Object Description
A very fine example of a late Roman, early Samaritan, terracotta oil lamp. A rounded body leads to a wide, arching nozzle with curved sides. There is a four-armed, star, handle to the rear of the lamp. There is a large, unbroken discus, framed by a raised ridge, which has been decorated with a ladder pattern. This motif is typical of the lamp type, a defining characteristic. Further ladder bands decorate the nozzle sides and follow the curves of the circular body. A band of dotted circles sits in between the two ladder bands on the shoulders. The reverse features a substantial, compass-drawn ring-base, leaving a thick globule in the centre.
Date: Circa late 3rd – 5th Century AD