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Oil Lamp

8th century

Not on view

The decoration on the clay lamps, small objects designed for daily use, in the exhibition helps chart the transformation of Byzantium’s southern provinces into lands central to the Islamic world. Largely produced at the important city of Gerasa (Jerash) in Jordan, the lamps came with a variety of decorations—Christian crosses and inscriptions, Greek and Arabic inscriptions on the same lamp, and ones inscribed only in Arabic.
This lamp is inscribed in Arabic "Blessings from God for ‘Amir son of Kharaj."

Oil Lamp, Buff-red ware — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Oil Lamp

Date: 8th century

Geography: Made in Jordan, Gerasa (Jerash)

Medium: Buff-red ware

Dimensions: 3 7/16 x 1 x 2 3/8 in. (8.8 x 2.6 x 6 cm)

Classification: Ceramics

Credit Line: Jerash Archaeological Museum, Jordan (683)

The Met

Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.