Islamic Art
Developments in Ceramics: Three Oil Lamps
How three simple oil lamps show the change from earthenware to stonepaste
Clay as a material has been used for aeons, used as building materials and cookware as well as for household objects such as oil lamps. Simple oil lamps such as the Byzantine-Islamic oil lamp shown below are found littered across archaeological sites in their multitudes, indicating their ubiquity across the ancient world. Having light outside of the daytime was a luxury for a long period of human history, and — as candles were more expensive — having an oil lamp was common. The fat burned varied by region, but in the Mediterranean and Levant regions, olive oil was most commonly used due to its abundance.
5x10.9x7.5cm. CCWM: NM53.504
Simple lamps were made in a mould, with the upper and lower parts moulded separately and then joined together to make a simple oil lamp such as the above example. Often only the upper parts were decorated, and whilst they may be glazed — commonly in dark green or yellow — this one has been left bare. The decorations in this example are typical of the region of Palestine in which it was found. Charring occurs from where the wick and flame have deposited soot over its lifespan and acts as a reminder of its everyday use.
These small lamps would only have lit a small area, however, and therefore would have been most likely used in the domestic setting. Public settings such as mosques were lit by rows of hanging lamps — most commonly made from glass. Lamps could also be made from rock crystal — hollowed and carved in relief — although the expense of these limited their patronage to the aristocracy. The lamps shown here, however, are for intimate use for daily activities and were used across the social hierarchy. Each has a handle to carry it around from task to task — perhaps preparing food, or for nighttime study or prayer. The light would have to be kept close for task lighting, or for giving “space lighting” when placed further away.
As the centuries passed, oil lamps became more ornamented. Due to the shift towards wheel-thrown lamps the shapes of the oil lamps changed, as demonstrated by the other two oil lamps below. Both these oil lamps are from the Seljuk Empire of the 11th to 12th century and are a combination of wheel-thrown and hand-built, then finished with a blue glaze.
10.1x8x5.5cm. CCWM: NM91.8
Occasionally, decorative elements were added later to pre-existing lamps. It is thought that the giraffe stretched up and peeking over the edge and into the oil lamp shown below is a later addition to this lamp. The basin for the oil has unfortunately broken off — although it remains in the collection of Sydney’s Chau Chak Wing Museum alongside its base.
11.7x8.3cm CCWM: NM91.9.1
There were also developments in the clay used. Whereas the Byzantine-Islamic example is made from red clay, the two Seljuk lamps are made from stonepaste, which was developed around the tenth and early eleventh century in Egypt and spread quickly to Syria and Iran. Stonepaste — also called fritware or stoneware — is made from finely ground quartz and mixed with a small amount of liquified glass (such as glass frit), resulting in an almost-white body that became particularly desirable under the influence of Chinese porcelain.
