Author
unknown
Author Original
مجهول
Publication Date
Twelfth - thirteenth century AD (?)
Publication Place
-
Khninko Museum
Subject
Copper alloy, cast, decorated with relief and engraved patterns — unknown
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع : 17 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
181 БВ
Record ID
object;EPM;uc;Mus21;22;ar
Library Location
Khninko Museum
Date
Twelfth - thirteenth century AD (?)
Notes
This piece is rare in its complete formation and is a hanging oil lamp molded in the shape of a bird, which raises many questions about the time and place of its origin. The image of the bird with a branch in its beak is well known from metalworking in the Sassanian era (third-seventh century). There is also an important artistic aspect of the piece, which is the short, narrow tube on the bird’s chest that acts as a dropper that delivers the necessary oil in a sufficient and metered manner from the tank in the bird’s torso. Such oil lamps are designed to illuminate small spaces. On the bird’s head there is a small inscription engraved in the medallion: “...Muhammad Ali.” The inscription is considered a later addition.
Sample Text
“Oil lamp hanging in the shape of a bird” within Discover the collections of Islamic art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;uc;Mus21;22;ar