Lamp and Stand
Unknown Artist
400s
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
34.8 × 13.5 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Klejman
Accession Number
1970.45
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Bronze oil lamps were made either with stands, like the nearby example, or with chains for suspension on hooks within homes and churches. This lamp is cast in the form of a griffin, a guardian figure from antiquity frequently used in Byzantine churches, which contained much wealth. The Christian monogram on the handle indicates the lamp was intended for use within a church.