Oil Lamp, green-glazed, Islamic
Production date
Circa 12th Century CE
Country
Egypt
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Object detail
Description
A Fatimid Islamic oil lamp with long open spout, cylindrical neck, looped handle and spherical body, with a opaque pale green glaze. The lip is flared and tapers to the base of the neck. Over half of the lip is missing, showing a buff to cream fabric. There is a torus at the join with the body. The body is shaped like an oblate flattened sphere with a simple base attached, slightly concave. The lamp is glazed inside and out, except for the underside of the base. The handle is a ring attached to the middle of the neck and top of the body with a seperate pad of ceramic. Across the top of the handle is a flaring triangle of ceramic. The single spout is attached opposite the handle and is wedge shaped in profile and rectangular from the top. It tapers very slightly to a rounded end. There is some minor chipping to the end of the spout. The glaze is transparent with patches of paler white showing through. The fabric on the base is buff to white.
Classification
ARCHAEOLOGY
Production date
Circa 12th Century CE
Production place
Measurements
L95mm x W80mm x D80mm
Media/Materials description
Clay
stone-paste (fritware)
glaze (inside and out)
stone-paste (fritware)
glaze (inside and out)
History and use
The need to extend daylight hours has always been with us. Before the advent of electricity, illuminating a space was achieved with either a candle or a lamp.Oil lamps were a common find in the excavations at Fustat, said to have occurred in all excavation levels and working levels, with several thousand recovered.
Associated person
Registration number
E920
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