
Siobhan Quin
Senior Specialist
Sold for £14,080 inc. premium
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Provenance:
V. Rosenbaum, Ascona, Switzerland, 1971.
Toufique Arakji, London.
Private collection V.A., Vienna, Austria, acquired from the above, 9 September 1983.
Family collection, London, from the above.
This rare form of lamp contains a three line inscription on the underside of the nozzle, the middle line possibly giving the name, Apollodos. The popular subject of the sleeping dog is a motif found on both Roman cameos and lamps. The hound represents the guardian of the home and signifies loyalty and reliability. The expression on the dog's face, the naturalistic curl of the body and the stippled details of the fur are skilfully shown in the above lamp and resembles an example in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, cf. M. Comstock and C. Vermeule, Greek, Etruscan & Roman Bronzes in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1971, p.347, no.487. The above example is of comparable quality.