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Identification and Creation

Object Number
37.1908
Title
Lamp
Classification
Lighting Devices
Work Type
lighting device
Date
50-200
Period
Roman Imperial period
Culture
Roman
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/292997

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Terracotta
Technique
Mold-made
Dimensions
13.8 × 10 cm (5 7/16 × 3 15/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Lent by the Misses Katherine B. and Mary D. Upham, March 14, 1908.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Loan from Estate of Donald Upham and Mrs. R. U. Hunter
Object Number
37.1908
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description
Mold made lamp with slightly raised, flat disc base. Walls flare outward, curving only slightly, to create a broad, shallow reservoir. Vaguely curved rim at a horizontal angle. Raised ridge where rim meets discus. Inner edge of rim is decorated with a series of ivy leaves in the form of upside down hearts. Concave discus has a male figure, presumably Zeus, seated, facing forward, draped from the waist down, and holding a sceptre up in his left hand. In his right hand he holds a thunderbolt in his lap and to the (viewer's) left of his feet is an eagle, standing forward but facing back. Musculature and folds are prune-like. Relatively large filling hole at left side of discus. Small gash below figure's feet probably functions as an air slit. Short, heart-shaped nozzle with small dot at top. Vertical handle with two incised grooves and large, round hole.

Tan-buff fabric with bright orange-red slip.

Subjects and Contexts

  • Roman Domestic Art

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Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu