Roman Terracotta Lamp with Deer

$315.74

A finely modelled Ancient Roman terracotta oil lamp, featuring a short canal nozzle with firing hole, a decorated concave discus with one filling hole to the centre.  An incised decoration of stylised flowers enrich the lamp’s shoulders, while the discus displays the depiction of a seated deer. The deer’s facial and anatomical features are rendered with a series of incised lines.

Date: Circa 1st-3rd Century AD
Provenance: Ex major London collection collected by S.M. 1970-2010
Condition: Fine, stress crack repaired to the body. SIgns of aging to the surface.

SOLD

SKU: FP-101 Category: Tags: , ,

In classical mythology, the deer or stag was associated with the ancient Greek goddess Artemis (or her Roman counterpart, Diana), in her role as the virginal huntress. One popular myth tells the story of the hero Actaeon, who, after witnessing the goddess bathing, was turned into a stag. He was chased by his own hunting hounds and perished. Such a lamp could have been given as an offering to Artemis, or belonged to a young hunter, thereby evoking the goddess’s protection and guidance.

For more information about the meanings of animals in Roman art, see our relevant blog post: Animal Symbolism in Roman Art.

Weight 93 g
Dimensions L 9 cm
Culture

Region

Pottery and Porcelain