Ancient Roman oil lamp

Ancient Roman oil lamp

Ancient Roman oil lamps were small devices, typically made of terra cotta, that were used by the ancient Romans for artificial light. They were fueled by olive oil, and had anywhere from one to a dozen wicks. Many had handles so they could be carried from room to room, and also so they could by carried by actors in plays or by participants in various ritual activities.

Ancient Roman oil lamps often contained molded reliefs of erotic scenes, gladiators, mythical characters, or floral patterns. These lamps were fairly popular, since they could be released as collectible sets (for example, a set of lamps with a different god on each lamp), and because they were relatively cheap (they were typically mold made instead of hand-crafted, so they were not as expensive or time-consuming to produce).

External links

* [http://www.ripon.edu/academics/art/clark/LAMP.html The Ripon College Clark Collection]

* [http://www.romulus2.com/lamps/lampcat/lampcat.shtml Ancient Lamps]


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