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Oil Lamp
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This large and ornate cast bronze oil lamp features a central hole for filling and a single spout for its wick. Its extravagant handle rises to create both a loop and a sort of hook, one or both of which may have served to suspend the lamp when lit. Alternatively, the lamp may have stood on its own, perhaps atop a tall lampstand. While its primary function may have been for lighting dark spaces, this lamp must also have served an ornamental purpose.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineOil Lamp, c. 50 BCE–50 CE. Roman, late Republican-early Imperial (c. 50 BCE – 50 CE). Bronze, cast; overall: 28.7 x 17.8 cm (11 5/16 x 7 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Barbara S. Robinson and Family, 2023.104
