**First Time At Auction**

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd to 4th century CE. A mold formed pottery oil lamp with the planta pedis reading "LMADICC" on the base surrounded by a concentric circle. This piece boasts a lovely russet glaze, a ring handle opposite from a wick spout, rounded walls with an incised ring, and shallow tondo. The tondo motif is a handshake with a caduceus centered behind the hands. The top wrist is positioned over the fill hole. The Roman handshake was not only a greeting but a forward way of showing a knife wasn't hidden up a sleeve! The caduceus represents Mercury (Roman equivalent of Hermes) the messenger god of peace and commerce. This utilitarian lamp is an excellent symbol of peace and negotiation during the Pax Romana! Size: 3.625" W x 1.375" H (9.2 cm x 3.5 cm)

Provenance: ex Property from the George R. Francoeur Trust, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, sold to benefit the George R. Francoeur Scholarship Fund at Cranbrook Academy of Art

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#157140

Surface wear and abrasions consummate with age. Fissure on tondo. Indiscernible repair to handle. Encrustations throughout.