September 15, 2025 • 9 mins
A pair of feet lights up the scene—literally. This feet-shaped lamp knows he’s a little silly, but he’s got some seriously important work to do! Hear about how ancient houses were designed and lit in a time before you could just flip a switch.
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For a listening guide, a coloring sheet, images, and more, visit getty.edu/podcasts/if-objects-could-talk/.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Announcer (00:00):
This is a Getty podcast.
Host (00:07):
Don’t walk—run!—to listen to this episode.
This week, we’re hearingfrom a lamp with an unusual
shape—it’s a pair of feet!
Welcome to If Objects CouldTalk, a podcast where art
and artifacts get to leavethe museum vault and tell
their side of the story.
(00:27):
Thanks for joining us as webring objects into the light!
Speaking of light (00:35):
what do you do when it gets dark outside
and you need to see inside?
I bet you just flipa switch and presto!
More light!
But it’s not just theoverhead lights in your home
that make things brighter.
It’s the glow of electronicdevices, flashlights powered
(00:56):
by batteries, streetlights,car headlights, and the
brilliant, bright lightsof big city skyscrapers.
We are rarely evertruly in the dark.
In ancient Rome, thingswere very different.
Apart from a big harvest moonand twinkling stars, the nights
(01:16):
were very, very dark and allyou had were torches and oil
lamps to help illuminate it.
Today’s feet-shaped lampwas made in Asia Minor
in the first century CE.
It’s ok to laugh—he's reallyleaning into being the
clown of the museum vault.
Feet Lamp (01:35):
Mi, mi, mi! The people want to hear from meeee!
Oh, don’t mind me, justdoing some vocal warmups,
which is extra importantfor a pair of feet.
You know, it was startingto seem like I wasn’t going
to get my turn to share mystory, which would be a shame
because I’m such a de-LIGHT.
(01:55):
Get it?
Because I’m a lamp?
[laughs] I crack myself up!
But not too much though!
I am made out of clay, too muchcracking would be a disaster!
What was I talking about again?
Oh, yeah!
In ancient times there wasno electricity, so lamps
like me were all the rage!
[applause]
(02:18):
Business owners used oillamps to light their buildings
and the nearby streets.
Noblemen used lamps tolight their paths when
they were out after dark.
Soldiers used them tolight military forts.
But enough about thoseordinary lamps, let's talk
about how a star was made.
Get it?
Because I GLOW like a star?
(02:38):
Whew, I am so good!
Ok, picture it (02:41):
I was nothin’!
Just a ball of damp clay.
But then I was pressed intoa mold and I took my shape:
a pair of sandaled feet.
I still have all ten ofmy toes, even 2000 years
later, if you're curious.
Then I was baked in a hot ovenand my soft surface became hard.
I was ready for action!
(03:03):
To use me, oil was pouredinto holes at the top of my
feet right where a pair ofankles would be and the wick
was placed into an openingwhere the big toes touch.
The wick was usually a bundleof fibers like linen or
papyrus twisted together.
And the oil was usually aplant oil like olive oil.
(03:24):
Basically, anything youmight put in a salad dressing
today could get me going.
A little flame would racedown the wick and viola!
Lights on, baby!
A little bit more dramaticthen just flipping a
switch, don't you think?
I'm pretty unique,as far as lamps go.
Some lamps were modeled afteranimals, people doing silly or
serious people things, gods andgoddesses, or even funny faces.
(03:46):
There were lamps shaped likea foot, but a pair of feet?
In sandals?
Like me?
That's something to be admired.
And
if I'm being honest,laughed at, too.
[laughter] When my wick waslit, I looked like someone
walking on hot coals!
And you can't see it nowbut I used to be glazed red,
(04:09):
so I really used to glow.
That glazing process helpedme keep liquids, like oil, in.
No leaking from me!
Yeah, I was quite theway finder as well.
I had a handle so people couldgrab me and do things like
make their way to the bathroomin the middle of the night.
It was in those moments I wasgrateful I didn't have a nose.
(04:31):
Sadly
my handle has since broken.
