Lamp. Rome, 1st–3rd centuries AD.

Oil lamp. Rome, 1st–3rd centuries AD.
Terracotta.
Provenance: private collection, Namur, Belgium.
Measurements: 8.5 cm in length.

Roman terracotta oil lamp with an oval body, a front spout, and a central fuel hole. The piece features relief decoration around the disc, with linear and radial motifs that frame the central area and lend an ornamental character to an essentially functional object.

Oil lamps were widely used in the Roman world for lighting with oil and a wick, both in domestic settings and in funerary and ritual contexts. Their mass production allowed for a wide variety of shapes and decorations, ranging from simple examples to pieces featuring plant, geometric, or figurative motifs.