A lamp such as this might have lit homes at the
dawn of the Christian era. A metaphor of 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 in touch
directly 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 the
darkness.
This particular Byzantine oil lamp features a spacious two-
tiered ridge around the filling hole. The coils of volutes,
ladder motifs, and plant life dominate the geometric
decoration on this oil lamp.
- (LK.311)
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