3-037-035 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Lamp, 1st-4th century A.D. Additional Info: This mold-made object presents a man squatting on the ground, barefoot, with his arms between his splayed legs. His nipples, belly button, pectorals and abdominals, as well as arm and leg musculature, are rendered, and he has a broad face with a quizzical brow, a flat nose, and plump lips. His eyes contain large open pupils, and his ears also have openings. There is also a small air hole that is pierced through both sides of the man’s neck. He has a chinstrap-style beard, which terminates in a point, and his head is shaved, except for a small ponytail at the back. This kind of ponytail (cirrus is a typical feature for boxers or wrestlers who performed in amphitheaters, but is also seen on individuals or types whose appearance did not fit the Roman ideal, such as entertainers and enslaved peoples.