Description
| ITEM | Factory oil lamp with reclining antelope and initials stamp, Type Bussière D X 4 |
| MATERIAL | Terracotta |
| CULTURE | Roman |
| PERIOD | 175 – 250 A.D |
| DIMENSIONS | 50 mm x 77 mm x 105 mm |
| CONDITION | Good condition |
| PROVENANCE | Ex Emeritus collection (USA), collected from the 1950’s to the 1980’s by a distinguished university professor who served as Department head, Dean and Vice President of a major university. |
| PARALLEL | DENEAUVE, J., Lampes de Carthage, Plate CX, Fig. 958 |
The deer is an animal closely linked to Greek and Roman mythology. It represents the goddess Artemis (Diana), alongside which it appears in sculptural and pictorial representations. It is used in many legends related to this goddess, such as those of Taigete, daughter of Atlantis and Pleione, or the death of the famous Cerinian hind at the hands of Heracles. Sometimes these animals were considered to be talismans that brought good luck (the case of the white hind of Sertorius). As they were very abundant in the European forests, they were frequently hunted either in their natural environment or in the amphitheatre. They are depicted profusely in mosaics and to a lesser extent in wall paintings, ceramics, etc. Their diffusion in the skylights is very wide, appearing in specimens of practically all periods.
