Ca. 100-200 AD. Roman. A wonderfully preserved, mould-made terracotta lamp with a round nozzle, a round discus with concentric ridges and one filling hole, and a perforated round handle. The discus is embellished with a relief decoration depicting a capricorn, which is usually associated with the emperor Augustus (Barton 1995). Excellent condition. During the Roman Empire, a lamp was originally called a 'lychnus' (from the Greek ‘λυχνος’) with the oldest Roman lamps dating back to the third century BC. It is thought that the Romans took the idea for lamps from the Greek colonies of Southern Italy. During the Roman Empire, it became commonplace to use lamps in funeral ceremonies and for public purposes. Over time, the manufacture of lamps increased, and so did the variation in decoration, which depended mainly on the shape and size of the lamp. Common decorative themes depicted on the discus were entertainment scenes (such as gladiators in combat), common myths, and animals. Cf. Barton, T. (1995). Augustus and Capricorn: Astrological Polyvalency and Imperial Rhetoric. The Journal of Roman Studies 85: 33-51, for the association of Augustus to the capricorn. Cf. Zhuravlev, D. (2002). Fire, light and light equipment in the Graeco-Roman world. Oxford: Archaeopress, to find out more about light equipment across the Classical world. Original paperwork will accompany the purchase. Size: L:47mm / W:105mm ; 86g. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman C. M.; formerly in Arnos Jumperz collection, Leverkusen (Germany), acquired pre-1994.