Hellenistic Ptolemaic Period Pottery Oil Lamp

Hellenistic Period, Ptolemaic Dynasty, c. 300–100 BC, Naukratis, Egypt

A finely moulded grey-ware pottery oil lamp from the vibrant Greco-Egyptian city of Naukratis, a major centre of trade and cultural fusion during the Ptolemaic Dynasty. This elegant piece beautifully embodies the synthesis of Hellenistic form and Egyptian craftsmanship that defined the material culture of the period.

The lamp features a globular body with a gently curved shoulder and a narrow rim encircling a small central filling hole, neatly framed by a raised ridge. A short, flat-topped nozzle extends forward, terminating in a rounded tip with an oval wick hole, consistent with Howland Type 25 forms. A vertically pierced lug handle provides both functionality and aesthetic symmetry. The sharply defined disc foot exhibits a subtle concavity, lending a refined sense of balance.

Crafted from reduced Nile silt fabric, the lamp is coated in a dark, reddish brown slip, though now almost gone. The surface bears the tactile traces of careful ancient workmanship, revealing a harmony of local materials and Hellenistic stylistic sensibility.

Oil lamps such as this were essential objects of daily and ritual life—used to illuminate domestic interiors, sanctuaries, and workshops. Modest in scale yet exquisite in execution, this example reflects the cosmopolitan artistry of Ptolemaic Egypt, where Greek and Egyptian identities converged in a shared visual and spiritual vocabulary.

Good condition. Small chips in the filling hole, wick hole and the foot. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age and use. Encrusted patina and rich earthen deposits throughout. Nozzle had even traces of soot. Size approx. 10,2cm x 7,6cm x 4,0cm.

Provenance: Swedish private collection.

For a similar example see:

Oil-lamp, The British Museum, Accession Number: 1987.291                                      (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/X__2184)