Pierced Bronze Ceiling Lamp with Engraved Figures and Glass Inlay
Date19th - 20th century
PeriodOttoman
MediumMetalwork/Pierced and engraved copper alloy with red glass
DimensionsOverall: 28 x 12 in. (71.1 x 30.5cm)
ClassificationsMetalwork
Object number54.23
DescriptionThis hanging lamp is pierced throughout and inlaid with red glass, producing a reddish glow when lit. Both the curving dome and globular body of the lamp end in pointed finials. Although this hanging lamp was created in the 19th or 20th century, it was designed to imitate an aesthetic of an earlier era of Islamic art, the Mamluk dynasty, which ruled Egypt and Syria from 1250 to 1517. In the 19th century, the world was getting smaller as innovations in transportation — steamships and steam engines— sped up international travel, and international expositions brought the art of faraway lands to major cities in Europe and America. Increasing interest and access in the arts of Islamic lands led to growing trade in Islamic antiquities. Craftsmen in Cairo and Damascus rose to meet this demand by creating revival wares sold in the cities’ suqs or marketplaces.
On View
On view
19th - 20th century
18th - 19th century
19th - 20th century
19th - 20th century
18th - 19th century
18th - 19th century
19th century
19th century
19th - 20th century
