Description:

Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st century CE. An adorable bronze plug for an oil lamp, cast in the shape of a crouched mouse with his paws raised to his mouth, as if he is gnawing on a piece of bread. His curled tail would once have had a hole with which he would have been attached to the lamp to prevent the escape of any excess oil. Mice were a constant of Roman life (especially as Romans were not fans of cats) and the maker of this plug would have been acknowledging the very common problem of mice eating wicks and drinking lamp oil, a common complaint documented in many ancient texts. Mice also were a feature of Roman literature and art that depicted mice undertaking human activities proportional to their size. Size: 1.6" W x 1.05" H (4.1 cm x 2.7 cm)

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#137080

  • Condition: Middle section of tail is lost. Otherwise in nice condition with a dark, mottled patina on the surface.

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August 30, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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