Oil-Lamp
17th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This oil-lamp is precisely the same type as the one reproduced in Montfaucon's L'antiquité expliquée, 1719, as classical Roman. It belongs to a rare class of French 17th century fake antiquities produced to deceive the newly active antiquarians in France at that time. Like many of this class, it is not actually based on a real classical lamp, but is mistakenly adapted from a type of classicising oil-lamp produced in Padua in about 1500, of which the department already possesses an excellent genuine example.
It is made in the form of a harpy, after Il Riccio (Andrea Brioscho). A 'harpy' is a fabulous monster, rapacious and filthy, having a woman's face and body and bird's wings and claws, and is supposed to act as a minister of divine vengeance.
It is made in the form of a harpy, after Il Riccio (Andrea Brioscho). A 'harpy' is a fabulous monster, rapacious and filthy, having a woman's face and body and bird's wings and claws, and is supposed to act as a minister of divine vengeance.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Oil-lamp, bronze, in the form of a harpy, fake antiquity after Il Riccio, France, 17th century |
| Physical description | Oil-lamp in the form of a harpy. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Bought from R.G. Coats for £500, Post-1920 Depatmental Fund. |
| Production | a 17th century fake after Riccio |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This oil-lamp is precisely the same type as the one reproduced in Montfaucon's L'antiquité expliquée, 1719, as classical Roman. It belongs to a rare class of French 17th century fake antiquities produced to deceive the newly active antiquarians in France at that time. Like many of this class, it is not actually based on a real classical lamp, but is mistakenly adapted from a type of classicising oil-lamp produced in Padua in about 1500, of which the department already possesses an excellent genuine example. It is made in the form of a harpy, after Il Riccio (Andrea Brioscho). A 'harpy' is a fabulous monster, rapacious and filthy, having a woman's face and body and bird's wings and claws, and is supposed to act as a minister of divine vengeance. |
| Bibliographic reference | Radcliffe, A., 'Ricciana', in: Burlington Magazine, July 1982, pp. 412-424 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.16:0-1979 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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