Artifact – Antiquity – Terracotta Oil Lamp – Chariot Drawn By A Team – Roman Empire

Dating: Mid-2nd – mid-3rd century AD (cf. Bussière)
Origin: Western Mediterranean (probably North African or Southern Gaul workshops)
Provenance: Private collection, Southern France

A mythological scene: the chariot of a draped figure, carried by the wind

This fine-quality Roman molded terracotta oil lamp is decorated with a figurative motif depicting a figure on a light chariot (bige), draped in a veil billowing in the wind, floating around his head, and riding in profile to the right.
This motif could evoke a mythological scene, a divine or triumphant figure, such as Victoria (Victory), or an allegorical representation of the Wind, the Sun, or the Dawn, recurring themes in Roman iconography and used to adorn everyday objects with strong symbolic significance. The rim of the disc features a raised linear frieze, evoking a stylized border, accentuating the solemnity of the scene.

Description
• Material: Molded terracotta
• Shape: Round lamp with a short, wide spout and a flattened vertical handle
• Decoration:
• Figure standing on a chariot pulled by two horses (bige), in right profile
• Veil floating around the figure
• Rim decorated with small vertical lines in relief
• Base: Circular, slightly raised with a marked mounting ring

Condition:
• Superb overall condition, visible wear from use but the central decoration is still legible, with a beautiful burial patina
• Small traces of earth deposits

Symbolism and Use in Antiquity:
Oil lamps decorated with chariots or mythological figures were often used to illuminate domestic spaces, but also sanctuaries and tombs. The theme of the chariot carried by the wind may refer to the idea of ​​celestial movement, the passage from life to death, or the victory over darkness through light.
A utilitarian and highly symbolic object, this lamp also represents a possible offering in a funerary context, to accompany the soul of the deceased into the afterlife.

Dimensions:
• Length: 10 cm

Bibliography consulted:
• Chrzanovski (2006): Lumière! L’éclairage dans l’Antiquité, Milan
• Bailey (1980): A Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum, III. Roman Late Antique Lamps, London
• Bussière (2000): Antique Lamps from Algeria, Montagnac
• Robin Petitot (2000): Catalogue of Greek and Roman Lamps from the Museum of Ancient Arles, Arles
• Deneauve (1969): Lamps from Carthage, Paris
• Loeschcke (1919): Lamps from Vindonissa, Zurich

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