Object Description
An extremely fine Late Roman terracotta oil lamp with striking relief decoration. The lamp consists of an elongated, oval body and a circular discus surrounded by a ridge, which continues around the large nozzle hole to form a broad channel. At the top, a solid blade-shaped handle flattened on both sides is attached. A circular ridge on the base extends in a straight line to the handle. On the discus, the main iconography is a beautifully moulded, beaded Chi-Rho monogram, flanked on either side by small filling holes. The christogram ends in a triangular palmette. The shoulder surrounding the discus bears a repeating pattern of concentric archways along with indented wheel motifs. The reverse features a simple ring base. This delicately rendered lamp was produced using a mould. This lamp belongs stylistically to a group of North African lamps produced in Terra Sigillata Africana (TSA), specifically type Atlante X, Hayes II A.
Date: Circa 5th – 6th Century AD.