This oil lamp would have lit homes during the
early flourishing of Christianity. The center of the
lamp is decorated with a most extraordinary
image. The Virgin Mary is depicted rising into
heaven, a theme that would not become
prevalent in art until the Renaissance. She holds
a cross in her right hand as two angels swoop
down beside her and assist her ascension. She
has a halo, confirming her sanctity. A lamb, the
symbol for Christ, is shown underneath her feet.
This remarkable work is metaphor for joy and
prosperity, for hope, for life itself, lamps have
illuminated the path of civilization for centuries;
they have guided great thoughts through the
night, stood vigil with lonely passions. In the
presence of this simple object, we are directly in
touch with a vanished world, with the people
once warmed by its glow. Today, it remains as an
enduring symbol of man's desire to conquer
darkness.
- (PF.5576)
|
