Byzantine Terracotta Oil Lamp

A lamp such as this might have lit homes in the Holy Land during the early triumph of Christianity. A metaphor for 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 and stood vigil with lonely passions. In the presence of this simple object, we are in touch directly with a vanished world, with the homes and temples once warmed by its glow, with the people who drew comfort from its light. Today it remains as an enduring symbol of man's desire to conquer the darkness.