I won't say WHO did it, butit was someone with two left
feet and butter fingers.
I was made in Asia Minor,which at the time was part
of the Roman Empire and thatEmpire [laughs] was huge!
(04:52):
Huge I tell ya!
At its height, around 100CE, and when I was made, the
Roman Empire stretched fromBritain in the Northwest
to Egypt in the Southeast.
I came from somewherein the middle.
I was kept in abeautiful domus or house.
It wasn’t very large,but it was impeccably
designed and decorated.
(05:13):
The home had nooutside-facing windows,
as to not attract thieves.
However, it did have a largeatrium, or central indoor
space, that was open at theroof to let in light and air.
My owner, Albus, was a freedman.
He was once enslaved but wasgranted his freedom and made
a comfortable life for himselfas a vendor of fine goods.
(05:35):
He then later became amerchant, supplying goods
for other vendors’ stores.
Albus was a modest man andtried not to call too much
attention to himself, but everyonce in a while he loved to
have long dinner parties withfriends and business associates.
Dinner parties were verypopular in ancient Rome.
They were held in thetriclinium, which translates
to “three couch room,”because it had three couches
(05:58):
arranged in a U-shape.
While eating, Romansreclined on these couches.
They always dined barefoot,which was so strange to
me...at least put somesandals on, ya know?
Anyway, in the hours thatcould pass during a dinner, the
triclinium could go from fulldaylight to complete darkness.
So, for the latter partof the meal, lamps lit the
(06:20):
space, casting a soft glow onfaces, and created short paths
towards the food and drinks.
I was kept going and glowingon a lamp stand until the last
guest cleared the threshold.
During one particular dinnerparty, the guests were so
loud that they woke Albus'seven-year-old son, Rufus.
Little Rufus promptlyfumbled in the dark house
(06:40):
in search of his father.
He used the sound of laughterand the faint light to find
his way to the triclinium.
When Rufus saw his fatherreclining, he approached him
boldly and told him he couldnot sleep with all of the noise
he and his guests were making!
His father and guestslaughed at his fearlessness.
A fine example of a free man.
Albus told Rufus that if hecould not sleep, he should play!
(07:02):
Albus used my light tomake shadow puppets on
the wall to the delightof his son and his guests.
[cheering]
Yeah, have you ever done that?
Used your hands to makeshadow puppets on the wall?
It’s very easy!
All you need are yourhands, a wall, and a light.
Not me though, I am retired!
(07:24):
A small bedside lamp orflashlight work great.
No oil needed!
Put one hand between thelight and the wall so
that you can clearly seethe shadow of your hand.
Now go ahead andgive yourself a wave!
By changing the shape ofyour hand, you can make
animals, birds, and othercharacters come to life.
How would you make a bunny?
A bird?
A dog?
(07:45):
Now here comes a realchallenge: what about making
puppets with your feet?
I bet if you put yourheels together and stuck
your feet out you couldmake a smelly butterfly!
Albus was incredible atmaking shadow puppets.
Just one brightidea after another.
First he made a soaringeagle, then an angry toad,
(08:08):
and then a mischievous harehopping along the walls!
The shadow puppets that Albuscreated and his accompanying
noises made them come aliveand delighted his guests.
All that playing made thedark evening seem brighter.
Pretty soon all the guestswere trying their hand,
literally, at making shadowpuppets, and creating
stories for one another.
(08:28):
It was the longest dinnerparty Albus ever had.
But it didn't matter,the night was brilliant!
Made even more perfectwith his son by his side.
After all, Rufus was thelight of his father’s life!
[Laughs] Get it?
LIGHT of his life?
I gotta million of 'em!
I’ll share more next time.
Host (08:53):
I hope you enjoyed learning about
Roman homes and lamps!
Join us next timewhen a very fancy cat
slinks into the studio.
To see photographs of thefeet lamp and learn more,
visit our website at Gettydot edu slash podcasts.
This episode was writtenby Tocarra Elise and
(09:15):
produced by Zoe Goldman.
Todd Schick voiced the lamp.
Theme music, mixing and sounddesign by Alexandra Kalinowski.
