Leilão Bidspirit | Late Roman / Christian oil

Late Roman / Christian oil lamp depicting rosette, Type Bussière E VIII 10 - ITEM: Oil lamp depicting a rosette, Type Bussière E VIII 10 MATERIAL: Pottery CULTURE: Late Roman / Christian PERIOD: 4th - 5th Century A.D DIMENSIONS: 50 mm x 85 mm x 135 mm CONDITION: Good condition PROVENANCE: Ex French private collection, acquired from Toulouse and Montpellier auction houses and antique dealers before 1990s Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export Licence. If you are from outside the European Union, we will have to apply for the export licence again for your country, this takes 3 to 5 weeks and has a cost of 5% of the hammer price, this amount will be added to the final invoice. Late Roman Christian lamps represent a fascinating intersection of religion, art, and everyday life during the later period of the Roman Empire. With the rise of Christianity as the dominant religion in the Roman world, the iconography and symbolism found on lamps began to reflect Christian themes. These lamps were used in Christian households, churches, catacombs, and other places of worship. One notable feature of late Roman Christian lamps is the shift in decorative motifs from pagan imagery to Christian symbols. Instead of scenes from mythology or everyday life, these lamps often featured Christian symbols such as the Chi-Rho monogram (☧), the fish symbol (ichthys), the Good Shepherd, the cross, and biblical scenes. These symbols served not only to illuminate spaces but also to reinforce the faith of believers and express their identity as Christians in a predominantly pagan society. Late Roman Christian lamps were also significant for their role in religious ceremonies and rituals. They were used in various Christian liturgical practices, such as the lighting of lamps during evening prayers or the celebration of Mass. Additionally, Christian lamps were sometimes placed in catacombs and funerary contexts, serving as both practical sources of light and symbols of hope and eternal life in the Christian belief system.