. The life of the Greeks and Romans. light up larger rooms theselamps were either put on stands or theywere suspended by chains from lamp-holders or from the ceiling. Thesestands or lamp-holders [candelabrum)were, amongst the poorer classes, madeof wood or common metal; the rich, onthe other hand, had them executed inthe most graceful and elegant thin stem, sometimes fluted, some-times formed like the stem of a tree,rises to a height of 3 to 5 feet, on a basegenerally formed by three paws ofanimals; on this stem rests either adiminutive capital or a human figure,destined to carry the
. The life of the Greeks and Romans. light up larger rooms theselamps were either put on stands or theywere suspended by chains from lamp-holders or from the ceiling. Thesestands or lamp-holders [candelabrum)were, amongst the poorer classes, madeof wood or common metal; the rich, onthe other hand, had them executed inthe most graceful and elegant thin stem, sometimes fluted, some-times formed like the stem of a tree,rises to a height of 3 to 5 feet, on a basegenerally formed by three paws ofanimals; on this stem rests either adiminutive capital or a human figure,destined to carry the plate (discus) onwhich the lamp stands. The shaft is -- —IIIfrequently adorned with figures of all of animals. Sometimes we see a marten or a cat crawling up the shaft of the candelabrum,intent upon catching the pigeons carelessly sitting on the disk—a favourite subject, which occurs, with many variations, inthe candelabra found in Etruscan grave-chambers. Besidesthese massive candelabra, there were others with hollow. 464 LAMP AD ARIA. stems, into which a second stem was inserted, which could hepulled out and fastened by means of holts; in this mannerthe candelabrum could he shortened or lengthened at 461, a, shows a candelabrum in the shape of a tree, thebranches of which carry two disks for lamps. At the foot of thetree a Silenus is seated on a rock—an appropriate ornament,seeing that the lamp was destined to give light to merrytopers. Different from the candelabrum is the lampadarium. Herethe stem resembles a column or pillar, and isoften architecturally developed ; from the capitalat the top issue several thin branches gracefullybent, from which the lamps are suspended bychains. Fig. 461, b and c, represents two elegantspecimens of lampadaria; in the latter the basetakes the shape of a platform, on the front partof which we see an altar with the fire burning onit, and on the opposite side Bacchus riding on apanther. Each of the four lamps is made
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