Ca. 100-200 AD.A terracotta oil lamp with a loop handle protruding from the main corpus, which broads toward the bottom. The shoulder is round, discus with a central filling hole, and a small nozzle with a rounded tip. The oldest Roman lamps date to the third century BC when the Romans adopted the idea from the Greek colonies of Southern Italy. By the first century BC, it became popular to use lamps in funeral ceremonies and for public celebrations. As the empire grew, the manufacture of lamps increased dramatically, as did the variation in decoration. Common decorative themes included gladiators in combat, mythological scenes, and animals.Size: L:35mm / W:75mm ; 45gProvenance: Private UK collection; From an old British collection formed in the 1990s.