A Typological Study of Iranian Earthenware and Bronze Oil Lamps from Historical Period

Oil lamps are one of the earliest kinds of portable lighting devices which has been used by mankind all over the world, including Iran. Therefore, this essay, while studying on and seeking formal changes and developments of Iranian oil lamps from historical period, aims to explain these developments in terms of a typological classification. In order to achieve this goal, here in this essay, applying descriptive analytical method of research, first I have depicted the different steps and developments of earthenware and bronze oil lamps from very moment of their appearance up to the beginning of historical period in Iran. Then in historical period I am going to discuss developments in the shapes and forms of earthenware and bronze oil lamps, respectively. While one can distinguish at least six types of earthenware lamps, metal lamps can be categorized only in three types. There are various factors which has influenced developments on the forms of metal and earthenware lamps. Earthenware lamps, for example, have been influenced both by Iranian bronze lamps and Greek and Roman earthenware lamps. On the contrary, although bronze lamps have an original design and compared to earthenware lamps are less inspired by foreign shapes, they have mostly been influenced by their own technological developments.