Beautiful and Useful: My Own Little Byzantine Oil Lamp

I now have an object in my house that’s about 1,400 years old. In my house. How crazy is that?  It’s a beautiful little Byzantine oil lamp made out of clay.

Byzantine Oil Lamp, 600-700 CE, from Palestine or Syria

I love so many things about this little lamp: It’s humble, made from a common material; it’s relatively simple, not overly decorated; I even like the current shape, with the handle broken off.  But the best thing about it is that it was used. People living over 1,000 years ago used this lamp that’s now sitting in my house.  (How did it last so long, almost intact? )

My absolute favorite part is the black soot that’s left from oil actually burning inside this lamp.

Byzantine Oil Lamp, 600-700 CE, from Palestine or Syria

What a Difference Color Can Make! Prokudin-Gorskii’s Photos of Samarkand

I recently learned about these photographs taken in the Russian Empire between 1905 and 1915.  Not being overly interested in the Russian Empire (Not that it’s not interesting! It’s not you, Russian Empire, it’s me.), I didn’t take much notice, until I saw this, of the Bibi Khanym Mosque in Samarkand (in Uzbekistan):

Bibi-Khanym mosque (late 14th century). Dome from the southeast side. Samarkand. Photo by Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich Prokudin-Gorskiĭ, taken between 1905-15. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Prokudin-Gorskii Collection Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich

And this of the Gur-e Amir Mausoleum, also in Samarkand, where Timur (Tamerlane) is buried:

Entrance into the Gur-Emir mosque (late 14th cent, actually a mausoleum). Samarkand. Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich Prokudin-Gorskiĭ, photo taken between 1905-15. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Prokudin-Gorskii Collection

Are they or are they not stunning?  And it gets better!  The photographer, Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii, was an early practitioner of color photography. (Read all about it here.)

Dome of the Gur-Emir mosque from eastern side, 14th century. Samarkand. Photo by Prokudin-Gorskii, taken between 1905-15. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Prokudin-Gorskii Collection

AND he traveled around the Russian Empire with a darkroom in a rail car, provided by Tsar Nicholas II, who also supported other aspects of Prokudin-Gorskii’s journeys.

Low Key Treasures: The Cross of the Scriptures and Ogham at Clonmacnoise, Ireland

The monastery of Clonmacnoise (best monastery name ever, by the way) in County Offaly, Ireland was founded in the 6th century CE, though the cross that I want to show you, the Cross of the Scriptures, or King Flann’s Cross, is from 900 CE.  Fortunately, the cross has been moved inside, though a replica stands outside on the Clonmacnoise grounds among the ruins you see here:

Clonmacnoise (monastery), County Offaly, Ireland

Clonmacnoise (monastery), County Offaly, Ireland, on the River Shannon

Although the high crosses of Ireland weren’t necessarily grave markers, it is thought that the Cross of the Scriptures did mark a grave (in its original location), that of High King Flann, and was commissioned by Abbot Colman (we’ll return to this).  The original Cross of the Scriptures, covered with scenes from the life of Christ, is now inside the Interpretative Centre:

Cross of the Scriptures, Clonmacnoise (monastery), County Offaly, Ireland, 900 CE