Roman oil lamp Cleopatra

Product description

The oil lamp is crafted after an original from the 1st century AD. It is decorated with the depiction of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra having intercourse with a crocodile. The crocodile symbolised the Nile river, and the intercourse presumably symbolises unification. Cleopatra was queen of the Nile. The original was presumably made in Egypt.

Oil lamps were the main source of artificial light during the Roman Empire and afterwards. They were produced in a large diversity. Lamps such as this were used during the period of the Roman Republic.

Olive oil was originally employed as fuel, but this oil lamp can of course also be burned with modern lamp oil. The oil lamp is entirely hand made using two different moulds. It is afterwards fired at a temperature of 1200 °C. It measures 11 x 8 cm. Delivered including wick.