Archaeological Museum of Bologna

At the end of the first century BC, in the Po Valley, began the industrial production of Firmalampen, signed lamps: on the bottom is imprinted in relief a brand that allows to go back to the place of production and factory. It is a high quality product, generally devoid of handle and with a formal simplicity that allows a fast production and handiness transport.

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This type of lamp is noteworthy for its functionality and simplicity of construction. It originated at the time of the Flavian emperors, perhaps when manufacturers needed to produce as many as possible, as quickly as possible. The most interesting feature is the presence of the maker’s stamp on the base. The signature FORTIS, found on this specimen, is one of the most documented and is attributable to the workshop of L. Aemilius Fortis, recently discovered to have been in Modena. This workshop is considered one of the most important productor and exporter of Firmalampen in Italy, between half of the 1st and 2nd century AD.

Provenance: Palagi Collection
Datation: Second half of the 1st–3rd century AD
Material: clay
Dimensions: height cm 2,8; lenght cm 8,5; diam cm 5,6
Inventory #: 6259