Ca. 100-300 AD A terracotta oil lamp featuring a D-shaped body with a central filling hole and three wick holes. Flat base. During the Roman Empire, a lamp was originally called a ‘lychnus’ (from the Greek ‘λυχνος’) with the oldest Roman lamps dating back to the third century BC. It is thought that the Romans took the idea for lamps from the Greek colonies of Southern Italy.Size: L:79.2mm / W:50.2mm ; 67.54g Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s.