Title: Roman oil lamp
Artist: Unknown
Date: 2nd century AD
Medium: Ceramic; low fired terracotta
Credit Line: Collection of the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art

Item description: The lamp of traditional circular form with a hole in the dished bowl for adding oil and nozzle for the insertion of a wick to be lit. In raised relief in the center is the exaggerated, somewhat stylized form of a dancing ithyphallic hunchback satyr. His prominent phallus protrudes behind him, providing a symmetry with his equally oversized nose. He holds a pipe and pipe case, traditional attributes for satyrs, particularly when depicted dancing.