Lot 637

Holyland Terracotta Group (4) - Oil Lamps, Juglet & Vessel Handle

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Lot 637
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Holyland Terracotta Group (4) - Oil Lamps, Juglet & Vessel Handle
Holyland Terracotta Group (4) - Oil Lamps, Juglet & Vessel Handle
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Holyland Terracotta Group (4) - Oil Lamps, Juglet & Vessel Handle

Estimate: $700 - $1,000

Current Bid: $350

(1 Bid)
by Artemis Fine Arts
July 30, 2026 8:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Eastern Mediterranean, Levant, Holyland, ca. 100 BCE – 400 CE. A cohesive group of four terracotta survivals from the ancient Levant, gathered as a study lot. Two are oil lamps of the closed, wheel-and-mold traditions common to Roman and Byzantine Palestine: one a buff, encrusted piece with a wide filling hole and pinched nozzle, the other a red-slipped example with a raised shoulder, central wick hole, and a small pierced lug. Between them sits a miniature handled juglet, perhaps an oinochoe in form, its rounded body rising to a narrow mouth and single loop handle, a vessel once suited to precious oils or unguents. The fourth is a robust strap handle broken from a much larger storage vessel, its pale fabric preserving the potter's confident pull. Together they trace the humble ceramics of daily illumination, pouring, and storage in the Holyland. Size of largest (handle): 3.6" W x 4.5" H x 2.3" D (9.1 cm W x 11.4 cm H x 5.8 cm D).

Oil lamps of this type illuminated homes, tombs, and shrines across the Roman and Byzantine Levant. Fueled by olive oil drawn up a fiber wick, they were among the most ubiquitous objects of the ancient household, cheap enough to be discarded and votive enough to accompany the dead. The pierced lug on the red lamp likely accommodated a suspension cord or served as a handle for carrying. Such assemblages, blending lighting, pouring, and storage forms, offer a compact cross-section of everyday material culture in the Holyland.

Provenance: ex-David Zahler collection, acquired between 1975-2005

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Item # 203741

  • Condition: Handle is a fragment as shown. All have weathering to surfaces with chips and abrasions. Earthen deposits throughout.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $749 $25
$750 $1,499 $50
$1,500 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $7,499 $250
$7,500 $14,999 $500
$15,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000