Mosque Lamp
Unknown Artist
1585–95
Medium
Fritware with underglaze design
Dimensions
30.4 × 19.7 cm · diameter of rim 19.7 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1944.287
About this artwork
Mosque lamps typically functioned as a lampshade, containing an oil lamp inside. Due to the opacity of this Ottoman lamp, it is likely that its primary function was not illumination. Instead, it would have been hung from chains in a mosque or mausoleum to add to the beauty of the space. This lamp is decorated with bright red carnations and blue hyacinths with additional floral and vegetal elements. The turquoise loops would have served for suspension from the ceiling. It is also possible that la...