Lot 28
Roman, Imperial Period, Late Flavian to Hadrianic Period, Central Italy or North Africa, ca. 80 to 140 CE. A titillating terracotta oil lamp of volute form presenting a flat, annular base, a discoid body, a corseted nozzle, and a flared wick, all enveloped in caramel-hued slip. The base of the ancient vessel is signed "LMADIEC" for Lucius Munatius Adiectus, a potter who had a workshop in central Italy with branches in North Africa. On top of the lamp is a recessed central tondo featuring the relief image of a Sapphic erotic scene between 2 female lovers. Both nude, the one figure lays semi-recumbent atop a bed, her left arm propping up her torso as her companion crouches above her. Size: 3.8" L x 2.7" W x 1.1" H (9.7 cm x 6.9 cm x 2.8 cm)
Idealized images of sexual intercourse, like this example, were associated with notions of pleasure and elite status throughout the Roman empire, thus, the artist has taken great care to demonstrate the splendor of this image by showing a blanket laying at the foot of the bed, as well as lovely drapery decorating the space above them; the soft texture and luxuriousness of these fabrics clearly conveyed through their gentle folds. The placement of the wick hole, below the bed, is additionally an important attribute. The flame's flickering light would have illuminated the figures, making them appear animated and also served as a double entendre - the couple being quite literally in the flames of passion.
Attitudes towards sexuality in Ancient Rome were far more relaxed than they are in Western culture today and representations of various sexual couplings, settings, and positions were commonly found on objects of daily use, such as ceramic lamps (as seen here), silver cups, engraved gemstones, and wall paintings (most famously depicted in the frescoes of Pompeii and Herculaneum). While this level of uninhibited sexual display may seem grotesque to the modern viewer, all levels of Roman society were quite familiar with encountering sexually explicit images within a domestic setting. As sexual acts themselves were considered a gift from the Roman goddess Venus (Greek Aphrodite), these images were less associated with feelings of sin, guilt, or shame, and more so analogous with notions of delight, nobility, and opulence.
Provenance: private Marysville, California, USA collection; ex-Artemis Gallery, Louisville, Colorado, USA, May 22, 2019, lot 50; ex-private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Artemis Gallery, Louisville, Colorado, USA, November 17, 2016, lot 23B; ex-private Thousand Oaks, California, USA collection
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#171109
- 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. Base signed "LMADIEC."
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