Index of Signatures and Inscriptions

References are to catalogue numbers.

Latin Inscriptions

Forty-five percent of the Getty lamps bear an inscription or a mark. Only one metal lamp has an inscription, POI (retrograde) (cat. 616). Of the 286 marks on clay lamps, 132 are lampmakers’ names, indicated either in nomina, tria nomina, or initials. All the legible signatures are known from other lamps, except SOTE and Q.M.Q. and seven signatures of uncertain reading: ANSASIVS, EXOF[-]/CV[-]/OV[-]RS/I[-], EXOFICINA RO[-]YTI, IAR, MMPAXI/M[—], NAT, RV.VSI; all except the last two are most probably African.

The remaining marks consist of figurative motifs such as an ovolo, a palmette, vertical lines, a plain planta pedis, a rosette, a swastika, a trident, and other marks. These marks appear alone or associated with a lampmaker’s signature. Their meaning is not clear; some may help to identify a workshop, others may be purely decorative motifs (see Bailey BM II, pp. 104–8; Bussière 2000, pp. 233–36).

Lampmakers’ Signatures

• Lampmakers’ Signatures (continued)

  • Illegible Tria Nomina Signatures

    • 85, 94 (C[–] I F[?]), 217, 263, 278, 288, 312

  • Initials

    • A, 91; C, 199; C.L, 324; D, 192, 214(?); I(?) 188; N, 72; P.A., 134; S, 222, 283; T, 219, 289; V, 191; X, 254

• Illegible Planta Pedis

  • 109–10, 124, 141, 154, 212, 250

• Various Other Inscriptions

  • New year wishes: . . . FAVSTVMFELICEMMIHIC inscribed on Victory’s shield, 248
  • Victorious horse: REGNATOR inscribed on discus, 305
  • Victorious charioteer: TERES inscribed in tabula ansata on discus, 222
  • Victorious gladiators: SABINVS and POPILLIVS inscribed in tabula ansata on discus, 107
  • Victorious gladiator: VALERIVS inscribed in tabula ansata on discus, 199
  • Propaganda: OB CIIVIS SER[VATOS] inscribed on the shield of a Victory, 98

Greek Inscriptions

Of the eleven Greek inscriptions, no name is previously known from other lamps.

• Name of the Lampmaker or of the Owner of the Lamp

  • ΕΠΑΦΡΑC ΤΥΧACΙΟΥ, 42
  • C (retrograde) Y E(?) 42
  • CΩ / CIBI / OY, 47
  • ΠΥ, 83
  • E I C // I Ω / N // O C, 155
  • ΕΥΚΤΗΡΟ / ΝΟΥ, 582

• Religious Meaning

  • EΥΛΟΓΙΑΤΗCΘΕΟΤΟΚYΜΗ[ . . . . ]ΙΓΡΑΜΑ, 548
  • ΦENIΠACIN / ΦΩCXPICTO, 557

• Commercial Meaning

  • ΦΩC/ΑΓΑ/ΘΟΝ, 36

• Three First Letters of the Greek Alphabet on a Scroll

  • ABΓ, 587

• Uncertain Reading

  • ΕΡΩΙC [?] / ΟΓΡΛΨΑ / ΟΙCΕΕΝ [?], 50

Makers’ Figurative Marks

• Plain planta pedis 99, 101, 130, 153, 170, 187, 209, 221, 240, 242, 248, 251, 304, 331, 337, 342, 344, 349–50, 352, 397, 402(?), 403–5, 407–10, 412, 414–16, 418–20, 422, 424–27, 429, 431, 435, 455, 513, 514, 520, 521, 522, 524–25, 526–29, 531–34, 537–38, 541, 547, 560, 596

Other Figurative Marks

45	104	137	188
200	231	243	255
500	572
39	191	192	219	222
254	283	289	584
228	236	253	291
294	297	398	440
70	386	523	517	543	545
94	175	176	286	315
476	535
342
367	374	439	501	502
364, 365, 373, 387, 389, 391, 392, 394, 395
166	369	370	377
258	371	372	378	549	551
66	67	421	600