Lamps
Though conical glass lamps first
made their appearance in limited quantities during the late 3rd century A.D.—usually as a means of
lighting underground storerooms—a century later they were being produced in vast numbers to light
the thousands of new Christian churches of the Byzantine World. A century or so later again the conical
form yielded in popularity to bowl-shaped lamps, some with ring handles, some without; then to a bucket-shaped
lamp with an interior wick-tube that was to become standard in eastern mosques from the 12th century
A.D. onwards.
All glassware is shown at a scale of one-to-one unless otherwise stated. |
Two of the many kinds of lamps found in the ruins of the Church
of St. John the Baptist,
Samaria (Jordan): 6th century A.D. |
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87-29-1
Provenance unknown
Early 4th century A.D.
Light green;
dark blue
Gift of Mrs. M.N. Starkey |
MS 4943
Provenance unknown
Early 4th century A.D.
Light green;
dark blue
Purchased from Vestor & Co. |
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MS 4927
Provenance unknown
Late 4th century A.D.
Clear colorless
Purchased from Vestor & Co. |
MS 5577
Provenance unknown
Late 4th century A.D.
Bluish green
Gift of J. Thompson-Morris |
32-15-67
From Beth Shean (Israel), tomb 295
Late 4th century A.D.
Purple;
medium green
Excavated by G.M. Fitzgerald |
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32-15-62
From Beth Shean (Israel), tomb 295
Late 4th century A.D.
Light green; medium green
Excavated by G.M. Fitzgerald |
86-35-107
Provenance unknown
Late 4th century A.D.
Greenish yellow
Gift of George & Henry J. Vaux |
86-35-108
Provenance unknown
Late 4th century A.D.
Light green; light green
Gift of George & Henry J. Vaux |
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MS 5079
Possibly from Tubas (Syria)
Late 4th-early 5th century A.D.
Light green
Purchased from Vestor & Co. |
29-105-699
From Beth Shean (Israel), tomb 218
Late 4th-early 5th century A.D.
Light green
Excavated by G.M. Fitzgerald |
MS 4928
Possibly from Tubas (Syria)
Early 5th century A.D.
Light green; light green
Purchased from Vestor & Co. |
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MS 4936
Possibly from Nazareth (Israel)
5th century A.D.
Light green; dark green
Purchased from Vestor & Co. |
MS 4933 A
Possibly from Beth Shean (Israel)
5th century A.D.
Light green; dark blue
Purchased from Vestor & Co. |
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MS 4939
Possibly from Nazareth (Israel)
5th century A.D.
Light green; turquoise blue
Purchased from Vestor & Co. |
86-35-23
Provenance unknown
Mid 5th-early 6th century A.D.
Light green
Gift of George & Henry J. Vaux |
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38-28-89, Lamp filler
Provenance unknown
5th century A.D.
Light green; dark green
Gift of John F. Lewis
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Additional vessel: pottery oil lamp filler |
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