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LOT 0118
Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Erotic Scene
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
3 3/4 in. (64 grams, 95 mm).
Squat burnished pottery lamp with stub nozzle, high-relief scene of two lovers on a couch; maker's mark 'LMVNSVC' to the underside.
ProvenanceFrom the collection of French archaeologist Suzanne Gozlan (1921-2022).
LiteratureCf. Bussière, J., Lindros Wohl, B., Ancient Lamps in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2017, figs.181-183, for similar.
FootnotesThe lamp belongs to the Bailey type B group ii (Loeschke type IV), usually dated from Tiberian to Trajanic times. Erotic lamps were particularly popular before the Christianisation of the Roman Empire. Roman sexuality differed considerably from later Christian European attitudes. Roman religion promoted sexuality as one of the fundamental aspects of prosperity for the entire state; individuals could turn to private religious practice, or even magic, to improve their erotic life or health and reproductive capacity; moreover, prostitution in ancient Rome was legal, public and widespread. Artistic subjects that today we would define without hesitation as pornography, were present among the art collections of the most respectable and high status Roman families.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0118
Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Erotic Scene
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
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Roman Votive Hand to God Sabazios
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
Hollow-formed right hand from a statuette, with fingers splayed and flat palm, good anatomical detailing. 362 grams, 12.1 cm
Private collection 1990s. Ex London, UK, gallery.
The votive character of the hand could link it to the God Sabazios, often associated with a number of archaeological finds depicting a bronze, right hand in the benedictio latina gesture. The hand appears to have had ritual significance and may have been affixed to a sceptre (as the one carried by Sabazios on a slab, one from Philippopolis, nowadays Plovdiv in Bulgaria). The association with Sabazios is sometimes suggested in similar hands, by the presence of a snake embossed around the circumference of the hand, because the iconic image of the god or hero on horseback battling the chthonic serpent, appears on Celtic-Roman votive columns, and with the coming of Christianity it was easily adapted to the representations of Saint George fighting the Dragon. -
Roman Deep Blue Glass and Other Bead Necklace String
1st century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £52
Assorted old blue glass beads restrung to a Y-shape with a crescentic-shaped pendant. 16.1 grams, 50 cm long
UK gallery, early 2000s.
The mass production of glass in Ancient Rome prompted the development of glass jewellery of unique qualities. The ancient Romans considered jewellery to be an essential accessory, being a public display of the wealth of high social classes. Roman jewellery at first followed trends set by the Etruscans, using gold and glass beads, but as the power and spread of the Roman Empire increased, jewellery designs became increasingly elaborate, incorporating elements from different cultural styles. -
Roman Silver Wine Strainer
Circa 3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £975
Barrel-shaped body with flared rim, stepped rear plaque and flat-section handle; the body with pierced meander pattern; fragmentary base with scrolled tendrils and other patterns. 100 grams, 17.7 cm
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection. Property of a Essex gentleman.
