ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art
Lamp Attachment in the Form of a Mouse
AAT Object Form/Functionappliqué (metalwork ornament)
AAT Object Form/Functionfigurines
AAT Object Techniquecasting (process)
CultureRoman
PeriodImperial
Date1st-2nd Century CE
MediumBronze
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Michael J. Shubin
Dimensions1 1/4 x 1 13/16 in. (3.2 x 4.6 cm)
Object number2008.031.480
Label TextSolid cast and approximately life-size, the mouse sits on its hindlegs and nibbles an object (perhaps a nut or breadcrumb) held between its forepaws. Its tail curls in a loop and attaches at the base of its back. The fur is delineated all over with fine striations. It is likely that this tiny bronze mouse was originally attached to a bronze lamp or lampstand, perhaps standing on the lamp's lid or spout. Ancient literary sources describe how mice would consume wicks and oil, and the popularity of mice as decoration for lamps, lampstands and candelabra may therefore have been a playful reminder of this very real frustration.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, November 17, 2014 - March 14, 2023
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, May 2, 2023 - Present
ProvenanceEx coll. Michael Shubin (1950-2018), Montebello, California, acquired from Joel Malter (1931-2006) [Joel L. Malter & Co., Inc.], Los Angeles, California.
Status
On viewCollections
- Greek and Roman Art
1st Century CE
late 6th Century BCE
2300-2000 BCE
late 19th-early 20th Century
14th Century
15th Century
1st Century BCE
1st Century BCE
1000-800 BCE
