Terracotta lamp with maker’s mark, Alexandria Alison E. Cooley AEC/ASHL AN1872.1103.xml Oxford Ashmolean Museum AN1872.1103 AshLI 416

An undecorated oil lamp of fired clay, circular in form, without handle, with a lug on either side of the discus. Its top surface and nozzle are damaged.

Lamp: length, 0.083+; height, 0.025

On the underside is the maker’s mark FORTIS in relief within three circular grooves, with a wreath below.

Letters: 0.006 Alexandria c. AD 75-100 (Bailey 1980: vol. 2, p.96) According to the Accessions Register, the lamp was purchased for the museum, with a provenance from Alexandria. It is currently on display in the Rome Gallery. Photograph: base. Photograph: base. Photograph: top. Photograph: profile.
FORTIS

Fortis (made this)

Mould-made lamps were manufactured in large quantity by the maker Fortis, who was based in northern Italy during the Flavian era. It is characteristic of Italian factory lamps that they bore a maker’s mark consisting of a cognomen written out in full, with the lettering in relief (Bailey 1972: p.24). This example is very similar to type IX-b in Aquileia Museum (Buchi 1975: p.77, nos 447-450).

Ashmolean Museum Department of Antiquities MS. Accession Register 1872.1103

Bailey D.M. 1972 rev. edn Greek and Roman Pottery Lamps Oxford British Museum Bailey D.M. 1980 Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum. Vol.2, Roman Lamps made in Italy 2 London British Museum Buchi E. 1975 Lucerne del Museo di Aquileia. Vol. 1. Lucerne romane con marchio di fabbrica 1 Aquileia Associazione Nazionale per Aquileia