- KM017 (Early Roman Knidian Thymiaterion-Lampstand) [permalink] [show more links]
- Type
- Inventoried Object
- Not after (date)
- 140
- Not before (date)
- 60
- Writing transcription
- ΘⲈΟΙⲤ ΛΑΒⲈ
- Logical part of
- Kenchreai Cemetery Project Inventoried Objects
- Typological identification
- Knidian Relief Ware
- Typological identification
- Lampstand
- Typological identification
- Stamp, mark, or molding (pottery)
- Typological identification
- Thymiaterion
- Cited by
- Rifeetal2007, p. 162
- Comparanda
- cf. Bailey1975, pp. 67-69, pl. 26:1-4=BMLIII, pp. 340-1, nos. Q 2727-Q 2729, pls. 78, 81, 82, 85, 149, figs. 99, 151, 155 (from Knidos, 70/80-120 C.E.)
- Comparanda
- cf. Kogler2010, pp. 78-79, 560, no. J.33, pl. 47 (Knidos, context: ca. 50-150 C.E.)
- Comparanda
- cf. PergForsch5, pp. 121-122, 260-261, nos. K330-K345, pl. 32 (esp. K331=Bodrum Museum inv. no. 1796+1815)
- Conservation
- Cleaned mechanically with distilled water and mended with UHU Hart (Melissa Morison, July 2005). Mended with Acryloid B52 and surface treated with clear sealant for display in Museum (Argiro Tsigri, 2010).
- Description
- Incense burner flanked by lampstands. Moldmade in four parts: hollow plinth and three hollow columnar elements, luted to base and joints smoothed over with thick brushing. Ventilation holes in center floor of bowl of thymiaterion and two lampstands and matching ones into plinth. Base is long, hollow, rectangular plinth, sharply concave, bearing shallow relief decoration on the front and sides. Front shows a sunken panel divided horizontally into an upper and lower section; lower section has a wavey band running through it. Ends or sides of base show simple palm branch motifs with concave petals, oriented horizontally. Back, convex surface has simple sunken panel, within which is incuse text just below and right of central stand: Θ̣Ε̣ΟΙⲤ ΛΑΒΕ. Above base, left and right lampstands are fashioned as Ionic columns with deep, thick flutes and narrow, rounded volutes on either side at top but no base and no flat capital element. Central element is altar that widens slightly up body, showing in shallow relief bunches of grapes and garlands. This altar has flaring capital with three grooves forming wide, deep bowl (D. 0.035 m); traces of burning all around interior.
- Fabric, firing, and surface description
- Fabric: 10R 6/8, light red. Slip: 10R 5/6-5/8, red. Fine, hard fabric with very rare, very small, subangular(?) white (calcitic) inclusions and sparse specks of golden mica. Platy fracture but crumbly in places (where overfired?). Burning of fragment to brick-red (during firing?) around front bowl of thymiaterion. Thick, even, semi lustrous slip with slightly metallic sheen, slightly flakey around base.
- Preservation comment
- Nearly complete from four large fragments; the top lamps on both lampstands are broken off and the surface especially on the central altar element is chipped and flaked; and notable erosion: moisture? Thin but extensive encrustation.
- Weight (kg)
- 0.814
- Width
- 0.205
- Other Dimensions
- Diam. columns base 0.034
- Other Dimensions
- Diam. rim thymiaterion 0.080
- Other Dimensions
- H. plinth 0.046
- Other Dimensions
- H. thymiaterion 0.113
- Other Dimensions
- W. columns volutes 0.051
- Other Dimensions
- W. plinth 0.040
- Other Dimensions
- p.H. column 0.116-0.118
- Belongs to Historical Period
- Early Roman (Historical Period)
- Belongs to Historical Period
- Middle Roman (Historical Period)
- Material
- Ceramic (Material)
- Drawing
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- Drawing
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- Drawing
-
- Photograph
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- Photograph
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- Photograph
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“KM017 (Early Roman Knidian Thymiaterion-Lampstand).” In Kenchreai Archaeological Archive, edited by J.L. Rife and S. Heath. The American Excavations at Kenchreai, 2013-2025. <http://kenchreai.org/kcp/km017>
