For a 3D model made by the Virtual Curation Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University, see https://skfb.ly/oB6Bp
Wheelmade Lamp
AWG2022.01.01
Greek (Rhodian)
Hellenistic Period, 250-150 BCE
Material: Ceramic
Technique: Wheelmade
Weight: 52g
Dimensions: Rim diam. 6 cm, base diam. 4.5 cm, height 2.1 cm, length 9.1 cm
Condition: Poor, lots of accretions and discoloration
Provenance: Nisyros (island in the southeast Aegean)
Donor: Fred Morgan, III
Date of acquisition: 09/15/2022
Research by: Emily Dixon, ‘23
Detailed description:
This small lamp has a closed body with a concave top, a double convex profile, a raised concave base, and a flat-topped nozzle. It has no handle, but has a lug on one side. A pierced lug would have been used to hang the lamp while not in use, however the lug here remains solid. Typically a lamp with a solid lug would have a handle, but this is not always the case, as seen here. It is in poor condition, heavily covered in accretions of an unknown sort, varying in texture and color. The clay is a pink color (7.5YR 8/3), and there are a few traces of remaining reddish-brown slip.
Discussion:
For complete discussion and bibliography, see "Heritage and History: An Investigation of Hellenistic Artifacts from Nisyros," by Emily Dixon, '23.