ostracon ancient art
catalogue

Roman Lamp with Erotic Symplegma, Published with Löschcke in 1919, 50-80 AD

The disc shows an erotic scene with two lovers on a bed, the woman on the right reclining on cushions, the man is kneeling in front of her holding up her left leg.

The lamp belongs to the find context of the Vindonissa legionary camp and was published as lamp no. 86 in the seminal work of Sigfried Löschcke in 1919.

Löschcke's inventory number A.499 links the lamp to Aarau, Kantonales Antiquarium, an institution created in 1860. The figure 499 also appears close to the man's head.

L. 7.6 cm (3 in), D. 6.5 cm (2.6 in)

Spout missing, some shards out of the base. Pale ceramic with remains of a dark-brown wash.

Aarau, Kantonales Antiquarium inventory no. A.499, prior to 1912. Thence Swiss private collection.

1750 USD

Literature: Sigfried Löschcke. Lampen aus Vindonissa. Zürich 1919.