A Roman terracotta oil lamp, Loeschcke type VIII. The discus is decorated with a facing open-mouthed head which many identify as an actor's mask but Bailey (see ref below) identifies as a slave mask; air hole by the side; a small, rounded nozzle, and a ring handle at the rear. The base with maker's mark and the old collection number in black. The maker's name is difficult to read but points towards CIVNDRAC, the signature which belongs to C. Junius Draco, a highly prolific and well-known Roman oil lamp manufacturer who operated in North Africa Roman. His workshop operated between 120-200 AD in Roman Northern Africa (modern-day Tunisia/Algeria), a major hub for Roman ceramic mass production.
Complete and intact; the scene a little worn.
Length 10.8 cms (4.25 ins)
Provenance: From an old German collection, 1960's-1970's
Literature: For similar example of the head see Q3452; D.M. Bailey, A Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum, vol. II, 1980.