C. 1st-2nd century AD

An interesting example of a Roman oil lamp decorated with Odysseus escaping the cave of Polyphemos the Cyclops by hiding under a ram. The shoulders are decorated with a band of raised dots and incised linear detail. It has a small handle and heart shaped nozzle to finish with maker’s mark to base.

In the story, Odysseus and his companions first intoxicate and blind cyclops, the man‑eating, one‑eyed giant, allowing them to flee his cave by fastening themselves underneath the cyclops’s sheep when he sends them out to graze.

Some chips to edges otherwise intact with good clear detail and some earthy surface deposits. Maker’s mark is weak but it is a RARE piece.

Provenance; Ex S. M. Collection, London, 1970-1999.

Size: 97mm length