A lamp such as this might have lit homes
when
the Roman Empire ruled the world. A
metaphor
of joy and prosperity, for hope, for life itself,
lamps have illuminated the path of civilization
for
centuries. They have guided great thoughts
through the night, stood vigil with lonely
passions. In the presence of this simple
object,
we are in touch directly with a vanished world,
with the people once warmed by its glow.
Today
it remains as an enduring symbol of man's
desire
to conquer the darkness.
This particular Roman oil lamp features very
unique decorative elements on the discus that
surrounds the filling hole. Concentric semi-
circles originating from the lamp's shoulders
are filled with raised lines that point towards
the filling hole, while the filling hole itself is
surrounded by a beaded pattern.
- (LK.316)
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