LACMA

ShopMembershipMyLACMATickets
LACMA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@lacma.org
(323) 857-6000
Sign up to receive emails
Subscribe
© Museum Associates 2025

Museum Hours

Monday

11 am–6 pm

Tuesday

11 am–6 pm

Wednesday

Closed

Thursday

11 am–6 pm

Friday

11 am–8 pm

Saturday

10 am–7 pm

Sunday

10 am–7 pm

 

  • About LACMA
  • Jobs
  • Building LACMA
  • Host An Event
  • Unframed
  • Press
  • FAQs
  • Log in to MyLACMA
  • Privacy Policy
© Museum Associates 2025
Collections

Oil Lamp10th century

On view:
Geffen Galleries, Islamic Art and Late Antiquity
Bronze oil lamp in the form of a bird, with a rounded body, circular ring handle, fan-shaped tail, and long pointed spout, dark patina
Bronze oil lamp viewed from above, with a circular reservoir, elongated nozzle at left, and a broad fan-shaped handle at right with pierced circular openings; dark patinated surface with small suspension loops at top and bottom.
Title
Oil Lamp
Place Made
Iran, probably Nishapur
Date Made
10th century
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Length: 8 in. (20.32 cm)
Credit Line
The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost
Accession Number
M.2002.1.580
Classification
Metal
Collecting Area
Art of the Middle East: Islamic
Curatorial Notes

The tradition of transforming everyday utensils into playfully ambiguous objects is a hallmark of Islamic art. In this traditional bronze lamp, whose shape harks back to classical antiquity, the artist saw the possibilities of transforming its handle into a pair of confronted birds. Intended to provide light and perhaps to amuse as well, the lamp was likely meant for personal use, given its small scale. A very similar lamp was excavated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art at Nishapur, in northeastern Iran.

Selected Bibliography
  • Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles. Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015.