Mid 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze Oil Lamp

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Italian Grand Tour patinated bronze double-nozzle oil lamp on a round pedestal and mounted on a black, grey and golden … Read more Italian Grand Tour patinated bronze double-nozzle oil lamp on a round pedestal and mounted on a black, grey and golden marble base.

These lamps were quite common and were used indoors and outdoors to light homes, shops, temples, etc. They served utilitarian, ritualistic, and symbolic purposes. Fuel types ranged from animal fat to bees wax to various plant based oils including olive oil, sesame oil, and grape-seed oil. Olive oil is believed to have been the primary source of fuel used in the Mediterranean. Wicks were any kind of fibrous material, typically linen, papyrus or other plant fibers. See less