Catalogue of the Greek and Roman lamps in the British museum

xxxiv ^
CATALOCUI';
111'- I.A.MI'S.
The latter expression, like the KaTinrXov^ of No. 391 and the peiKt) of No. 392,
seems to be an aspiration for a successful voyage for the ship Helioserapis, in
the form of which the lamp is fashioned (cf. p. xv.).
The potters' signatures are almost invariably to be found on the imdcr side
of the lamps, where they are arranged on the diameter at right angles to the
axis. Sometimes they are placed in a panel or tablet, or within the outline of a
foot (cf. Nos. 734, 1 1
52). In rare instances they are found on the handle or on
the top, as in No. 462. On .some lamps of Campanian origin (e.^: Nos. 664, 787)
the maker's name is placed on an cared tablet in the exergue of the design.
Greek lamps which are not of Roman period arc never signed, and generalh-
speaking, signatures are much rarer in the earlier cla.sscs (before A.D. 100) than
in the later. The earlier lamps sometimes have a single letter underneath or a
monogram (cf. Nos. 400, -465, 543, 591 ), and similarly a single letter is appended
to a potter's name as a trade-mark indicating the Jigiiltis, whereas the full name
is that of the officinator. The name of Romanensis is accompanied b}- an X or
K (No. 582), that of Fortis by an N (No. 887), and that of L. Hosidius Crispus
(737. 741) t>y various letters. On the other hand, in ATTILIVS F, ATTVSA F,
CARTO F, occurring on Roman lamps found in l^ritain (Nos. 920, 925, 926), F is
probably for fecit} In other- cases the potter employs a device such as a palmbranch,
wreath, or concentric circles. The Museum Collection contains two good
examples by the potter Fortis (Nos. 899, 915), where the name is accompanied
by a wreath and i)alm-branch. .Such marks may have been intended to
distinguish different scries in the products of a single pottery.
The signatures are usually in abbreviated form, the name being in the
genitive, with ex officiiux understood. The nominative is also found, but is very
rare after the time of Augustus. In most cases, however, the form of the
signature yields no evidence as to the case used, with the exception of the lamps
included under Nos. 887-941, in which class signatures are almost invariably
found. They are always given in full, and are simply cogiwuiiiia in the
genitive, as lEGlDi, PHOETASPI. STROBILI, etc. In the later lamps, from the
or L CAE SAE. Again, the praenonieii
OPPI • RES
may vary, and
MASC.
second century onwards, three names arc usual, as in the case of C •
(-tiliiti), L FABR •
we find C OPPi RES and L- OPPI RES; or the cognomen, as in the case of
C. Junius Alexis, Bitus, or Draco, and L. Munatius Adjectus, Philemo, or
Threptus. These variations may denote potteries in connection, or successive
holders of one business.
Instructive results may be obtained from comparisons of the potters'
signatures, firstly, with the difierent sites on which particular names are found ;
secondly, with the different shapes with which the \arious names are associated,
as has been done by- Toutain and Fink respectively.- The former gives a list
of the more frequently occurring signatures, showing their distribution, from
which he obtains the general result that while practically all these names are
See Dressel in C.I.L. xv. p. 783.
- Daremberg .ind S.ii;lin, s.v. I.uccina ; Sitziiiif;.!/'^/-. d. Miiiuh. Akad. 1900, ji. 685 IT.