Lamp. Rome, 1st–3rd centuries AD.

Oil lamp. Rome, 1st–3rd centuries AD.
Terracotta.
Provenance: private collection, Namur, Belgium.
Measurements: 9.5 cm in length.

Roman terracotta oil lamp with a front spout and a central filling hole. The piece features incised decoration around the disc, with geometric and radial motifs that enrich the surface without altering its functional character.

Oil lamps were everyday objects in the Roman world, used for domestic, funerary, and ritual lighting with oil and a wick. Their widespread use gave rise to a wide variety of shapes and decorations, ranging from simple examples to pieces featuring figurative scenes or ornamental motifs.

The simplicity of the form and the linear decoration point to a functional production typical of the 1st–3rd centuries AD.