899 - Bronze oil lamp on a disc-shaped base with floral and figurative decoration, Seljuk, 12th–13th centuries

Bronze oil lamp on a disc-shaped base with floral and figurative decoration, Seljuk, 12th–13th centuries Lens-shaped lamp body. Elongated spout, edged at the bottom and flat at the top, with incised braided band decoration; the opening of the wick hole is leaf-shaped. Handles on the sides in the shape of a three-lobed leaf, incised on the upper surface. The oil hole in the center of the lamp body is covered by a round lid attached by a hinge. The high rim of the lid curves outward. In the center is the fully sculpted face of a big cat, with incised lines highlighting the anatomical details of the eyes and mouth. Surrounding the oil hole is a vine with angular twists; volutes adorn the troughs and peaks of the vine. The lamp body rests on a multi-sectioned, profiled column, cylindrical at the top above a rounded bulge. Below this is a pear-shaped section with bulging longitudinal ribs, separated by an indentation and resting on a cone. The cone is placed in the center of a dish with a flat bottom, which has a steep rim with an outward-flaring, angular lip. At the upper rear end of the lamp body, a narrow, ribbon-like handle begins, which first curves in an arc and then runs vertically downward, where it ends in a wide attachment soldered to the rim of the dish. Above the attachment is an extension. In the center of the handle’s curve is a stylized figure of a bird with short, “clipped” wings and tail feathers. Dark green patina with slight deposits of oxides and incrustations. A completely intact and complete specimen, extremely rare to find. Plate diameter: 14.3 cm. Maximum width: 16 cm. Height: 19.5 cm. CULTURAL HERITAGE! Provenance: Acquired by the current owner at the Mette auction house in Hamburg, auction held on October 28, 2021, lot 535. Condition: II +