Christopher Sprinkleis executive producer.
Special thanks to curatorsKen Lapatin and Judith Barr
and educator Lilit Sadoyan.
Catch you next time!
This is a Getty podcast.
Host (00:07):
Don’t walk—run!—to listen to this episode.
This week, we’re hearingfrom a lamp with an unusual
shape—it’s a pair of feet!
Welcome to If Objects CouldTalk, a podcast where art
and artifacts get to leavethe museum vault and tell
their side of the story.
(00:27):
Thanks for joining us as webring objects into the light!
Speaking of light (00:35):
what do you do when it gets dark outside
and you need to see inside?
I bet you just flipa switch and presto!
More light!
But it’s not just theoverhead lights in your home
that make things brighter.
It’s the glow of electronicdevices, flashlights powered
(00:56):
by batteries, streetlights,car headlights, and the
brilliant, bright lightsof big city skyscrapers.
We are rarely evertruly in the dark.
In ancient Rome, thingswere very different.
Apart from a big harvest moonand twinkling stars, the nights
(01:16):
were very, very dark and allyou had were torches and oil
lamps to help illuminate it.
Today’s feet-shaped lampwas made in Asia Minor
in the first century CE.
It’s ok to laugh—he's reallyleaning into being the
clown of the museum vault.
Feet Lamp (01:35):
Mi, mi, mi! The people want to hear from meeee!
Oh, don’t mind me, justdoing some vocal warmups,
which is extra importantfor a pair of feet.
You know, it was startingto seem like I wasn’t going
to get my turn to share mystory, which would be a shame
because I’m such a de-LIGHT.
(01:55):
Get it?
Because I’m a lamp?
[laughs] I crack myself up!
But not too much though!
I am made out of clay, too muchcracking would be a disaster!
What was I talking about again?
Oh, yeah!
In ancient times there wasno electricity, so lamps
like me were all the rage!
[applause]
(02:18):
Business owners used oillamps to light their buildings
and the nearby streets.
Noblemen used lamps tolight their paths when
they were out after dark.
Soldiers used them tolight military forts.
But enough about thoseordinary lamps, let's talk
about how a star was made.
Get it?
Because I GLOW like a star?
(02:38):
Whew, I am so good!
Ok, picture it (02:41):
I was nothin’!
Just a ball of damp clay.
But then I was pressed intoa mold and I took my shape:
a pair of sandaled feet.
I still have all ten ofmy toes, even 2000 years
later, if you're curious.
Then I was baked in a hot ovenand my soft surface became hard.
I was ready for action!
(03:03):
To use me, oil was pouredinto holes at the top of my
feet right where a pair ofankles would be and the wick
was placed into an openingwhere the big toes touch.
The wick was usually a bundleof fibers like linen or
papyrus twisted together.
And the oil was usually aplant oil like olive oil.
(03:24):
Basically, anything youmight put in a salad dressing
today could get me going.
A little flame would racedown the wick and viola!
Lights on, baby!
A little bit more dramaticthen just flipping a
switch, don't you think?
I'm pretty unique,as far as lamps go.
Some lamps were modeled afteranimals, people doing silly or
serious people things, gods andgoddesses, or even funny faces.
(03:46):
There were lamps shaped likea foot, but a pair of feet?
In sandals?
Like me?
That's something to be admired.
And
if I'm being honest,laughed at, too.
[laughter] When my wick waslit, I looked like someone
walking on hot coals!
And you can't see it nowbut I used to be glazed red,
(04:09):
so I really used to glow.
That glazing process helpedme keep liquids, like oil, in.
No leaking from me!
Yeah, I was quite theway finder as well.
I had a handle so people couldgrab me and do things like
make their way to the bathroomin the middle of the night.
It was in those moments I wasgrateful I didn't have a nose.
(04:31):
Sadly
my handle has since broken.
I won't say WHO did it, butit was someone with two left
feet and butter fingers.
I was made in Asia Minor,which at the time was part
of the Roman Empire and thatEmpire [laughs] was huge!
(04:52):
Huge I tell ya!
