Mosque Lamp (1585–95): Art, History and Details

Mosque Lamp (1585–95) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

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 lamps like this were used as acoustic devices, softening the echo of prayer and discussion within the mosque’s halls.

Object facts

• Title: Mosque Lamp
• Date: 1585–95
• Culture: Turkey, Iznik, Ottoman period (1299–1922)
• Type: Ceramic
• Technique: Fritware with underglaze design
• Dimensions: Overall: 30.4 x 19.7 cm (11 15/16 x 7 3/4 in.); Diameter of rim: 19.7 cm (7 3/4 in.)
• Collection: Islamic Art
• Department: Islamic Art
• Accession number: 1944.287

A detail from the museum

Fritware is made of ground quartz, glass frit (partially fused glass), and a small proportion of fine white clay to approximate the light color and weight of Chinese porcelain.

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Carter, Ben. The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors: Techniques, Recipes, and Inspiration for Low-Temperature Firing with Big Results. Beverly, MA, USA: Quarry, 2024.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.