Lamp with the Three Hebrews before Nebuchadnezzar
Unknown Artist
5th–6th century
Medium
Earthenware; molded
Dimensions
H. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm) W. 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm) D. 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1927
Accession Number
27.94.39
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate earthenware lamp, crafted in the 5th–6th century, captures a dramatic biblical scene from the Book of Daniel: the Three Hebrews—Shadrach Meshach, and Abnego—standing resolute before King Nebuchadnezzar, sentenced them to the fiery furnace for refusing to worship his idol. Molded in relief on the lamp's surface, the figures emerge with expressive gestures and flowing robes, evoking the tension and faith of the story. Produced during the late antique period in the Near East, this small artifact (just under 2 inches high and 4.5 inches wide) exemplifies the era's innovative ceramic...