Essex Collectas Innit"

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Trustworthy and Transparent Trading, 

Dependable Dealership, Reliability and Good Faith"

Brett Hammond's TimeLines Auctions has an interesting piece where bidding is still below estimate http://www.timelineauctions.com/lot/oil-lamp-with-horse-head-handle/75214/

ROMAN OIL LAMP WITH HORSE HEAD HANDLE
1st-2nd century AD

A bronze oil lamp with flared base, hemispherical bowl with projecting fluked nozzle, raised rim to the shoulder and upper face of the nozzle with pierced lug, curved bar handle with horse-head finial and pierced lug above the ears. 152 grams, 86mm (3 1/2"). Fine condition. [No Reserve]

Provenance
Property of an Essex, UK collector; acquired London art market, 1960s-1980s.

Mr Hammond is currently the Chairman of AIAD, so this must be kosher, right? A little birdie tells me that in his opinion, these lamps only began appearing on the market in any numbers some time after this 'collector' claims he had it from a 'London' dealer. Is that so? How can this be? Is there any paperwork confirming that early purchase date? And where was it before then? How and when did it leave the ground and then the country where it was found? Such a grounding would settle the questions the typology of this object raises.