A mould-made lamp the upper half of the body in the form of a male head with well-defined features, long moustache and beard, possibly a representation of the god Silenus. Ring handle at the rear.
 
Roman Circa late 1st century BC to early 1st century AD.
 
Complete and intact.
Length 12 cms (cms (4.7 ins)
 
Provenance: Cambridge UK private collection circa 2010
 
For a similar example see item 99: Ancient Lamps in the Royal Ontario Museum: John W. Hayes
 
Plastic lamps with figurines first appear in the Hellenistic period, possibly originating in Athens. Found in all parts of the Mediterranean basin, they were particularly popular during the first and second centuries AD.
 
See our blog posts on oil lamps