposed breast symbolizes the fertility of the Nile. Maker's mark "M NOVIVS I" on the bottom. The signature belongs to the workshop of Marcus Novius Justus, which was producing pottery in North Africa from about 120 to 180 AD. |
| Size: |
Length 103 mm, width 72 mm, height 42 mm. Diameters of filling opening and nozzle 10 mm and 8 mm, respectively.
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| Condition: |
Perfectly preserved, minimal wear.
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| References: |
Menzel, Antike Lampen im Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum zu Mainz (1969) p. 57 Nr. 322 For the mirror scene: Deneauve, Lampes de Carthage (1969) Nr. 648 Leibundgut, Die römischen Lampen in der Schweiz (1977) Kat.Nr. 117 (Taf. 23 Nr. 7) |
| Provenance: |
Acquired 2019 from the German private collection G. E. Acquired by G. E. from the German private collection Dr. H. R. Acquired by Dr. R. before 1979 at Galerie für antike Kunst Karl Heinz Zühlsdorf, Cologne, Germany. Authenticity confirmed by Mr. David Knell, renowned expert for ancient oil lamps and ex-consultant for Sotheby's in the late 1990s and early 2000s based on the photographic documentation in February 2020. |
| Collection Dr. H. R.: |
Dr. H. R., who graduated in Classical Philology, was a grammar school (Gymnasium) teacher and a scholar of ancient history. After finishing his studies, he began collecting Roman coins in 1970. Only one year later, Dr. R. started to add other antiquities from the Roman Imperial era to his collection, soon followed by Greek vases which mainly originated from South Italy. The collection was exhibited at his residence in the Rhineland in Germany. The last object of the collection was acquired in 1989.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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