Object Description
A Byzantine terracotta oil lamp produced in the Holy Land. The lamp features a circular body which leads to a wide nozzle with slightly concave sides and ending in a straight edge. A prominent rectangular handle is placed at the top of the lamp and displays a cross within a circular frame with a raised dot in each corner. Alternating vertical lines and dots run along the shoulder, encompassing the central filling hole. The nozzle is decorated with two clusters of grapes, a common motif in Jewish art symbolising the golden vines of the Temple; however, the motifs has partly faded due to age. The lamp sits on a simple base ring to the reverse.
Date: Circa 5th-6th century AD