Oil lamp - Terracotta - Oil lamp replica

Elegant molded terracotta oil lamp, an ancient-inspired replica based on Roman lamps from the 2nd century AD, notably productions of the Hadrianic and Antonine periods.

The central disk is adorned with a male portrait in profile facing to the right, representing a bearded man wearing a laurel crown.

This iconography is known on several antique Roman lamps of the 2nd century and has sometimes been associated with Emperor Hadrian. This identification cannot, however, be retained with certainty for the model depicted here.

The lamp features a circular body, a short spout, a handle and a richly decorated shoulder with radiating motifs. Its morphology directly draws on Roman lamps of the Loeschcke VIII type, widely spread in the Roman world in the 2nd century.

An antique parallel particularly close is published by the J. Paul Getty Museum in its catalog of ancient lamps, catalog no. 289, inv. 83.AQ.377.206. This specimen belongs to the Loeschcke VIII / Bussière D II 1 type and also features on its disk the portrait of a bearded man facing to the right with a diadem, identified as Hadrian. The Getty attributes this specimen to a North African production, with a workshop active around 120–180 AD.

Another antique parallel is preserved at the Bargoin Museum in Clermont-Ferrand, inv. 56.465.102. The official catalog describes a bust of a man in profile to the right wearing a laurel crown and notes that, according to D. Brentchaloff, it could represent the emperor Hadrian.

The terracotta has a beige to light brown patina, with deposits, wear and surface irregularities. The portrait remains clearly legible and the overall appearance is decorative.

Dating: ancient replica, date of manufacture not determined.

This lamp faithfully reproduces the form and iconography of antique Roman models from the 2nd century AD. It is however an ancient replica whose date of production could not be determined. It is therefore offered as such and not as a Roman antiquity.

Dimensions:
Length: 9.5 cm
Width: 6.5 cm
Thickness: 2.5 cm
Weight: 67 grams

Good condition. Wear, deposits and surface irregularities visible in accordance with the photographs.

Detailed photographs are an integral part of the description.

Antique comparative references:

J. Paul Getty Museum – Ancient Lamps in the J. Paul Getty Museum, catalog no. 289, inv. 83.AQ.377.206.

Musée Bargoin / Ministère de la Culture – inv. 56.465.102.

Metropolitan Museum of Art – inv. 74.51.2205, a 2nd-century lamp adorned with the portrait of a bearded man and laurel facing to the right.

These museum references are provided solely for iconographic and typological comparison with the antique models that inspired this replica.