Oil lamp

This lamp was described by its collector as ‘Buff-coloured; length 4.5 in. Relief: Cupid riding on bridled dolphin surrounded by dolphin, lobster, cuttle-fish, crab, three fish, pecten and whelk. On bottom SAECVL (Saeculares), incuse. Lamps so marked are supposed to have been made for use during the Secular Games, and these were celebrated in AD 88 and 248 under Philippus Senior. The latter date seems most probable for this lamp, though the pattern had already come in temp. Domitian’. It belonged to Lieutenant Colonel Montague who collected over 800 classical archaeological objects, which he bequeathed to the museum on his death.

Object Summary

Accession Loan No.
5/1946/53
Category
Antiquities
Collection Class
Foreign archaeology
Collector Excavator
Montague, Lieutenant Colonel Leopold Agar Denys (from the collection of)
Material
ceramic
Common Name
oil lamp
Simple Name
lamp
Period Classification
Roman Imperial - 31 BC-476 AD
Production Date
248?

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oil lamp depicting Cupid riding dolphin