Roman/Byzantine Bronze Oil Lamp, 400 CE - 600 CE
Bronze
6 x 10.2 cm
2 3/8 x 4 in
2 3/8 x 4 in
Z.0047
Further images
The handle grip of this splendid lamp terminates in a stylized horse head, while the oil hole cover is in the form of a shell. Both these motifs look back...
The handle grip of this splendid lamp terminates in a stylized horse head, while the oil hole cover is in the form of a shell. Both these motifs look back to the Classical world that was then in its dusk. To hold this lamp in our hands is to feel the touch of some ancient hand upon it, to imagine forgotten corridors that spring to life with its passing glow and then fade once more into darkness.
Literature
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