| The candlestick |
| The Silchester candlestick is unique in Roman Britain but a very close
parallel comes from a Roman settlement site in Niederweis, where it was
found associated with pottery dated to the 2nd and 3rd century AD (Goethert
1997, 192, fig. 125). A further close parallel is known from a rich burial
of the second half of the 2nd century AD in Herstal (Amand & Mariën
1976, B11, No 10). Related types which vary from our example in the design
of the legs and lower body are also known.
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One comes from another rich second-century burial in Vorsen (Mariën
1980, 261, fig. 175), where it was associated with another candlestick,
four ceramic and one bronze lamp. The British Museum (Bailey 1996, 115,
Q3949, pl. 153) has a further comparable example in its collection, unfortunately
without a known provenance.
Given its close similarity to the examples from Niederweis, Herstal and Vorsen, it seems likely that the Silchester candlestick was imported from Belgic Gaul during the later 2nd or 3rd century AD. |
Bibliography
Amand, M. & Mariën, M.-E. 1976. Le tombe de Herstal. Inventaria Archaeologica. Belgique, Fasc. 2.
Goethert, K. 1997. Römische Lampen und Leuchter. Auswahlkatalog des Rheinischen Landesmuseums Trier. Trier: Rheinisches Landesmuseum.
Mariën, M.-E. 1980. L’empreinte de Rome. Belgica Antiqua. Anvers: Fonds Mercator.
Bailey, D. M. 1996. Catalogue of the lamps in the British Museum. Vol.
4: Lamps of metal and stone, and lampstands. London: British Museum Publications.
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Silchester
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