Archaeological Museum of Bologna

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Collections / Sections / Roman collection

Life in the domus: illumination

Terracotta oil lamps were the most common type of lighting in the Roman world from the 1st century BC. They comprised a shaft that served to hold combustible – oil or tallow – and one or more spouts which held the wick; they might also have a handle. The lamps were made in series using moulds and were a very low-cost item, used extensively to light the various parts of the house and of public buildings. They were often also part of grave goods, as symbols of life and a guide for the deceased in the kingdom of the dead. They were also left as offerings to the divinities, given as augural gifts for the new year and exchanged by lovers. The huge range of illustrations that decorates volute and disc-type oil lamps, including divinities, symbols, performances, animals, mythological, erotic and everyday scenes, is especially interesting from a documentary standpoint. Roman oil lamps changed shape over the years they were in production, which means it is reasonably easy to classify the types and date them precisely. The Museum has about 600 exhibits of terracotta oil lamps, documenting the entire evolution of these objects over time.
Bronze oil lamps were prior to the fictile type and were considered a luxury item for the wealthier classes. They were precious because of the material used and how they were manufactured, since the cast could only be used once. While terracotta lamp decoration was more or less restricted to the disc, bronze lamp motifs were likely to be on the ansa and sometimes on the lid. There are also many instances of illustrated oil lamps. Many bronze lamps were designed to be hung from chains, while others were welded or fitted to candelabra.

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Oil lamp in the shape of a foot in a sandal
One of the most popular and varied versions of the bronze lamp is that modelled as a clad foot, which was widespread in the first two centuries of the Empire. It is likely that they were connected to the oriental cult of Serapis and it is no coincidence that this type of lamp was popular with legionaries stationed at the outskirts of the Empire, who were some of the first to acquire and then circulate oriental divinities to the Roman world.

Provenance: University Collection
Datation: Late 1st–2nd century AD
Material: Gilt bronze
Inventory #: Rom 2009

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Exhibition rooms | Room IX - Roman Collection