RARE VARIANT ROMAN OIL LAMP C.200-500 AD

Buff terra cotta with red slip surface. 3 ¾” length. Circular body with extended spout (charred from use) and triangular thumb grip with three indents, and a central filler hole in a square within a circle. The vacant spaces with simple hatching. The bottom with the Wheel of Fortune (Rota Fortuna) motif and starbursts. The form, material and construction are typical but this example is hand crafted rather than mold made as are virtually all others, indicating a provincial origin. The only such example we have encountered.