Terracotta oil lamp with the discus depicting erotic scene of a dwarf couple making love on pillows in the form of an overlarge phallus. She has her arms stretched out, sits on him and looks around. The male dwarf with a large head and thick curls leans with the right elbow on the kline and stretches the left one upwards. Below the scene is a round pouring hole. On the base appears the potter's initials: L.M.SA.
Roman: Circa 80-120 AD.
Very Fine Condition; with areas of wear to the surface slip.
Length 11 cms (4.3 ins).
Provenance: Private collection Israel. Exported with export approval licence of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Compare Lot 48: Christie's New York: 17 December 1998: Ars Amatoria; The Haddad Family Collection of Ancient Erotic and Amuletic Art For an oil lamp with the same scene see no. 96: Catherine Johns: Sex or Symbol? Erotic Images from Greece and Rome. The author suggests that the scene represents a public performance by the dwarfs.