Lucerne with seal. Rome, 1st - 3rd century A.D.

Lucerne with seal. Rome, 1st - 3rd century AD.
Terracotta.
Provenance: Charles Ede Gallery, London, UK. Private collection, Chicago, USA, acquired from the above on January 8, 1987.
Attached is a copy of the old purchase invoice from the Charles Ede Gallery.
Good state of preservation.
Measurements: 9.5 cm long.

Roman terracotta lucerne with relief decoration on the disk, organized by means of a vegetal composition of ornamental character. The central motif, surrounded by concentric moldings, combines leaves, bunches and floral elements that refer to the usual decorative repertoire of Roman oil lamps, where naturalistic motifs provided visual richness to everyday objects.

The presence of the stamp adds a special interest, since this type of markings allows linking the lucerne with serial production practices, ceramic workshops and distribution circuits in Roman times.

Its modern trajectory is well supported: it comes from the Charles Ede Gallery, one of the London galleries of reference in classical antiquities, and was acquired by a private collection in Chicago in 1987, and a copy of the old invoice has been preserved. This documentation provides a very relevant added value in archaeological collecting.