**First Time At Auction**

Rome / Near East, Holy Land, Imperial to Byzantine period, ca. 1st to 6th century CE. A marvelous group of ten mold-made pottery oil lamps - all with annular fill holes, spout holes, and bases, boasting hues of sienna, salmon pink, peach, and cream. Two of the ancient vessels present discoid forms; one with a slanted shoulder, a conical handle, and a flat face adorned with illegible script, while the other has a pointed spout, a tab-shaped handle, and a rounded shoulder decorated with phytomorphic and zoomorphic motifs. The remaining lamps display triangular forms with sizable fill holes. Enveloped in a rich shade of sienna, one example features a pointed handle and a flat shoulder embellished with a swirling, starburst-like design. Another exhibits Greek letters around its tondo. The last six all present rounded shoulders, raised fill hole rims, petite pointed handles, and lovely intricate designs of zigzags, dots, striations, abstract geometric patterns, crosses, and/or garlands around their central tondos. Size of largest: 3.875" L x 3.5" W x 2" H (9.8 cm x 8.9 cm x 5.1 cm)

Provenance: private collection, Lakewood, New Jersey, USA, acquired in 2002; ex-Venus Gallery, Israel

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#161787

Nine have Lucite stands. Discoid lamp with script has had handle reattached with restoration over the break lines. Second discoid lamp has repair to handle and char marks. Lamp with starburst has restoration to small area of periphery and rim of spout. Chip and char mark to lamp with Greek script. Smallest has chips to fill hole rim, some repair on shoulder, and char marks. Lamp with zigzag motif has loss to handle and char marks. One with a cross has chips to rim and char marks. Stable hairline fissure to lamp with dots. Lamp with garlands has repair to back side with restoration over break lines and char marks to spout. All have expected surface wear with nicks/chips and abrasions as shown, commensurate with age and use. Otherwise, all are very nice with excellent earthen deposits throughout.