A Rare Early Umayyad Bronze Oil Lamp 9th-10th Century, Andalusia, Spain.
This abstracted bronze oil lamp in the figure of a bird is among a few surviving examples of the early Umayyad period coming from Muslim Spain. The body itself is the receptacle of the oil and has a small lid on its back. The abstracted wings are slightly raised in the casting from the rest of the body and lightly engraved in triangular lined segments rather than opting for mimicking nature. The head has a trefoil hoop of crowning feathers and the tail is adapted to carry the oil lamp wick.
The form and shape of this bird is very similar to an Umayyad fountainhead present at the museum of Islamic art-Qatar, item no. MW.220.2003. Also very similar to an aquamanile present at musée du Louvre- Paris, item no. MR 1519.