Oil Lamp

This ceramic lamp dates to the 7th–8th centuries CE and was produced in Fergana.
It represents an object of everyday lighting in the late pre-Islamic period.
The lamp has a compact vertical composition. A small cylindrical oil reservoir rises above a solid base with cut projections. This structure provided stability and facilitated air circulation around the flame. An opening at the top served for inserting the wick and replenishing the oil.
Although undecorated, the visual effect of the piece derives from its geometric clarity and the rhythmic articulation of the base.
Such lamps would have provided localized illumination in domestic and utilitarian spaces.
This object offers insight into daily life in ancient Fergana and illustrates the development of functional ceramics in early medieval Central Asia.