19th Century English Grand Tour Roman Bronze Dolphin & Lion Oil Lamp

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Description

Beautifully cast and very compelling 19th century Grand Tour bronze oil lamp in the ancient Roman style with dolphin handles. … Read more Beautifully cast and very compelling 19th century Grand Tour bronze oil lamp in the ancient Roman style with dolphin handles. The dolphin shown attacking an octopus on a rock! Decorated with lions protruding from either side, the lamp holders in the form of bearded, horned satyr or Pan heads.

This exuberant example of Roman ingenuity and decorative art is a copy of one in the British Museum that was excavated from the Baths of Julian, dating from the 1st century AD. Nice verdigris patina. Mounted on a wooden base.
Measures: 14 inches high by 12.5 wide by 11.5 deep (lamp without stand is 9.5 in high).

I have handled several hundred Grand Tour bronzes over the year sand have never seen another version of this particular piece. The original lamp was excavated in Paris and has been in the British Museum collection since 1864. Description of the original lamp:

"Bronze lamp with a deep rounded bowl-body and two opposed flat-topped voluted nozzles with rounded tips and circular wick-holes. The volute-spines are decorated on top with rosettes, and curve into a pattern of tendrils and palmettes on the underside of the nozzles, which are decorated in relief with a bearded wreathed head of Pan, his eyes inlaid in silver. The flat top of the lamp has a raised rim; the wide circular filling-hole has a rim stepped for a lid with a crouching gnome. The underbody is decorated with acanthus-leaf, bud and flower pattern. On each side of the body, is a lion-protome emerging from a calyx, , the other perhaps an ancient restoration. On top of each nozzle is a diving dolphin attacking an octopus on a rock. The tail fins of the dolphins come together at the top to form a handle." See less