Harvard Art Museums > 1926.21.22: Lamp: erotic scene, probably modern Lighting Devices Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Lamp: erotic scene, probably modern , 1926.21.22,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 30, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/291988. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1926.21.22 Title Lamp: erotic scene, probably modern Classification Lighting Devices Work Type lighting device Date 1st century Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe Period Roman Imperial period, Early Culture Roman Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/291988 Physical Descriptions Medium Terracotta Technique Mold-made Dimensions actual: 3.2 x 10.2 x 6.7 cm (1 1/4 x 4 x 2 5/8 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Percy S. Straus Accession Year 1926 Object Number 1926.21.22 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Mold-made lamp with voluted rounded-tipped nozzle, grooved handle at the rear. The lamp stands on a slightly raised, circular base. The shoulder is rounded, and a circular groove surrounds a concave discus. The discus is decorated with a scene of lovemaking featuring a male-female pair on a bed; the woman is kneeling on her left leg, supports herself on her hands, and looks back at her partner; the man is kneeling and approaches the woman from behind, holding her right leg above his head. There is a filling hole at the bottom of the discus beneath the decoration. The clay fabric is reddish brown. It is notably smooth with evident brush strokes, lending to the likelihood that the lamp is modern. The discus decoration is known from first-century CE Roman lamps; cf. British Museum, 1814,0704.35. Depictions of lovemaking were frequent in Roman art, both public and private, appearing especially in dining settings, including on cups and frescoed walls, in public baths, and on common household items, such as lamps and ceramics. The form of this lamp corresponds with Loeschcke Type IV. Subjects and Contexts Roman Domestic Art Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
