FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board

Antiquities Discussion Forums => Oil Lamps => Topic started by: Chris P on August 19, 2018, 05:05:50 pm

Title: Oil lamp identification
Post by: Chris P on August 19, 2018, 05:05:50 pm
Hi, maybe someone has an idea where this small lamp is from. Looks like the bull has something on his bag (wing?). Found it on a flea market in Amsterdam. Diameter 5,8 cm without nose and handle.
Title: Re: Oil lamp identification
Post by: cmcdon0923 on August 21, 2018, 12:29:05 am
While I can't tell you exactly where it might be from because all my references tend to concentrate on lamps from the Levant, the general style may be indicative of North Africa.

Hopefully others with a wider range of knowledge will chime in too.
Title: Re: Oil lamp identification
Post by: SC on August 24, 2018, 06:40:42 pm
Though rarer, the humped-back Asian bull is found in Roman iconography including some of Julian's AE4 Bull coins.

SC
Title: Re: Oil lamp identification
Post by: Chris P on August 25, 2018, 04:54:04 am
Thanks for your replies!
After some further research on uncle google i found this quite similar but much larger one.
[BROKEN LINK REMOVED BY ADMIN]
Same type i guess.
But in what part of the empire it was produced?
Title: Re: Oil lamp identification
Post by: SC on August 25, 2018, 09:43:30 am
You have two clues, the shape or form of the lamp and the design.

The shape or form of your lamp is pretty universal.  I think it was used throughout the Empire or at least very widely.

As for the design, I have no clue.  But you might get lucky and find other examples from documented sites.

SC
Title: Re: Oil lamp identification
Post by: Chris P on August 25, 2018, 10:20:18 am
Yes, but also this most likely common form was not produced everywhere in the roman imperium. So a specialist could surely tell the rough or even exact region where it come from and when it approx. was produced. Maybe someone is registered in forvm. Thank you Shawn .