Lamp
Unknown Artist
100–1 BCE
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
h. 9.6 cm, l. 19.1 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1953.12
About this artwork
Bronze lamps like this one were used to create artificial light. A wick was placed in the nozzle and oil poured into the opening below the handle. Here the handle terminates in an elaborate boar’s head, with its bristly hair indicated with tiny lines. When the lamp was lit, figural handles, like this boar, would cast complex and interesting shadows. This lamp and stand were not found together, but illustrate how they would have been used in antiquity.