A lamp such as this might have lit homes in the
Holy Land during the early flowering of Islam. A
metaphor for joy and prosperity, for hope, for
life itself, lamps have illuminated civilization for
centuries. They have guided great thoughts
through the night and stood vigil with lonely
passions. In the presence of this simple object,
we are in touch directly with a vanished world,
with the rooms and homes once warmed by its
glow, with the people who drew comfort from its
light. Today it remains as an enduring symbol of
man's desire to conquer the darkness.
- (PF.1701)
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