Object Description
A fine ancient Roman terracotta oil lamp, featuring a circular body with a decorated discus and a rounded nozzle. The concave, circular discus is decorated with a rosette, composed of four serrated palm fronds with deeply recessed veins, arranged in a cross shape. Between each leaf, a shallow stem radiated diagonally out from the corner. The decorative scene is enclosed within a concentric circle. The filling hole can be found at the centre of the rosette and a small air hole can be found to the lower right of the downward pointing leaf. The rounded nozzle is separated from the body of the lamp by a horizontal straight line, flanked by two dots on either side. The shoulders of the lamp are undecorated and a ring handle has been placed at the back. To the reverse, a slightly raised, flattened ring foot, marked off by a circular groove, bears the potter’s signature, or maker’s mark, MNOVIVST. This mark belong to a lamp maker known as M. Novius Justus, with a workshop situated in North Africa, who produced oil lamps from 120-180 AD.
This lamp is categorised as Loeschcke type VIII, characterised by the short, rounded nozzle, separated from the discus by a horizontal straight line. The rounded nozzle form can be categorised as nozzle form Bus. 4b.
Date: Circa AD 120-180