Near East / Holy Land, Byzantine Empire, ca. 7th to 10th century CE. A pretty example of a cast bronze pilgrim's oil lamp with lion-footed stand, decorated with a cross-form-shaped handle and a hinged lid in the form of a scallop shell. The body of the lamp is rounded, with a flat base and an elongated spout with a wide, shallow mouth. The base has a square hole in it for attachment to a stand. The symbol of the scallop shell in Christianity relates to St. James who was a fisherman in Galilee before he became a disciple of Jesus; he represents the act of pilgrimage. The shape of the shell, with grooved paths leading from the wide edge to the narrower back, can symbolize the many different paths to Christ. The shell was also meant to represent the heavenly afterlife, and, for example, the interior of Constantine's church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem has a scallop shell carved into the niche. The lamp is firmly attached to the stand, which terminates in three lion-like paws with masks at the knee. Size: 5.25" W x 12.45" H (13.3 cm x 31.6 cm)
Some scholars have noted that bronze lamps, with their increased cost over pottery lamps, were probably a kind of heirloom, and were also probably reserved for the richest households. Bronze lamps, which have been theorized to remain in a family for at least three generations because of their expense before being recast could also have additions added to them - like crosses or new lids - to suit changing styles. This particular type of lamp proved popular and several production centers for the style arose; ultimately they were distributed widely throughout the Eastern Roman Empire, reaching Asia Minor, Morocco, and even Central Europe.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Janet Zakos collection, Switzerland, acquired in the 1980s
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#152787
Condition
Dark, mottled green patina on both lamp and stand. Very nice preservation of form and details. The lamp fits onto the stand securely but the two pieces do separate.