Oil lamp; Best of Asia, c. 550 AD

Oil lamp; Best of Asia, c. 550 AD.
Bronze.
Work referenced in the exhibition catalog "Den genfundne tid. Kulturvandinger - Skaberkraft," 2019. Johannes Larsen Museum (Kerteminde, Denmark) and the Museum of Religious Art (Lemvig, Denmark), p. 208.
Provenance: Peter Brandes Collection.
Measurements: 10 x 17 x 5.5 cm.
Bronze oil lamp with a streamlined body, whose design culminates in a sturdy, rounded spout designed to hold the wick, while the reservoir retains a hinged lid—still fully functional—shaped like a scallop shell. Rising above it is a large cross with slightly flared arms that, in addition to serving as a handle, visually dominates the composition and transforms an everyday object into a work of art—
During the 6th and 7th centuries, Asia Minor was one of the main centers of artistic production in the Byzantine Empire. Its workshops produced metalwork of extraordinary quality, in which functionality was integrated with an elaborate symbolic language. Objects such as this lamp were used both in domestic settings and in religious spaces, where lighting took on a liturgical significance linked to Christ as Lux Mundi (“Light of the World”), reinforcing the piece’s devotional character. From a technical standpoint, the preservation of rare elements stands out, such as the original lid with its functional hinge and the ingenious support that connects the cross to the rear handle to balance its weight—evidence of the high level of mastery in casting and structural design achieved by Byzantine artisans. The absence of chains or suspension devices indicates that it was designed to be used manually or on a fixed stand—a less common type than the hanging lamps intended for churches.