Terracotta Oil Lamp From the Holy Land
Circa 5th – 7th Century AD.
Length: 3 1/4 inches
Mould-made terracotta oil lamp with geometric designs covering the top of the body. On the base is a "wheel" design which probably served as a maker's mark. This small slipper shaped lamp with upturned handle was produced during the early Byzantine period. It is in excellent condition, with fine surface patina.
Provenance: Midwestern Private Collection, purchased mid 1960's.
In the villas, palaces and shops of the Greek, Roman and Byzantine Empires terracotta oil lamps were the primary means of artificial lighting. They were usually filled with olive oil and held a wick (linen was the most often used material). They burned for hours to light up the ancient world. The rich, in their villas, needed hundreds; the poor had only a few.
