Roman Terracotta Erotic Oil Lamp

Imperial Period, circa 1st to 2nd century CE,

The typologically aligns with a Loeschcke Type IV / Broneer Type XXIII form, characterized by its circular discus framed by a stepped molded rim, a rounded nozzle flanked by small volute motifs, and a solid vertical lug handle at the rear, the lamp is pressed from orange-buff earthenware with traces of a thinned reddish-brown slip finish.
The central recessed discus is rendered in low relief with an explicit erotic scene depicting an amorous couple reclined upon a low banquet bed or lectus. The female figure reclines backward, supported on her elbows, with her legs raised high in an intimate posture, while her partner is positioned over her in the midst of lovemaking. Such symplegma compositions were particularly popular across the Roman world during the early Empire, reflecting a lighthearted domestic taste for mythological or genre scenes that served decorative, apotropaic, and conversational purposes in private quarters, taverns, or bathhouses. The filling hole is neatly pierced just below the relief scene, positioned between the figures' resting plane and the nozzle channel, leaving the primary iconography undisturbed.
The surface exhibits an ancient patina with encrustations, minor scattered surface pitting, and soot darkening around the rim of the wick hole on the nozzle. The solid handle and rounded base are well-preserved, showing only subtle handling wear consistent with prolonged antiquity

Size: 4 inches (10.2 cm) L. x 2 1/2 inches (6.4 cm) W. x 1 inch (2.5 cm) H.