en

The Forcart Collection of lamps from Fayum

2019, 28, No. 1

Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania


Publication date

31.12.2019

Publishing model

open access

License type


Field

Humanities

Discipline

archeology

Language of publication

English

Downloads

PDF 5 MB

Article

Number of views:359

Number of downloads:134

Crossref citations:0

Altmetric score:0


Abstract

The Forcart collection of Ptolemaic, Roman and Late Roman lamps from Fayum is today the largest single-collector Egyptian lychnological corpus owned by a Swiss public institution, the Geneva Museum of Art and History, which acquired it in 1923. The importance of the 145 lamps in this collection is twofold. Firstly, all the artifacts were offered to Max Kurt Forcart by the different directors of excavations operating legally in the Fayum area during the first two decades of the 20th century, giving us a clear—even if generic—finding area, contrary to collections purchased from the various antiquaries. And secondly, even if incomplete compared to the richness and diversity of the Fayum workshops, the chronological and typological range it covers makes it a perfect companion to the only two published and illustrated lamp catalogs of regular excavations made in the area: the early 1900s work of W.M.F. Petrie at Ehnasya and the later investigations by the University of Michigan team at Karanis. Also highlighted are the unique Fayum fashions and approaches to the importation, adoption or rejection of common types found in the Nile Delta, as well as the emergence of typically microregional subtypes as discussed by John W. Hayes.

Keywords:

Bibliography

Abdou Elfadaly, S. (2017). La collection des lampes de poterie du Musée Copte au Caire (unpubl. Ph.D. diss.). Università degli Studi di Messina. Retrieved from https://iris.unime.it/retrieve/handle/11570/3106330/165871/Tesi%20Suzanne%20depositata.pdf (accessed: 20.10.2019)

Anson, D., Hannah, R., and Hudson, B. (2013). Ancient lamps in New Zealand (=Mediterranean Archaeology Supplement 8). Sydney: Meditarch

Bailey, D.M. (1975). Catalogue of the lamps in the British Museum I. Greek, Hellenistic, and early Roman pottery lamps. London: British Museum Publications

Bailey, D.M. (1980). Catalogue of the lamps in the British Museum II. Roman lamps made in Italy. London: British Museum Publications

Bailey, D.M. (1988). Catalogue of the lamps in the British Museum III. Roman provincial lamps. London: British Museum Publications

Barbera, M. (1993). Un gruppo di lucerne plastiche del Museo Nazionale Romano: ipotesi sulle fabbriche e sulle “influenze” alessandrine. Archeologia Classica, 45(1), 185–231

Bernhard, M.L. (1955). Lampki starożytne (Ancient lamps). Warszawa: Sztuka (in Polish)

Brants, J.P.J. (1913). Antieke terra-cotta lampen uit het Rijksmuseum van Oudheden te Leiden. Leiden: Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken

Bruneau, P. (1965). Exploration archéologique de Délos XXVI. Les lampes. Paris: De Boccard

Bussière, J. and Wohl, B.L. (2017). Ancient lamps in the J. Paul Getty Museum. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum

Cahn-Klaiber, E.-M. (1977). Die antiken Tonlampen des Archäologischen Instituts der Universität Tübingen (=Tübinger Studien zur Archäologie und Kunstgeschichte 2). Tübingen: Wasmuth

Chrzanovski, L. (2015). Dalle fabbricazioni barocche alla realtà archeologica. Alcuni artefatti della collezione Passeri per riaprire il dibattito sugli altarini con lucerne e sulle “lucerne triplici.” In M.E. Micheli and A. Santucci (eds), Lumina: convegno internazionale di studi, Urbino 5–7 giugno 2013 (pp. 79–88). Pisa: ETS

Chrzanovski, L. (2019). Lampes antiques, byzantines et islamiques du Nil à l'Oronte. La Collection Bouvier. Warsaw: University of Warsaw Press; PCMA UW

Dasen, V. (2004). Femmes à tiroir. In V. Dasen (ed.), Naissance et petite enfance dans l’Antiquité. Actes du colloque de Fribourg, 28 novembre–1 décembre 2001 (pp. 126–144). Fribourg: Academic Press

Deonna, W. (1924). Les collections archéologiques et historiques, les armures, le Musée des moulages, les séries lapidaire. Genava, 2, 29–57

