A lamp such as this might have lit homes
during
the flower of the Classical age. 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 lamp features an attenuated
nozzle that helps characterize it as
Hellenistic. Moreover, lavish patterning adorns
the shoulders of the vessel while two unique
decorative elements adorn both side.
- (LK.315)
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