Lamp - Griffon
Roman
Greek
Cyprus
Roman (1st century)
Red terracotta
Overall: 1 × 2 5/8 in. (2.5 × 6.6 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Bequest of Emily Howe Hitchcock, Class of 1872HW
12.1.183
Geography
Place Made: Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus, West Asia, Asia
Period
1-500
Object Name
Furnishings: Lighting Device
Research Area
Classical World
On view
Label
Terracotta oil lamps like these are among the most commonly surviving objects from the ancient world. They served an important function, bringing portable light into homes, palaces, and temples. However, the lamps also provide insight into popular decorative models and themes, which might include geometric and vegetal patterns, mythological references, and even depictions of popular gladiators. The three Roman lamps in this case are mold made, enabling their mass production and widespread use. The Babylonian lamp demonstrates a simple plate form (likely made on a wheel) that nevertheless fulfilled the essential purpose of holding both oil and a wick. The most common type of fuel in the ancient Mediterranean was olive oil, while wicks were often made of linen or plant fibers.
From the exhibition, Stone, Sand, and Clay: Connecting Cultures in the Ancient Mediterranean, curated by Ashley B. Offill, Curator of Collections
Course History
History 10.02, Archival Research, Julia Rabig, Summer 2025
Anthropology 31.01, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 36.01, Gender in Cross Cultural Perspectives, Sabrina Billings, Fall 2025
Theater 15.01, Theatre & Society I, Samantha Lazar, Fall 2025
Exhibition History
Artifacts of the Roman Empire, Harrington Gallery Teaching Exhibition, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 18-November 5, 1990.
Stone, Sand, and Clay: Connecting Cultures in the Ancient Mediterranean, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, June 7, 2025 - Ongoing
Provenance
Collected by Luigi Palma di Cesnola, American Consul to Cyprus, 1865-1876; given to Hiram Hitchcock (1832-1900, Class of 1872H), Hanover, New Hampshire, about 1872; bequeathed to his second wife, Emily Howe Hitchcock (1852-1912), Hanover, New Hampshire, 1900; bequeathed to present collection, 1912.
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