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This piece once hung with a lamp, possibly in either the mosque or mausoleum (tomb) of Sultan Selim I (d. 1517) in Istanbul. The inscription around the body of the sphere is a hadith, or saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad: “The world is only one hour, so hasten to prayer before dying and hasten to repent before death.”Islamic religious buildings traditionally were lit with glass lamps, generally called mosque lamps, that hung from chains. In 16th-century Turkey, it was common to make mosque lamps from glazed ceramic and to pair them with round or oval ornaments. Such ceramic pieces were of little use as lighting fixtures. They may have functioned, however, as acoustic devices, hung in groups to soften the echo of voices in the prayer hall. Mosque lamps were also symbols of divine light, and, therefore, of God's presence in the place of prayer, while the ornamental spheres symbolized the orb of heaven.
Page data
- Page
- 2
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- c3a0f155a11c3c33
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 27801
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
{
"id": "27801",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1022",
"contentType": "object",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Lamp Ornament",
"description": "This piece once hung with a lamp, possibly in either the mosque or mausoleum (tomb) of Sultan Selim I (d. 1517) in Istanbul. The inscription around the body of the sphere is a hadith, or saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad: “The world is only one hour, so hasten to prayer before dying and hasten to repent before death.”Islamic religious buildings traditionally were lit with glass lamps, generally called mosque lamps, that hung from chains. In 16th-century Turkey, it was common to make mosque lamps from glazed ceramic and to pair them with round or oval ornaments. Such ceramic pieces were of little use as lighting fixtures. They may have functioned, however, as acoustic devices, hung in groups to soften the echo of voices in the prayer hall. Mosque lamps were also symbols of divine light, and, therefore, of God's presence in the place of prayer, while the ornamental spheres symbolized the orb of heaven.",
"provenance": "Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
"date": "early 16th century (Early Modern)",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1022",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"genreSpecific": [
"Ceramics",
"lamps",
"ornaments"
],
"iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL1_48.1022_Prof_TR_T88II.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL1_48.1022_Prof_TR_T88II.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL1_48.1022_Prof_TR_T88II.jpg",
"imageCount": 8,
"pageCount": 8,
"source": "import",
"dimensions": [
{
"units": "cm",
"width": 13,
"height": 15.1
}
],
"dimensionsRaw": "H: 5 1/8 x Diam: 5 15/16 in. (13 x 15.1 cm)"
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "27801",
"label": "Lamp Ornament",
"core": "obj",
"dtoType": "object",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1022"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "27801",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1022",
"contentType": "object",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Lamp Ornament",
"description": "This piece once hung with a lamp, possibly in either the mosque or mausoleum (tomb) of Sultan Selim I (d. 1517) in Istanbul. The inscription around the body of the sphere is a hadith, or saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad: “The world is only one hour, so hasten to prayer before dying and hasten to repent before death.”Islamic religious buildings traditionally were lit with glass lamps, generally called mosque lamps, that hung from chains. In 16th-century Turkey, it was common to make mosque lamps from glazed ceramic and to pair them with round or oval ornaments. Such ceramic pieces were of little use as lighting fixtures. They may have functioned, however, as acoustic devices, hung in groups to soften the echo of voices in the prayer hall. Mosque lamps were also symbols of divine light, and, therefore, of God's presence in the place of prayer, while the ornamental spheres symbolized the orb of heaven.",
"provenance": "Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
"date": "early 16th century (Early Modern)",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1022",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"genreSpecific": [
"Ceramics",
"lamps",
"ornaments"
],
"iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL1_48.1022_Prof_TR_T88II.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL1_48.1022_Prof_TR_T88II.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL1_48.1022_Prof_TR_T88II.jpg",
"imageCount": 8,
"pageCount": 8,
"source": "import",
"dimensions": [
{
"units": "cm",
"width": 13,
"height": 15.1
}
],
"dimensionsRaw": "H: 5 1/8 x Diam: 5 15/16 in. (13 x 15.1 cm)"
}
Document source extras
{
"cul": "Ottoman",
"style": "Iznik",
"inscriptions": [
"[Translation] The world is only one hour",
"so hasten to prayer before dying and hasten to repent before death."
],
"dynasty": "Ottoman Dynasty",
"reign": "Yavuz Sultan Selim I (AD 1512-1520)",
"med": "fritware ceramic, with underglaze blue decoration, traces of gilding",
"creator_ids": [
"2431"
],
"collection_ids": [
"ISL"
],
"exhibition_ids": [
"2991"
]
}
Page context
{
"seq": 2,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/raw/PS4_48.1022_VwA_DD_AT21_23215-tms.jpg",
"mediaId": "c3a0f155a11c3c33"
}