Lucerne in the shape of Psyche. Rome, 1st - 3rd century A.D.

Lucerne in the shape of Psyche. Rome, 1st - 3rd century A.D.
Terracotta.
Provenance: Private collection of Mr. Paul Lièvre, France.
Condition: good condition; one side of the piece is missing.
Measurements: 8,7 cm high.

This unique Roman lucerne takes the form of Psyche, a figure recognizable by its unfolded wings and its hybrid character between a female image and a winged being. The body, decorated with motifs in relief and with the combustion orifice at the bottom, makes the lamp an object of strong formal originality, far removed from the most common circular models.

Psyche, linked in the classical tradition to the soul and the myth of Eros, was a particularly suggestive image in the Roman repertoire. Its presence in a skylight is very appropriate: light, soul and symbolic transformation are found in a piece of everyday use that thus acquires a poetic and devotional dimension.

The terracotta retains a dark reddish hue, with deposits and surface wear typical of its age. Despite the lateral loss, the figure maintains a clear reading and a remarkable sculptural charm, especially in the face, the wings and the frontal disposition of the body.

Due to its uncommon typology and mythological iconography, it is a particularly attractive lucerne within the Roman repertoire, capable of uniting function, fantasy and symbolism in a small format but with great personality.