Part of a Lantern
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Al-Fudayn, an Umayyad residence located on trade routes joining cities such as Gerasa (Jerash) with the Arabian Peninsula, belonged to the exceptionally wealthy great grandson of the third Orthodox caliph ‘Uthman ibin ‘Afan. It was destroyed in the early ninth century, when a subsequent owner opposed the Abbasids. These luxury goods were found together and were perhaps hidden at that time.
This dome-shaped lantern has a series of arcades containing hanging lamps around the base. The lamp may have been inspired by a monument such as the Dome of the Rock, an important early Islamic site in Jerusalem.
This dome-shaped lantern has a series of arcades containing hanging lamps around the base. The lamp may have been inspired by a monument such as the Dome of the Rock, an important early Islamic site in Jerusalem.
Artwork Details
- Title: Part of a Lantern
- Date: 8th century
- Geography: Made in Eastern Mediterranean, excavated at al-Fudayn (Mafraq), Jordan
- Medium: Steatite, carved and engraved
- Dimensions: H: 7 7/8 in. (20 cm); diam: 5 7/8 in. (15 cm)
- Classification: Steatites
- Credit Line: Jordan Archeological Museum, Amman (J. 19312)
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters