A mould-made lamp the upper half of the body in the form of a bearded male head wearing headdress, probably a representation of the god Serapis. Below the filling hole is a long snout and small round nozzle. The sides are plain, the base is flat, without markings.
 
Circa 2nd-3rd century AD.
 
Length 10.2 cms (4 ins)
 
Provenance: Cambridge UK private collection.
 
Plastic lamps with figurines first appear in the Hellenistic period, possibly originating in Athens. Found in all parts of the Mediterranean basin, they were particularly popular during the first and second centuries AD.