Deonna, W. (1949). L’arbre, le serpent et la jeune femme. In ПΑΓΚΑΡПΕΙΑ. Mélanges Henri Grégoire I (=Annuaire de l’Institut de Philologie et d’Histoire orientales et slaves 9) (pp. 197–205). Brussels: Secrétariat des Éditions de l’Institut

Djuric, S. (1995). Ancient lamps from the Mediterranean. Toronto: Eika

Fossey, J.M. and Zoïtopoúlou, E.P. (1987). Vers une typologie des lampes égyptiennes d’époque hellénistique. In J.M. Fossey (ed.), Syneisphora McGill I: Papers in Greek archaeology and history in memory of Colin D. Gordon (pp. 117–124). Amsterdam: J.C. Gieben

Fraiegari, P. (2008). Le lucerne tardoantiche e altomedievali siciliane, egizie e del vicino Oriente nel Museo nazionale romano. Rome: Istituto poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato

Goldman, H. and Jones, F.F. (1950). The lamps. In H. Goldman (ed.), Excavations at Gözlü Kule, Tarsus I. The Hellenistic and Roman periods (pp. 84–134). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press

Gradwohl, E. (2012). The Toad and the Uterus: the symbolics of inscribed frogs. Sylloge Epigraphica Barcinonensis, 10, 439–337

Hadad, S. (2002). The oil lamps from the Hebrew University excavations at Bet Shean (=Qedem Reports 4). Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society

Hayes, J.W. (1980). Ancient lamps in the Royal Ontario Museum I. Greek and Roman clay lamps. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum

Hellmann, M.-C. (1987). Lampes antiques de la Bibliothèque nationale II. Fonds général: lampes pré-romaines et romaines. Paris: Bibliothèque nationale

Heres, G. (1969). Die punischen und griechischen Tonlampen der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag

Kaufmann, C. M. (1913). Faiyumitische Frosch-Kröten und Embryonen-Lampen. Die Amphora, ein altchristliches Symbol. Oriens Christianus, 3, 299–304

Knowles, K. (2006). The pottery lamps. In V.A. Maxfield and D.P.S. Peacock (eds), Mons Claudianus: Survey and excavation, 1987–1993, III. Ceramic vessels and related objects (=FIFAO 54) (pp. 309–426). Cairo: Institut français d’archéologie orientale

Kubiak, W.B. (1970). Medieval ceramic oil lamps from Fusṭāṭ. Ars Orientalis, 8, 1–18

Kulichová, L. (1982). Froschlampen in Prager Sammlungen. Graecolatina Pragensia, 9, 35–46

Kunze, M. (1972). Die Tonlampen im Ägyptischen Museum. Forschungen und Berichte, 14, 91–103

Leibundgut, A. (1977). Die römischen Lampen in der Schweiz: eine kultur- und handelsgeschichtliche Studie. Bern: Francke

Loffreda, S. (2008). Cafarnao VI. Tipologie e contesti stratigrafici della ceramica (1968–2003) (=Studium Biblicum Franciscanum. Collectio maior 48). Jerusalem–Turnhout: Edizioni Terra Santa; Brepols

Menzel, H. (1969). Antike Lampen im Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum zu Mainz. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern

Michelucci, M. (ed.). (1975). La collezione di lucerne del Museo egizio di Firenze. Firenze: Olschki

Młynarczyk, J. (1974). Terakotowe lampki oliwne z Tell Atrib (Terracotta oil lamps from Tell Atrib). Rocznik Muzeum Narodowego w Warszawie, 18, 145–185 (in Polish)

Młynarczyk, J. (1983). Deux types de lampes hellenistiques à Chypre et à Alexandrie. EtTrav, 13, 283–291

Młynarczyk, J. (1990). An early Hellenistic lamp in the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus, 1990, 155–157

Młynarczyk, J. (1995a). Alexandria and Paphos. Lamp producing centres. In H. Meyza and J. Młynarczyk (eds), Hellenistic and Roman pottery in the Eastern Mediterranean: Advances in scientific studies. Acts of the II Nieborów Pottery Workshop, Nieborów, 18–20 December 1993 (pp. 203–238). Warsaw: Research Center for Mediterranean Archaeology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Młynarczyk, J. (1995b). New data on the chronology of late Roman lamps in Alexandria. EtTrav, 17, 133–175

