A beautifully mould-made roman oil lamp from the Mid-Imperial timeline. The nozzle is U-shaped, which was very common for oil lamps from 150 a.d. - 400 a.d
This lamp is a great example of a Bussière form D II 1, also known as a Loeschcke type VIII. The rings fashioned around the discus/motive, the two lines on the handle of the lamp, as well as the u-shaped nozzle makes this clear.
The motive depicted on the discus is a dolphin, an animal which had great symbolic value in ancient roman times - partly due to the greeks.
A maker's mark has been stamped on the reverse.
Provenance: Ex. deceased estate in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen.
Culture & Year: Roman Mid-Imperial, approx. 150 - 250 a.d. (Very likely from an african workshop.
Literature Reference: Kelsall, P. (2018). Lighting the Ancient World. Getty.edu/publications. Lightfoot, C. S. (2021). The Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art: Terracotta Oil Lamps.
