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 oil lamp can be distinguished
as Byzantine because of its red-orange hue
and unique braided pattern along the discus /
shoulders of the oil vessel.
- (LK.326)
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