Młynarczyk, J. (1997). Alexandrian and Alexandria-influenced mould-made lamps of the Hellenistic period (=BAR IS 677). Oxford: Archaeopress

Młynarczyk, J. (1998a). Italian and Alexandrian terracotta lamps: a pattern of influence. The first through fourth century A.D. In N. Bonacasa (ed.), L’Egitto in Italia: dall’antichità al medioevo: atti del 3. congresso internazionale italo-egiziano, Roma CNR-Pompei, 13–19 novembre 1995 (pp. 453–466). Rome: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche

Młynarczyk, J. (1998b). Terracotta mould-made lamps in Alexandria. Hellenistic to late Roman period. In J.-Y. Empereur (ed.), Commerce et artisanat dans l’Alexandrie hellénistique et romaine. Actes du Colloque d’Athènes organisé par le CNRS, le Laboratoire de céramologie de Lyon et l’École française d’Athènes, 11–12 décembre 1988 (=BCH Supplément 33) (pp. 327–352). Athens: École française d’Athènes

Młynarczyk, J. (2012). Tell Atrib 1985–1995, III. Terracotta oil lamps. Warsaw: Neriton

Osborne, A. (1924). Lychnos et Lucerna: catalogue raisonné d’une collection de lampes en terre cuite trouvées en Egypte. Alexandria: Société de publications égyptiennes

Oziol, T. (1977). Salamine de Chypre VII. Les lampes du musée de Chypre. Paris: Boccard

Pasquier, A. (2008). À propos du goût alexandrin: la lampe au Pygmée du musée du Louvre. Monuments et mémoires de la Fondation Eugène Piot, 87, 5–30

Petrie, W.M.F. (1905). Roman Ehnasya (Herakleopolis Magna), 1904: plates and text supplementary to Ehnasya. London: Egypt Exploration Fund

Podvin, J.-L. (2019). Isiac lamps from Alexandria and other provinces: Some comparisons. In L. Chrzanovski and I. Zych (eds), Ancient lamps from Spain to India. Trade, influences, local traditions (pp. 103–122). Warsaw: University of Warsaw Press

Robins, F.W. (1939a). Graeco-Roman lamps from Egypt. Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 25(1), 48–51

Robins, F.W. (1939b). The lamps of ancient Egypt. Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 25(2), 184–187

Rosenthal, R. and Sivan, R. (1978). Ancient lamps in the Schloessinger Collection (=Qedem 8). Jerusalem: Institute of Archeology, the Hebrew University

Russell, J. (1973). Ancient lamps in Vancouver. Levant, 5(1), 91–101

Selesnow, W. (1988). Lampen aus Ton und Bronze (=Bildwerke der Sammlung Kaufmann 2). Melsungen: Gutenberg

Shier, L.A. (1972). The frog on lamps from Karanis. In S.A. Hanna (ed.), Medieval and Middle Eastern studies: In honor of Azis Suryal Atiya (pp. 349–358). Leiden: E.J. Brill

Shier, L.A. (1978). Terracotta lamps from Karanis: Egypt; Excavations of the University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press

Szentléleky, T. (1969). Ancient lamps. Amsterdam: Adolf M. Hakkert

Tabasz, Z. (1966). Katalog starożytnych lampek w zbiorach Muzeum Archeologicznego w Krakowie. Część 1 (Catalogue des lampes anciennes de la collection du Musée archéologique de Cracovie. Partie 1). Materiały Archeologiczne, 7, 259–267 (in Polish)

Tran Tam Tinh, V. and Jentel, M.-O. (1993). Corpus des lampes à sujets isiaques du Musée gréco-romain d’Alexandrie. Québec: Éditions Hier pour Aujourd’hui

Waldhauer, O. (1914). Die antiken Tonlampen: Kaiserliche Ermitage, Sankt Petersburg. St.-Petersburg: Kaiserliche Ermitage

Wrede, H. (1968–1969). Ägyptische Lichtbräuche bei Geburten. Zur Deutung der Froschlampen. Jahrbuch für Antike und Christentum, 11–12, 83–93

Similar publications