Roman Republican Oil Lamp

With piriform body, dimpled base, tapering tubular neck with pinched and everted rolled rim. 19 grams, 11.5 cm



From an important London, UK, collection, 1970-1990s.

The goddess modelled nude in contrapposto stance; the right hand extended to hold a patera (absent); the hair dressed in a chignon with diadem and two lateral twisted locks; loops to the ears for attachment of separate earrings; eyes modelled oversize to accept silver appliqués; mounted on a custom-made stand. 249 grams total, 14.5cm including stand



Found by Nigel Mills, Thames, UK. From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

In this type of sculptures of the goddess, the deity appears diademed, entirely naked, her hair curled behind a chignon from which braids fall to her shoulders. In her left hand, missing here, the goddess usually carried a fruit, flanked by a marine figure wrapped around a pole.

Modelled nude, standing on an ellipsoid base with mantle to the left shoulder and caduceus supported by the left arm, item (perhaps a marsupium) in the right hand, winged petasos to the head with bird perched above the left ear; mounted on a custom-made stand. 38.5 grams total, 82 mm including base



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

The statuette belongs to Gallo-Roman glyptic tradition, whose geometric treatment of the drapery recalls that of a statuette in the Avignon museum and the statue of the seated god of Sommerécourt (Haute-Marne) of Celtic tradition. The winged petasos, as in many other statuettes, seems to be made of tortoise shell.