ostracon ancient art
catalogue

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

The disc shows an erotic scene with a couple on a bed. The man on the left is kneeling and holding the woman's leg up over his shoulder. The woman also kneels, resting her head and arms on a pillow.

The protagonists show big heads and are considered to be midget actors or entertainers who perform the sex act on stage.

Mold-made lamp with voluted nozzle, tip missing. The raised base inscribed REG in high relief.

The lamp belongs to the find context of the Vindonissa legionary camp and was published as lamp no. 411 in the seminal work of Sigfried Löschcke in 1919.

Löschcke's inventory number A.460 links the lamp to Aarau, Kantonales Antiquarium, an institution created in 1860.

L. 9.5 cm (3.7 in), D. 7.5 cm (3 in)

Spout missing, some shards on the side reglued. Pale ceramic with remains of a light-brown wash.

Aarau, Kantonales Antiquarium inventory no. A.460, prior to 1912, thence Swiss private collection.

1650 USD
 

Literature: Sigfried Löschcke. Lampen aus Vindonissa. Zürich 1919.
Donald Bailey. A Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum. Vol. 2. Roman Lamps Made in Italy. London 1980. Cf. item Q823.
Sanja Vucetic "Sexual art on Roman lamps: analysis of provincial data" in: Journal of Roman Archaeology 36 (2023), S. 23-49.