CIRCA 1ST CENTURY A.D.

This large lamp has a single nozzle which is joined to the body with decorative volutes with the upper surface decorated with silver inlaid foliate decoration. The curved handle terminates with a large blossom from which the forepart of a lion emerges, his finely modelled features enhanced with silver inlaid eyes and teeth, and a copper tongue. For other ornate bronze lamps with animal decoration see B. Conticello, et.al., Rediscovering Pompeii, Rome, 1990, pp. 176-181. For a large bronze lamp in the British Museum with similar lion protomes with silver inlaid eyes see inv. no. 1864,0126.1.