Lamp with Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva

Expand

IIIFView PDF

Lamp with Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva

Artist Unidentified

Period Roman Empire (Ancient Roman, 27 BCE-395 CE)

Place of OriginRoman Empire

Date2nd-3rd century CE

Dimensions4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm)

Mediumceramic

ClassificationUtilitarian Objects

Credit LineGift of Dr. Arthur F. Bissell

Object number

1912.1257

Not on View

DescriptionA Roman clay lamp featuring the three principal gods of the Roman state, known as the Capitoline Triad: Jupiter (king of the gods), Juno (protector of women and marriage), and Minerva (goddess of wisdom and warfare). The handle of the lamp is in the shape of an eagle, symbol of Roman authority.

Label TextThis Roman terracotta lamp features a depiction of the Capitoline Triad—Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva—important deities in ancient Roman religion. Mold-made, it functioned as an oil lamp, providing light in domestic or ritual settings. The handle, originally thought to be part of the lamp, was determined to be a later addition and was removed during conservation.Exhibition HistoryCedar Rapids Museum of Art, Art in Roman Life: Villa to Grave, Sept. 2003 - Aug. 2005.

The Dayton Art Institute, The Roman World: Religions and Everyday Life (featuring the Brooklyn Museum exhibition: Tree of Paradise: Jewish Mosaics from the Roman Empire), Sept. 21, 2007 - Jan. 6, 2008.

Comparative ReferencesLamp with Capitoline Triad in Antikensammlung Munich: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Staatliche_Antikensammlungen_M%C3%BCnchen_885.JPG Lamp with Capitoline Triad in Spurlock Museum at UIUC: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lamp_depicting_Jupiter,_Juno,_and_Minerva,_Roman,_France,_1st_century_AD,_terracotta_-_Spurlock_Museum,_UIUC_-_DSC05769.jpg