Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Lamp
Not on view
Bronze figures of Black Africans were used throughout the Roman Empire and attest to the Roman world’s diversity. This lamp was found in Thamugadi (present-day Timgad, Algeria), an important ancient city in Numidia. When in use, a flame would have protruded from the figure’s lips, animating the lamp. Careful rendering of the hair and facial features suggests that the metalworker was familiar with the physiognomy of Black Africans. Such vessels are distinctive among ancient anthropomorphic metalwork for how they treat otherness.
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