KTH0174 (Late Roman-Early Byzantine North African Lamp) [permalink] [next]
Type
Inventoried Object
Technique
Made in plaster mold. Rare small clay globules. Most designs show low, raised outline from the use of a plaster mold in which the impressed motifs were not trimmed. Motifs are variously arranged and some overlap. Design inside base ring is faintly impressed.
Bonifay lampe type 68: late treatment of Atlante Type X, Group D3=Chapman-Davies-Peacock 1L=Bonifay lampe type 66, variante A/B
Description
Wide, tear-shaped outline. Keyhole format. Circular, slightly concave discus has design in somewhat high relief, large filling holes middle left and right, and raised rim. Design depicts stag standing with head in upper left, quatrefoil at right handle base, and target behind rump at top of channel (cf. shoulder motifs). Shoulder with rounded rim has broad groove with dense rows of motifs in asymmetrical arrangements: on left, rimmed rosette (Bussière-Rivel Dm 10), hare running left (like Bussière-Rivel Re 10 but grooved), volute-heart pointed in (Bussière-Rivel Ja 25/26), quatrefoil (Bussière-Rivel Fa 13/17), quadruple target (Bussière-Rivel Da 19), hare running left; on right, rimmed rosette, hare running left, rimmed rosette, quatrefoil, volute-hear pointed down, quatrefoil. Long, rounded nozzle and a wide, straight, plain channel from the discus to the large wickhole. Traces of burning. Low, narrow, pointed, solid, fin-like handle extends down over discus rim in front and down in low ridge to base ring in back. Circular base with raised ring around two concentric grooves and cluster of circles (faint).
Fabric, firing, surface
Fabric: 2.5YR 6/8, light red with a tinge of brown, consistently fired. Slip: 10R 6/8, light red. Somewhat fine, slightly soft fabric with slightly hackly break; rare, small to medium-sized, subangular to angular, white and black inclusions. Dull, thick, even slip spread over top but inconsistent and absent below the seam. Northern Tunisian cf. ARS D ware.
Preservation description
Almost intact except middle to lower discus missing. Slight to moderate, sparse abrasion and chipping; small, very sparse patches of encrustation. Entire bottom is scorched grey to black from burning when upside down.
Base Diameter
0.04
Discus diameter
0.046
Length
0.174
Width
0.086
Chronology comment
Type: end 6th-beginning 7th century (Bonifay2004, p. 410)
