Leilão Bidspirit | Greek oil lamp

Greek oil lamp - ITEM: Oil lamp MATERIAL: Pottery CULTURE: Greek PERIOD: 4th Century B.C DIMENSIONS: 32 mm x 57 mm x 76 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. During the 5th and 4th centuries BC, ancient Greek oil lamps underwent significant development in both form and function. These oil lamps, essential for providing light in Greek households, sanctuaries, and public spaces, evolved in design and decoration, reflecting changes in Greek society and culture. One notable feature of Greek oil lamps from the 5th and 4th centuries BC is their diversity in shape and style. While earlier Greek lamps tended to be simple and utilitarian, lamps from this period began to exhibit more elaborate designs and decorative elements. Common shapes included the ”biconical” type, characterized by a double-conical body with a central filling hole and one or more wick holes, as well as the ”kernos” type, featuring multiple spouts for wicks arranged around a central filling hole. These lamps were typically made of clay and produced using molds or hand-building techniques. Greek oil lamps from the 5th and 4th centuries BC also often featured decorative motifs that reflected the artistic trends of the time. These motifs ranged from geometric patterns and floral designs to mythological scenes and figures. Some lamps were adorned with relief sculptures depicting gods, heroes, or mythical creatures, while others were embellished with painted decorations in black-figure or red-figure styles.