Probably made in Egypt. It dates from the Late Hellenistic/Early Roman Trilichnos.

The lamp was excavated at Alexandria, Egypt. It is part of a collection of Roman and Egyptian antiquities from the Dr Stuart Kay Collection.

Moulded terracotta Roman oil lamp. The lamp features three spouts protuding from a round reservoir, with three triangular lugs (unpierced but indented) between spouts. The reservoir is decorated with chequerboard ladders radiating outwards. A broad rim rises up to a high thick ridge with an internal lip, all around a large central filler hole. On each long nozzle is an elaborate and finely moulded palmette of 8 leaves, curling inwards, around a spine, all rising from two small double volutes, resting on a heart shape. The lamp features a raised concave disc base. Knife paring along joins.

The lamp appears to be double slipped with a pale brown slip first then a glossy red brown over most except the base. No signs of use. Fabric: medium fine levigation, many tiny black red/brown and white inclusions, and irregular voids, rare medium white inclusions, rare extremely large organic matter void, micaceous. Colour of fabric according to Munsell colour system: 2.5YR5/6-8, pale brown slip on base: ca 7.5YR6/4; main slip: ca 10R4/6 - 2.5YR4/6 (i.e. slightly darker and redder than fabric, and glossy).

Condition: one spout intact, one chipped at nozzle end, one spout missing entire end.

Made: Egypt; 100 - 200

In pencil on base, before "74a" was written is "10".

74A

100 - 200

40 mm

100 mm