Islamic pointed oval lamp with snout channel and calligraphic decoration

Light matte white clay. Traces of soot around the muzzle. The pointed oval lamp has a double conical vessel body, with the distinctly convex base forming a pointed stand ring. The beaded rim filler hole is framed by a high bar that also encloses the small, fragmented wick hole. Several parallel ridges run between the two lamp openings in the snout channel. A crescent-shaped handle knob sits on the shoulder. Most of the vessel's shoulder is filled by two identical calligraphic reliefs of Arabic lettering stamped in mirror image. From each of them spring a pair of six- and three-part grapes, respectively, which flank the handle knob and mark the beginning of the muzzle channel. (Fless 1997: 127)