A candelabra support
1st century BC – 1st century AD; diam. cm 20; Part of a marble candelabrum, defined by its round shape, protruding spout and decorative base, which is carved into a floral motif. At the centre of the plate is a square hole to support the candle shaft.
Traces of burning on the rim. The Roman candelabrum was made with either marble or bronze and was constituted by a small plate or upper support, upon which an oil lamp was placed and at the centre of which stood a (smooth or fluted) shaft, with a tripod at its end. This was a luxury furnishing used across the empire: bronze versions would have been used mainly within private homes, marble versions in public and in places of worship.

PROVENANCE:
Private collection, London; acquired on the European art market in the 1990s.

Estimate: GBP: 400-700