Medieval "Candlestick"
Glazed Candlestick
Glazed vessel with a central tubular spout that is perforated down through the base, possible candlestick. The interior of the vessel is covered with a green glaze, which also covers the upper exterior carinated walls and rim. The lower half of the vessel and base have been left unglazed, revealing the pink-buff colour of the clay fabric. The vessel is broken in several places, but has been partially repaired.
Unknown
Medieval
Hellenistic Amphora Stopper
Clay Amphora Stopper
Amphora jar stopper, probably Hellenistic and dated to the 3rd century BC. It is circular baked clay with a string-cut slightly footed base. It is wheel-made and a pale cream-buff, pinky-buff colour.
Unknown
Hellenistic
Roman North African Lamp (1)
Roman North African Clay Lamp
Roman lamps, derived from Hellenistic prototypes, are closed lamps which were typically topped with a concave disk. On one end lies the handle, and the other side features a spout, with an open mouth, where the wick sits. These types of lamps allow for a better containment of oil, and a more efficient burning rate than open lamps. The wick, made from materials such as oakum, papyrus and linen, would sit in the mouth of the lamp, and ran all the way down the base. The fuel would most likely have been made from olive oil and/or animal fat. On average, these lamps would produce a flame for 50-70 minutes.
This lamp is a Roman North African lamp, a type that was distributed widely throughout the Mediterranean, and found in many places, with the greatest number in Carthage. Typically, these lamps have relief decoration on the discus, with relief patterns below either a pierced or a stump-handle. This specific Roman lamp has a pinky-buff colour, and has an impressed line pattern on the discus. Its base is outlined with two circles, and may contain a signature. It also has evidence of use with burn marks in its spout and the spout is slightly broken. There are two holes in the middle and a moulded design of radiating lines around the circumference. The base is outlined with two incised circles and may have a signature.
From Stone to Screen
North Africa
From Stone to Screen
Roman
Emma Ramsden (Research and Content)
David Assaf (Web Design)
Jessica Matteazzi (Photography)
Chelsea Gardner (Collection Curator)
UBC CNERS
Djuric, S. (1995). Ancient Lamps from the Mediterranean. North York: Eika Bookselling & Publishing.
Elrasheedy, A. & D. Schindler (2015). Illuminating the Past: Exploring the Function of Ancient Lamps. Near Eastern Archaeology 78. 36-42.
Pereira, C. (2014). Roman Lamps of Scallabis (Santarém, Portugal). British Archaeological Reports International Series 2627. Oxford: Information Press.
Rosenthal, R. & R. Sivan (1978). Ancient Lamps in the Schloessinger Collection. Jerusalem: “Ahva” Press.
Additional Reading:
Bailey, D.M. (1996). A Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum (vol. 4): Lamps of Metal and Stone, and Lampstands. London: British Museum Press.
Bailey, D.M. (1972). Greek and Roman Pottery Lamps. London: British Museum Press.
Perlzweig, J. (1961). Lamps of the Roman Period: First to Seventh Century After Christ. Germany: J.J. Augustin Gluckstadt
Szentléleky, T. (1969). Ancient Lamps. transl. by A. Debreceni. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó.
Zhuravlev, D. ed. (2002). Fire, Light and Light Equipment in the Graeco-Roman World. British Archaeological Reports International Series 1019. Oxford: The Basingstoke Press.
Ceramic - Terracotta
Ceramic Lamp
Roman Lamp
Roman North Africa; Ceramic Technology; Roman Lamps
Roman North African Lamp (2)
Roman North African Clay Lamp
Roman lamps are a type of closed lamp, typically topped with concave disk. Derived from Hellenistic prototypes, these Roman closed lamps offer a number of advantages over open ones. They allow a better containment of oil, and have a more efficient burning rate than open lamps. On one end lies the handle, while the other featured a spout, with an open mouth. The wick, made from materials such as oakum, would have sat in the mouth of the lamp, and run all the way down the base. The fuel would most likely have been made from olive oil and/or animal fat. On average, these lamps would burn for a period of 50-70 minutes.
This Roman lamp dates to the 3rd century BCE from North Africa. Roman North African lamps were a widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean, found in Egypt, Tunisia and a vast majority in Carthage. This lamp is made up of Tunisian is pinky-buff-coloured fabric and incised with two leaves on its top, most likely victory leaves (the 'palms of Victory'). There are two filling wholes on top, one in the direction of the spout, and the other slight off-centre. The vertical lug handle is solid, and the spout (now missing) is decorated at its base with a bar and two dots. A section of the base is also missing. Its early date suggests close ties to a Hellenistic predecessor and is further accentuated by the small holes present at the base of the spout, a common feature of Hellenistic lamps. Their function could have been a means to access the wick with a needle to help intensify or regulate the flame, or to create airflow to help stimulate combustion. Considering its date, this lamp was most likely fabricated through manual moulding, as pre-made moulds did not come into popular use until the 2nd century BCE onwards.
From Stone to Screen
North Africa
From Stone to Screen
Roman - 3rd century CE
Emma Ramsden (Research and Content)
David Assaf (Web Design)
Jessica Matteazzi (Photography)
Chelsea Gardner (Collection Curator)
UBC CNERS
Djuric, S. (1995). Ancient Lamps from the Mediterranean. North York: Eika Bookselling & Publishing.
Elrasheedy, A. & D. Schindler (2015). Illuminating the Past: Exploring the Function of Ancient Lamps. Near Eastern Archaeology 78. 36-42.
Pereira, C. (2014). Roman Lamps of Scallabis (Santarém, Portugal). British Archaeological Reports International Series 2627. Oxford: Information Press.
Rosenthal, R. & R. Sivan (1978). Ancient Lamps in the Schloessinger Collection. Jerusalem: “Ahva” Press.
Szentléleky, T. (1969). Ancient Lamps. transl. by A. Debreceni. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó.
Additional Reading:
Bailey, D.M. (1996). A Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum (vol. 4): Lamps of Metal and Stone, and Lampstands. London: British Museum Press.
Bailey, D.M. (1972). Greek and Roman Pottery Lamps. London: British Museum Press.
Perlzweig, J. (1961). Lamps of the Roman Period: First to Seventh Century After Christ. Germany: J.J. Augustin Gluckstadt
Zhuravlev, D. ed. (2002). Fire, Light and Light Equipment in the Graeco-Roman World. British Archaeological Reports International Series 1019. Oxford: The Basingstoke Press.
Ceramic - Terracotta
Ceramic Lamp
Roman Lamp
Roman North Africa; Ceramic Technology; Roman Lamps