393, Lot: 893. Estimate $100. Sold for $60. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

A pair of terra cotta “frog” oil lamps. Egypt, Late Hellenistic – Roman. One a bit more stylized than the other, and also chipped near the wick hole. Frogs were a commonly used form for lamps and other charms in Egypt since they were a symbol of fertility: when the Nile flooded and frogs were seen in the farmlands, the next growing season was sure to be a good one (thanks to the Nile’s fertile silt and water). Lengths: 6.6 and 6.9cm. Lot also includes a pottery fragment labeled “Hieraconpolis (N K Tombs) 1962”.

From the Carl Devries Collection.