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Reference: CA10 / Cat. No.
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Period:
Roman
Origin:
North West Europe
Date:
70 – 200 AD
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Description:
Achtförmige open lamp. High foot-ring.
Fabric:
Copper alloy.
Manufacture:
Cast.
Size (cm):
L. 16.0, W. 8.9, H. 2.9 (eh)
Condition:
Handle-ornament reduced, wick-rest lip bent.
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Notes:
Cf. BMC IV, Q3752 (found in Kent); Valkhof Museum, PDB.1988.7.ULP.1982.438.mh (found at Nijmegen); Verulamium Museum, 2003.335; Loeschcke, 1074-5; Menzel, 706.
The flat tabs either side of the body occur on a twin-nozzled example found at Aventicum.
Loeschcke Type XXVa.
Ex Robert Flourance Collection.
Comments:
It was once speculated that objects of this kind may have served as holders for conventional closed lamps but evidence indicates that in fact they were themselves lamps in their own right, their open design allowing the use of animal fat as a fuel rather than oil.
The generic term 'Achtförmige' applied to this type of open-topped lamp refers to a figure-of-eight shape that is more pronounced in some examples than in others. The genre, apparently confined to Europe, was made in both metal and pottery. Characteristics include a large rounded body and large rounded wick-rest sharing the same flat floor, and more or less perpendicular sides that are usually of uniform height.
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