This lampstand is constructed in three
interlocking sections, consisting of a domed
tripod base with interlace supported on
decorative legs. It has a central shaft heavily
decorated with intricate designs, with a pierced
globular bulb at each end, surmounted by a flat
tray everted at the rim. The entire lampstand is
heavily decorated with abstracts, vegetal, animal
and calligraphic motifs.
Lampstands of this kind find their genesis in
earlier Byzantine examples, but like so many
Coptic inspired metalworks, their beauty and
ornament has been amplified under the aegis of
Central Asian artistic innovation.
Whilst early Central Asian lampstands were
made
of ceramics, consisting of a flat base and scant
decoration, later examples such as this
lampstand are indicative of the technical and
stylistic zenith of Central Asian metalwork
traditions. Distinctly, elements of this region like
the hexagonal shaft and tripod base occur in the
finest examples.
This lampstand is a fine example of finely
decorated objects of this period and region.
