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LOT 0103
Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Erotic Scene
1ST CENTURY A.D.
3 1/2 in. (73 grams, 89 mm).
With ribbed shoulder and recessed discus, short nozzle with raised volute scrolls, low-relief scene with two lovers.
ProvenanceFrom a London collection of erotica, formerly in the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.
LiteratureCf. Bémont, C., Lampes en Terre Cuite, Paris, 2007, item D.185, for type.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Roman Sheet Gold Phalera Cover Pair with Pelta Shields
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Comprising two discoid ornamental appliqués with beaded rims, each with repoussé pelta-shaped panel terminating in opposed bird-heads, surmounted by scrolled tendrils and a kantharos enclosed in a laurel crown. 7.28 grams total, 64-65 mm
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The subject represented on these two bracteae is a military shield in the form of a crescent, the so-called pelta, associated in the Late Roman iconography with the Amazon female warriors. This was not necessarily only an iconographic motif, considering that many shields of this typology were represented on the pedestal of the Column of Arcadius in Constantinople (circa 400 A.D.) and they seemed to be associated with the heavy cavalry of the Imperial guard (D’Amato-Negin, 2017, p.252). This could suggest that these gold sheets were applied upon phalerae or military decorations.
