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A Roman bronze oil lamp in the form of a sleeping hound with inscription image 1
A Roman bronze oil lamp in the form of a sleeping hound with inscription image 2
A Roman bronze oil lamp in the form of a sleeping hound with inscription image 3
A Roman bronze oil lamp in the form of a sleeping hound with inscription image 4
A Roman bronze oil lamp in the form of a sleeping hound with inscription image 5
Various Properties
Lot 24

A Roman bronze oil lamp in the form of a sleeping hound with inscription

3 July 2025, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £14,080 inc. premium

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A Roman bronze oil lamp in the form of a sleeping hound with inscription

Circa 1st Century A.D.
10cm long

Footnotes

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.

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