Lamp with peacock

Lamp with peacock

Late 3rd century-5th century CE

Unknown (Roman North African)

Roman North African

Style/Period: Atlante VIII A2

Repository: Museum of Classical Antiquities, University of Ottawa / Musée d'antiquités gréco-romaines, Université d'Ottawa

tools, equipment and materials

Materials/Techniques: African terra sigillata, mold-made

Measurements: width: 9 cm; height: 6.3 cm; length: 13 cm

An elongated oval lamp made of red terracotta, with a perforated handle on one end and a short, wide nozzle on the other end. The decorative shoulder has a band of slanting incisions running along the edge. The discus motif displays a bird, likely a peacock, with its head turned back toward its tail; the bird has a long tail of feathers and appears to be speckled with small dots. Two filling holes are placed on the discus; one is in the upper middle area of the discus, while the second is positioned off to the left, under the bird’s tail. The base of the lamp has a supporting ring and a workshop mark in the shape of a palm leaf.
This lamp can be classified as an Atlante type VIII A2, based on the slanting incisions on the shoulder rather than the more geometric foliage designs or geometric designs of other Atlante types.

oil lamps

Repository Accession Number: 984.1.67

Record: UO-MCA-984-1-67

Cataloguer: Vera Hadzic, University of Ottawa

Photographer: Niġel Klemenčič-Puglisevich, Carleton University

Image Date: 2022-04-01

The images are provided by the Museum of Classical Antiquities, University of Ottawa. For contact information, visit the Museum website: https://arts.uottawa.ca/cla-srs/en/museum | Les images sont fournies par le Musée d'antiquités gréco-romaines de l'Université d’Ottawa. Visitez le site du musée pour les coordonnées : https://arts.uottawa.ca/cla-srs/fr/musee