RARE ROMAN TERRACOTTA OIL LAMP WITH ALEXANDER THE GREAT ON ELEPHANT BACK
Ca. 100-200 AD. A red terracotta oil lamp featuring a recessed discus and volute nozzle. The tondo bearing an image of Alexander the Great riding elephant in relief. The shoulders are incised with concentric circles. The bottom is flat. During the Roman Empire, a lamp was originally called a ‘lychnus’ (from the Greek ‘??????’) with the oldest Roman lamps dating back to the third century BC. It is thought that the Romans took the idea for lamps from the Greek colonies of Southern Italy. During the Roman Empire, it became commonplace to use lamps in funeral ceremonies and for public purposes. Over time, the manufacture of lamps increased, and so did the variation in decoration, which depended mainly on the shape and size of the lamp. Common decorative themes depicted on the discus were entertainment scenes (such as gladiators in combat), common myths, and animals. Size: L:35mm / W:95mm ; 100g. Provenance: Property of a London Ancient Art Gallery; formerly in the famous Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister; acquired between early 1960s to 1990s.

Estimate: GBP 300 - 600