Minuscula - Artifact – Antiquity – Tiny Terracotta Oil Lamp – Ptolemaic Period

Period: -332 / -30 (Ptolemaic period) Origin: Egypt Provenance: Private collection in the South of France, previously acquired before 1973 Rare very small terracotta oil lamp, complete, hand-shaped with a deep circular reservoir and a prominent single spout. The filling hole, widely open and centered, allowed the introduction of oil and the installation of a wick. This miniature belongs to the common utilitarian production of the Ptolemaic period, but its unusual size gives it a particular interest. If it could fulfill a function of reduced lighting, it is also possible that it had a votive or symbolic value, deposited in a sanctuary or placed in a funerary context. In Egyptian and Greco-Egyptian culture, the lamp indeed represented spiritual light and eternal life. Description: • Material: light-colored terracotta, slightly ochre surface. • Shape: round body, prominent spout, solid handle attached to the back. • Decoration: sober, without ornamentation. • Technique: wheel-shaped, hand-finished, oxidative firing. Use: Reduced domestic lighting, but probably votive or funerary use, linked to the symbolism of light in the afterlife. Condition: good general condition, stable surface with consistent wear, small excavation concretions visible. Dimensions: • Total length: 5 cm ALL DELIVERIES ARE MADE BY DHL EXPRESS ONLY.