Lamp
Mid–1st century
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
11.5 × 21.7 × 14 cm (4 1/2 × 8 1/2 × 5 1/2 in.)
Classification
lamp (lighting device)
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
104998
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The windowless rooms of Roman buildings required artificial illumination, which was frequently provided by oil lamps. While inexpensive terracotta lamps were widely used, bronze lamps were luxury items produced for wealthier people. The handle of this lamp is adorned with a crescent moon surmounted by a bust of Jupiter, king of the gods, and his companion animal, the eagle, which clutches a thunderbolt (a symbol of the god) in its talons. A knobbed lid tops the container, which would have been f...
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...