**First Time At Auction**

Roman, Holy Land, ca. 2nd to 4th century CE. An impressive ensemble of ten mold-formed pottery oil lamps from the Eastern Roman Empire, all with circular fill holes and wick spouts and presenting in varying hues of grey, taupe, russet, and light pink. Three lamps have slipper-form bodies, raised fill holes, tab-shaped handles, and a central recessed canal that connects the fill hole to the spout hole. The slanted shoulder of each of these is adorned with distinct relief motifs of slanted, vertical, horizontal, curvilinear striations forming abstract geometric designs. Another lamp presents with a slipper-form body as well, but instead has an annular base and a tapered handle. This lamp's shoulders bare a pattern of target-like motifs; possibly representing the evil eye, an ancient symbol believed to have apotropaic powers. This popular symbol is also displayed in varying sizes on the rounded shoulder of another vessel, which has a petite fill hole and a sizable flared handle. Size of largest: 4.25" L x 2.5" W x 1.875" H (10.8 cm x 6.4 cm x 4.8 cm)

Four more oil lamps exhibit circular bodies and bases with large fill holes inside recessed tondos. All of these feature decorative borders around their central tondo including various designs - phytomorphic figures, starburst dashes, undulating lines, or swirling abstract striations. The last lamp has a teardrop-shaped form, a circular base ornamented with the IX Christogram, a conical back handle, and a petaloid pattern decorating its sloped shoulder.

Provenance: private Dunn collection, Coral Springs, Florida, USA, acquired in the 1990s

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#155572

Four circular lamps with recessed central tondos have chips around fill holes. Slipper-shaped lamp with target designs and lamp with IX monogram base have had handles reattached. All present with some light softening to relief detail, char marks to spout, and surface wear with abraded areas commensurate with age and use. Otherwise, all are very nice with lovely earthen encrustations throughout.