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LOT 0952
Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp
CIRCA 3RD CENTURY A.D.
3 5/8 in. (101 grams, 91 mm).
Squat bulbous body with broad pelletted shoulder, stub nozzle and lug handle with lateral depressions. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceProbably by descent from the vendor's father-in-law circa 2006.
From the private collection of a Devon, UK, lady.
Cf. Bussière, J., Lindros Wohl, B., Ancient Lamps in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 2017, p.383ff., for the type, esp.no.525.
FootnotesThe lamp belongs to the Eastern variant of Loeschcke VIII type. Most of these lamps were made in Ephesus, where several wasters of Loeschcke type VIII lamps have been excavated. Comparative neutron activation analyses of clays have proved the manufacture of Ephesus lamps at Sardis as well as at Ephesus, and we may conjecture the existence of other production centres, for example, Pergamon, where an excavated kiln has yielded a mould and a lamp of Late Asia Minor 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 Sidonian Opaque Light Blue Glass Flask
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Hexagonal in plan with tall tubular neck and flared and folded rim, disc base with moulding seams; broad sloping shoulder above a sidewall of panels each with a low-relief avian image (bird in flight, bird perching on a branch, etc.). 31 grams, 80 mm
Ex private collection, Israel. Acquired from Archaeological Center, Auction 60, no.204. Private collection. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Archaeological Center online catalogue page. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12530-232177.
Roman opaque glass attributed to the Sidonian workshops represents one of the most technically sophisticated achievements of early Imperial glassmaking. Produced in the Levant, long a centre of innovation, the workshops at Sidon were renowned for their mastery of colour chemistry, using controlled additions of antimony-and-tin-based opacifiers to create surfaces resembling fine stone or enamel. These vessels were not merely utilitarian objects but markers of status, admired in antiquity for their vibrant hues and precision of manufacture. Examples such as the present piece illustrate the transition of glass from a luxury comparable to carved hardstone to an art form that could be shaped, coloured, and refined with unprecedented freedom, underscoring the pivotal role of Sidon in the evolution of Roman glass technology. -
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Matched pair of hoop earrings, each with a circular cell set with a malachite(?) insert, beaded collar surrounding. 2.12 grams total, 14.8-15.2 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
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From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
