4511 - Five half-molds for Roman oil lamps, 3rd–5th century CE. Five half-molds for the upper part of Roman oil lamps, showing the discus and shoulder

Five half-molds for Roman oil lamps, 3rd–5th century CE. Five half-molds for the upper part of Roman oil lamps, showing the discus and shoulder decorations. Three half-molds are intact, while two are broken at the end of the handle. The decoration on two of the discuses is poorly preserved, and the original figural or ornamental scenes cannot be reliably identified. The remaining three molds retain clearer decorative patterns. One discus depicts two birds perched on a vase, facing one another, while the shoulders are decorated with triangular motifs and spade-shaped elements. A second discus depicts a large fish, oriented toward the rear of the lamp, facing the handle. The third bears an ornamental geometric composition consisting of two superimposed squares, decorated internally with patterned motifs; their overlapping arrangement produces an eight-pointed, star-like form. The shoulder decoration and the geometric compositions provide a varied ornamental treatment across the five molds. (L. 15.3–19 cm) Provenance: Private Dutch collection, collected between 1970 and 1974 by a collector working for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stationed in North Africa. [5]