A lamp such as this might have lit homes in
Palestine during the early flowering of Islam. A
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 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.1677B)
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