Featured If it’s real it’s the most interesting thing I’ve ever found at a thrift store

A few weeks ago I stopped into a thrift store real quick. There was nothing good at all but I checked the random bags on the way out. This jumped out at me right away. It was in a bag with a couple pieces of painted wood trinkets from Haiti and something else I don’t recall. I immediately recognized what it was and was shocked that the processing employees didn’t throw it away. Broken old dirty stuff doesn’t usually make it to the floor at thrift stores, especially something most people wouldn’t recognize.

I assume that it’s an ancient oil lamp. It could very possibly be a modern reproduction. I’m kind of split on wether it’s real or repro. Leaning towards real though. The odd part is that there is no hole on the top. The only guess I had is that maybe it’s unfinished??? Can’t imagine why else? If it was a repro wouldn’t they put the hole there to make it look real? As a metal detectorist I’ve seen lots of stuff come out of the ground and this looks like it came out of the ground to me but that could faked too. It’s pretty ornate and the bottom has some good color. Those could be bad signs I guess but not definitive. I know these are reproduced for tourists and probably made to look old. I’ve also heard real deal artifacts were pretty readily available to tourists for a long time from the grand tour eras to early 20th century. Would love to hear some opinions on this sucker. It’s not all that valuable even if real probably but it’s super cool IMO. I love very old stuff and it would definitely stay in my collection. It will go down as the most interesting thrift store find for me so far if it’s real.

 

What are the measurements....I think it may be an incense burner...

 

Ah that could be. Maybe 2.5”-3.5” or so. I’m out of town for a bit so it’s not handy.

 

it's an old lamp...likely filled with dirt from being dug up..
we've had threads about these here before..

 

It is only 2.5"or 3"...very tiny lamp???

 

they weren't big to begin with..

 

It could be as much as 5” I suppose. I’ll measure when I get a chance. My initial estimate might be a little short. Maybe more likely 3.5”-4.5”.

 

terra-cotta oil lamp.

 

Well it’s definitely supposed to be an old oil lamp. Just wondering if it’s actually old or not. Also with the lack of a second hole it wouldn’t function as an oil lamp. So something else is going on here unless it’s not a completed one. They were definitely small to being with. Many somewhere in that range I mentioned.

 

Interesting...where are they from Komo?

 

all over the middle east.....greece...rome....these puppys came and went everywhere...

 

Yup! Someone told me that he thought it was probably late Byzantine or Herodean in style. He wasn’t sure it wasn’t a replica though.

 

lack of a second hole
huh.... i see a big hole in the center....just filled with dirt...

 

hell it even has a rim!!!!!!

 

r u saying that center circle is pottery too...??????
u sure???

 

Ohhh I see what you’re saying. Well I definitely thought that it was pottery but I suppose you may be right. I honestly didn’t even consider that it was filled in dirt. I have to inspect it a lot closer obviously!!! Life was crazy the week I found it and I didn’t get much time with it. I just took pictures and stashed it. Thanks for the suggesting that lol.

 

you are most welcome...................

 

not worth any trouble. millions available in better state.

 

Definitely an oil lamp. They were small because they sat in niches in the wall or on small ledges along the wall.

Most of the rest of Europe too. They are often found by people digging in their gardens here in the Netherlands. My parents had a couple as well.
Most are prettier than this one though.

 

Speaking for the horses instead of the zebras, while I agree with everything that has been said, what it looks like to me is a clay repro made using a mold that was made from an impression of a genuine lamp that was filled up with soil. Perhaps it is filled with impacted earth, but it all looks the same material to me.

Does it sound/feel hollow at all? And why is the spout clear but not the main opening? What does the side where there would have been a handle look like?

There are antiquities & there are antiquities. If real, this is definitely one to enjoy for the cool factor because monetary value is about what you paid for it.