Delphiniform Terracotta Lamp with Knotted Ribbon Relief

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Description: 

Delphiniform Terracotta Lamp with Knotted Ribbon Relief

late 2nd-early 3rd century CE?    

terracotta: mold-made, fabric: fine with minor inclusions, mica. Munsell: 5 YR 5/6 yellowish red
height 2.7 cm
length 8.2 cm
width 5.2 cm

Portland State University Middle East Studies Center
Bogue Lamp Collection, Lamp ID #279, PSU 131 (154)

 

Professor Anne Nicogorski, Willamette University, cited with permission

This small, red, fictile lamp is of the delphiniform type. The nozzle is thick and flanged. The only decoration is a bow that sits at the front of the fill hole. Shape: Round-bodied lamp with disk base set off by circular groove; slightly carinated body profile; long extended rounded nozzle; concave discus with high raised lip with large central fill hole; side lug on right (nozzle pointing up) with circular depression on top. Decoration: Relief decoration on top consisting of knotted ribbon on top of nozzle; knot located at the edge of the discus; loops of ribbon extending onto shoulder on either side; loop and two curled ends extending onto nozzle axis; pair of diagonal bands down side of nozzle at juncture of body, pairs of ridges with rows of raised squares between them. Inscriptions: None. Condition: Mostly complete; large chip from tip of nozzle; heavily burnt around wick hole.

Protocol: 
Portland State University Middle East Studies Center - Public Access
Community: 
Portland State University Middle East Studies Center
Category: 
Ceramics, Utilitarian Objects
Keywords: 
Lamp
Rights: 
Image reproduced with permission from Portland State University Middle East Studies Center. The institutions that house the specific Medieval Portland objects ultimately hold the rights to their image and reproduction; the images are provided here as a courtesy by those institutions and are for non-profit, educational use only.