Almond Shaped Terracotta Lamp with Latin Cross and Rosary Relief

Description: 

Almond Shaped Terracotta Lamp with Latin Cross and Rosary Relief    

East Christian

terracotta: mold-made, fabric: fine reddish-brown clay with mica. Munsell: 10 YR 5/3 brown
height 3.9 cm
length 11.1 cm
width 6.3 cm

Portland State University Middle East Studies Center
Bogue Lamp Collection, Lamp ID #97, PSU 027 (50)

 

Professor Anne Nicogorski, Willamette University, cited with permission

This slipper-shaped lamp has a cross on a rosary encircling the recessed fill hole, the cross extending toward the wick hole. The loop handle probably extended from the back of the recess for the fill hole over the back of the rim, but is missing. Shape: Slipper lamp with flat base; carinated body profile; central fill hole in a concave discus; wick hole at pointed end of the body; high swung vertical loop handle (mostly gone) attached at rim of discus and carination of body. Decoration: Traces of red slip.  Relief decoration on top consisting of a Latin cross on the axis between the fill hole and the wick hole, surrounded by band of small dots. Dots may continue around discus -- mostly worn away. Inscriptions: None. Condition: Body complete; missing handle; surface very worn; minor chips; burning and cracking around wick hole; some burning in handle area.