Description:

Eastern Mediterranean, Holy Land, Roman to Byzantine period, ca. 2nd to 6th century CE. A concise lot of four miniature pottery oil lamps from the Holy Land, each formed in buff to reddish clay with rounded bodies, central filling holes, and short wick nozzles. The surfaces show light incised decoration and natural firing variation typical of regional production. The largest example bears a planta pedis maker's mark impressed on the underside of the base, a footprint motif associated with Roman workshop identification and ceramic manufacture. Miniature lamps such as these were used for household lighting, votive offerings, or funerary contexts, their small scale suggesting personal or symbolic use. Together, the group presents a compact and appealing assemblage of everyday lighting objects from antiquity, modest in size yet rich in historical character. Size of largest (light orange): 3.4" L x 2.3" W x 1" H (8.6 cm x 5.8 cm x 2.5 cm)

Provenance: private Sheffield, Massachusetts, USA collection, acquired from Superior Stamp & Coin, Los Angeles, California, USA, July 1968

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#199375

  • Condition: All have expected weathering to surface with chips, nicks, abrasions, and char marks in areas. Liberal remaining relief decoration and scattered earthen deposits and encrustations throughout.

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February 1, 2026 12:00 PM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000