Description:

Roman, early Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE. A fine mold-formed pottery oil lamp with an incised circular base and a faded planta pedis (maker's mark), sloping walls, a rounded shoulder, a recessed tondo with a small fill hole, and a semicircular wick spout flanked with a pair of curved volutes, all covered in faded brown slip. Within the tondo is a well-preserved Sapphic scene with two nude women on a bed, one on top of the other. While it may seem surprising to modern viewers, erotic themes were frequent motifs on widely-distributed utilitarian Roman pottery items like this one. Sexual activity was viewed by the ancient Romans as a gift from the goddess Venus (Greek Aphrodite) rather than an act of sin. Size: 3.8" L x 2.875" W x 1.125" H (9.7 cm x 7.3 cm x 2.9 cm).

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Artemis Gallery; ex-private Thousand Oaks, California, USA collection

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#137822

  • Condition: Lengthy but stable fissure around body, with minor nicks and abrasions to base, body, and wick spout, and fading to original pigmentation, otherwise intact and very good. Light earthen deposits throughout.

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May 22, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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