Roman Terracotta Lamp with Fighting Gladiators

1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.

4 7/8 in (84 grams, 12.4 cm).

Composed of a discoid body with sunken discus bearing a scene of two gladiators in combat in relief, tabula ansata below, ring handle and roughly D-shaped nozzle with volutes; old crack to base.

Provenance

From a German collection.
Ex Cambridge, UK, collection, 1980s.

Literature

Cf. Gilbert, F., Devenir Gladiateur, la vie quotidienne á l'ecole de la mort, La Capelle-Marival, 2013, pp.30-31, for similar lucernae.

Footnotes

The two gladiators seem to be wearing the armaturae of murmillones. All gladiators began their career as provocatores; the learning of their combat technique was polyvalent and allowed the fighters to specialise as a large shield-bearer (the scutati) like murmillones, or as a small shield-bearer, parmati, like the oplomachus.

CONDITION

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LOT 0871