C. 6th-7th century AD

A nice Byzantine terracotta oil lamp with a tall protruding handle, depicting either the face of Christ or a saint with incised detail. It has an elongated body, leading to a rounded nozzle and a shallow channel around the large filling. The shoulders are decorated with linear decoration, with a ring and dot pattern below filling hole. The base also features a geometric pattern of several concentric circles with a dot to centre of each.

Small repair to nozzle with nice detail and an interesting piece.

Provenance: Georges Dahdah, Damascus, 26th August 1983, Schloessinger No: 503 cf.

Size: 96mm length approx