Lamp

Not on view

This lamp contains an open reservoir that would have held burning oil and a wick. Soaked in the oil and lighted, the wick would transport the fuel to the flame.

Ceramic lamps in this shape were most common in Iraq and Iran in the early Islamic periods They are either unglazed or, from the ninth/tenth century onwards, glazed in green. By the twelfth century, the lamps’ shape had changed to include a closed reservoir that was often placed on a stem.

Undocumented provenance records for this object state that it was found in a potter’s kiln.

Lamp, Earthenware; unglazed

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.