3-037-021 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Lamp, 150-50 B.C. Additional Info: This mold-made lamp takes the form of a Black African male’s head with corkscrew curls. He has a slim face, with large flat nostrils and full lips. A long, flat-topped nozzle with a round tip protrudes from the man’s mouth, so that when lit, the flame would appear to leap from his tongue. A thick ridge with radial fluting surrounds the central filling-hole on top of the head. The lamp rests on an oval, flat base, and a leaf-shaped handle ornament rises up from the back, concealing a holding ring beneath.