At its height, around 100CE, and when I was made, the
Roman Empire stretched fromBritain in the Northwest
to Egypt in the Southeast.
I came from somewherein the middle.
I was kept in abeautiful domus or house.
It wasn’t very large,but it was impeccably
designed and decorated.
(05:13):
The home had nooutside-facing windows,
as to not attract thieves.
However, it did have a largeatrium, or central indoor
space, that was open at theroof to let in light and air.
My owner, Albus, was a freedman.
He was once enslaved but wasgranted his freedom and made
a comfortable life for himselfas a vendor of fine goods.
(05:35):
He then later became amerchant, supplying goods
for other vendors’ stores.
Albus was a modest man andtried not to call too much
attention to himself, but everyonce in a while he loved to
have long dinner parties withfriends and business associates.
Dinner parties were verypopular in ancient Rome.
They were held in thetriclinium, which translates
to “three couch room,”because it had three couches
(05:58):
arranged in a U-shape.
While eating, Romansreclined on these couches.
They always dined barefoot,which was so strange to
me...at least put somesandals on, ya know?
Anyway, in the hours thatcould pass during a dinner, the
triclinium could go from fulldaylight to complete darkness.
So, for the latter partof the meal, lamps lit the
(06:20):
space, casting a soft glow onfaces, and created short paths
towards the food and drinks.
I was kept going and glowingon a lamp stand until the last
guest cleared the threshold.
During one particular dinnerparty, the guests were so
loud that they woke Albus'seven-year-old son, Rufus.
Little Rufus promptlyfumbled in the dark house
(06:40):
in search of his father.
He used the sound of laughterand the faint light to find
his way to the triclinium.
When Rufus saw his fatherreclining, he approached him
boldly and told him he couldnot sleep with all of the noise
he and his guests were making!
His father and guestslaughed at his fearlessness.
A fine example of a free man.
Albus told Rufus that if hecould not sleep, he should play!
(07:02):
Albus used my light tomake shadow puppets on
the wall to the delightof his son and his guests.
[cheering]
Yeah, have you ever done that?
Used your hands to makeshadow puppets on the wall?
It’s very easy!
All you need are yourhands, a wall, and a light.
Not me though, I am retired!
(07:24):
A small bedside lamp orflashlight work great.
No oil needed!
Put one hand between thelight and the wall so
that you can clearly seethe shadow of your hand.
Now go ahead andgive yourself a wave!
By changing the shape ofyour hand, you can make
animals, birds, and othercharacters come to life.
How would you make a bunny?
A bird?
A dog?
(07:45):
Now here comes a realchallenge: what about making
puppets with your feet?
I bet if you put yourheels together and stuck
your feet out you couldmake a smelly butterfly!
Albus was incredible atmaking shadow puppets.
Just one brightidea after another.
First he made a soaringeagle, then an angry toad,
(08:08):
and then a mischievous harehopping along the walls!
The shadow puppets that Albuscreated and his accompanying
noises made them come aliveand delighted his guests.
All that playing made thedark evening seem brighter.
Pretty soon all the guestswere trying their hand,
literally, at making shadowpuppets, and creating
stories for one another.
(08:28):
It was the longest dinnerparty Albus ever had.
But it didn't matter,the night was brilliant!
Made even more perfectwith his son by his side.
After all, Rufus was thelight of his father’s life!
[Laughs] Get it?
LIGHT of his life?
I gotta million of 'em!
I’ll share more next time.
Host (08:53):
I hope you enjoyed learning about
Roman homes and lamps!
Join us next timewhen a very fancy cat
slinks into the studio.
To see photographs of thefeet lamp and learn more,
visit our website at Gettydot edu slash podcasts.
This episode was writtenby Tocarra Elise and
(09:15):
produced by Zoe Goldman.
Todd Schick voiced the lamp.
Theme music, mixing and sounddesign by Alexandra Kalinowski.
Christopher Sprinkleis executive producer.
Special thanks to curatorsKen Lapatin and Judith Barr
and educator Lilit Sadoyan.
Catch you next time!
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