Votive Oil Lamp c. 1200

Editor: Here we have a ceramic Votive Oil Lamp, made around the year 1200 by an anonymous artist. It's this really lovely turquoise colour, almost like sea glass, and you can see it's been used. It feels...peaceful, somehow. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The very form speaks volumes. The lamp as a container for light transcends mere utility; it embodies hope, guidance, and even divine presence. Consider its role in medieval rituals: light overcoming darkness, a beacon in a world often perceived as chaotic. What stories do you think its light illuminated? Editor: Stories, yes. Perhaps of protection, or maybe guidance, like you mentioned. Curator: Indeed. And observe the craftsmanship – the material itself, humble ceramic, yet imbued with purpose. The blue-green glaze… doesn't it evoke water, purification, perhaps mirroring the spiritual cleansing associated with light? In a period where visual symbols were integral to understanding the world, even the color is rich with significance. Do you find any personal connection with the visual symbols, perhaps in its association to our cultural symbols, like "candle in the window?" Editor: The colour does add another layer. The sea and light connect back to larger cultural symbolisms; like memories being triggered by visual symbols across centuries! I hadn't thought of the colour so much, but now, it enriches the piece beyond its functionality. Curator: Exactly. And, what are the personal and shared narratives held by this modest lamp? This is its ongoing symbolic importance for the world and you as well. Editor: Thinking about it that way makes me realize this isn't just an object; it's a repository of belief and memory, accessible across time. Curator: Precisely. An artifact holding the resonance of shared human experience.