History of Ancient Pottery: Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. Volume 1 (of 2)Walters, H. B. (Henry Beauchamp)
History
History of Ancient Pottery: Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. Volume 1 (of 2)
Walters, H. B. (Henry Beauchamp)
Mythology, Classical, in art; Pottery, Ancient; Pottery, Etruscan; Pottery, Greek; Pottery, Roman
Little has at present been done in the way of a scientific
investigation of Roman lamps, but the results of a rough classification
according to shapes show that certain forms are more specially
associated with Greek sites, and moreover frequently bear names of
makers in Greek letters. This is particularly the case with one form,
which appears to be confined to Athens, Corfu, the coast of Asia Minor,
and Cyprus. These lamps, of a pale yellow clay, have a circular body
with flat top, round the edge of which runs a border of impressed
egg-pattern, interrupted on either side by a small plain raised
panel.[381] The handle is small and pierced with a hole, the nozzle
also small, with straight sides. These lamps bear the makers’ names (in
the genitive), Primus ([ΠΡΕΙΜΟΥ]), Abaskantos ([ΑΒΑCΚΑΝΤΟΥ]), etc., the
former being especially common; all are in Greek letters. Some again
only have a single letter or monogram engraved underneath. They are
often very carefully executed, with sharply cut details, and the
subjects are usually mythological (see Plate IV. fig. 1); they appear
to be of very late date, not earlier than the third century after
Christ.
Another form which appears to be specially characteristic of Greek
sites is that with a plain or heart-shaped nozzle, sometimes with a
groove incised at the base, but without a handle. They are usually
quite small, with circular bodies. Large numbers of these were found by
Mr. Newton at Knidos in 1859,[382] and by Mr. Barker at Tarsos in
1845.[383] The subjects are mostly poor and devoid of interest,
including animals, rosettes, and various floral patterns. Many of these
lamps bear the signature ROMAINE(N)SIS, the form of the word indicating
that they were made by a Roman residing abroad (_i.e._ at Knidos), not
in Rome.[384] A third form, approximating to the Christian type, has a
small solid handle and plain nozzle, and is confined to sites on or
near the coast of Asia Minor. These, with the remaining types of lamps,
will be more fully dealt with in the Roman section of this work. It
may, however, be worth while mentioning here that Mr. Newton found at
Knidos several lamps of a coarse black ware, covered with thin glaze,
which are mostly of large size. They are circular, and convex above,
and are supplied with two or more long nozzles with blunt terminations
radiating round them (see Plate IV. fig. 6). Between the nozzles are
roughly stamped devices of Satyrs’ heads, flowers, etc., in relief.
These may fairly be regarded as a Greek type.
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