Ancient Roman Picture lamp with Isis and Serapis - 118 mm
00
days
16
hours
58
minutes
05
seconds
Current bid
€ 180
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 350 - € 430
 | €180 | |
|---|---|---|
| €160 | |
| €140 | |
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 142038 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Roman terracotta oil lamp featuring Isis and Serapis, dating to the 1st–2nd century CE, measures 118 × 85 × 48 mm, in good condition, authentic/original, provenance North Africa.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Roman terracotta oil lamp from North Africa with a figural depiction of the Egyptian-Roman deities Isis and Serapis, Roman Imperial period, 1st–2nd century AD.
The lamp, made of reddish-beige clay, has a rounded body with a recessed disc, a projecting snout with wick opening, and an upward-leaning handle. On the disc are the antithetically arranged busts of Isis on the left and Serapis on the right. The two deities were among the most important representatives of Egyptian cults in the Roman Empire. Between or beneath the busts lies the central filling hole.
Remnants of a reddish surface finish or engobe are especially preserved on the disc. Comparable lamps depicting Isis and Serapis are known from Roman North Africa; similar North African-Roman specimens were offered on Catawiki as well.
Material: Terracotta, reddish-beige clay
Dimensions: 118 × 85 × 48 mm
Dating: 1st–2nd century AD
Provenance: North Africa
Literature / comparison:
E.-M. Cahn-Klaiber, Die antiken Tonlampen des Archäologischen Instituts der Universität Tübingen (1977), No. 308.
Condition:
Assembled from several fragments. Cracks and minor losses
Provenance:
Bought in 2026 in the German art trade, previously since before 2000 in private collection H. L., Rhineland
An invoice is available and will be provided to the buyer in copy.
Roman terracotta oil lamp from North Africa with a figural depiction of the Egyptian-Roman deities Isis and Serapis, Roman Imperial period, 1st–2nd century AD.
The lamp, made of reddish-beige clay, has a rounded body with a recessed disc, a projecting snout with wick opening, and an upward-leaning handle. On the disc are the antithetically arranged busts of Isis on the left and Serapis on the right. The two deities were among the most important representatives of Egyptian cults in the Roman Empire. Between or beneath the busts lies the central filling hole.
Remnants of a reddish surface finish or engobe are especially preserved on the disc. Comparable lamps depicting Isis and Serapis are known from Roman North Africa; similar North African-Roman specimens were offered on Catawiki as well.
Material: Terracotta, reddish-beige clay
Dimensions: 118 × 85 × 48 mm
Dating: 1st–2nd century AD
Provenance: North Africa
Literature / comparison:
E.-M. Cahn-Klaiber, Die antiken Tonlampen des Archäologischen Instituts der Universität Tübingen (1977), No. 308.
Condition:
Assembled from several fragments. Cracks and minor losses
Provenance:
Bought in 2026 in the German art trade, previously since before 2000 in private collection H. L., Rhineland
An invoice is available and will be provided to the buyer in copy.
Details
Culture
Ancient Roman
Century/timeframe
1. - 2. Jh. n. Chr.
Name of object
Picture lamp with Isis and Serapis
Acquired from
Auction house
Year acquired
2026
Country acquired from
Germany
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Height
118 mm
Previous owner - year acquired
1999
Width
85 mm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Germany
Depth
48 mm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
