Lot 67A
Ancient Near East, Holy Land, Middle to Late Bronze Age, ca. 2200 to 1200 BCE. A group of four pottery oil lamps from the Holy Land, each a relic of Bronze Age daily life and ritual practice. These shallow, hand-formed saucer lamps represent some of the earliest lighting devices of the region, fashioned simply yet effectively to hold oil and wick. Their forms reflect both practicality and symbolic importance, illuminating domestic spaces and sacred settings alike. Among the group is a particularly notable four-wick saucer lamp, likely of Canaanite origin. With its distinctive pinched edges creating four projecting wick-rests, this type exemplifies the technological and cultural innovations of Canaanite artisans during the Middle to Late Bronze Age. Such multi-wick lamps are comparatively rare, marking them as both functional and ritually significant, capable of producing greater illumination and perhaps associated with ceremonial contexts. Size of largest (4-wick lamp): 6.1" L x 6" W x 2" H (15.5 cm x 15.2 cm x 5.1 cm)
The other three examples are single-wick lamps, their rounded basins with carefully pinched spouts bearing traces of ancient use. Each vessel retains earthen deposits and mineral accretions from long burial, underscoring their authenticity and antiquity. Together, these four lamps capture the ingenuity and adaptability of ancient Holy Land potters, bridging utilitarian needs with cultural expression. They stand as enduring symbols of light in both the domestic and spiritual spheres of Bronze Age society.
Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005
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#197214
- Condition: Two largest with single spouts have been repaired: larger with break lines visible and other with restoration over break lines. Other two are intact. All have expected nicks, chips, and abrasions, commensurate with age. Nice presentations with heavy encrustations throughout.
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