Indo-Roman lamps from Ter: the long shadow of Rome or the light of transculturation?

Abstract

Ter, ancient Tagara, in the Osmanabad district (Maharashtra), is among the most important sites when discussing Indo-Roman relations. Local production of small artefacts, such as pottery lamps and figurines, reveals an enthrallment for the exotic resulting in new transcultural visual solutions. The shape, iconography, and execution of terracotta lamps of the so-called Indo-Roman type from Ter are a clear witness to this phenomenon. The absence of precise comparisons with Western productions, and the impossibility to connect them to a direct trade of lamps confirm the transcultural value of these lamps. They are indeed the product of intermingling and contact, not just a copy of well-known types; they are better understood as an original product of Indian manufacturers based on a current stylistic trend gathering inputs from different media and materials. The result is a syncretic original product, created to satisfy the refined taste of urban mercantile elites. These lamps definitely show how alien visual culture found a welcoming environment in the countries involved in ancient globalisation.