Byzantine Lighting---Mord

Thomas Powers · Post by **Thomas Powers** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:24 pm

Mord, when I was at the fleamarket this fine morning I found 3 connical glass inserts made for a candle holder that will work very well for the byzantine oil lamp I'm hoping to build from the examples shown from that museum exhibit in Munich....

For less well em-booked folks: They generally were a pierced work brass/bronze plate with holes to hold connical glass oil lamps suspended by metal chains...

Thomas

Egfroth · Post by **Egfroth** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:46 pm

A ploykandelon, right? Like the one here . . .

Karen Larsdatter · Post by **Karen Larsdatter** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:22 pm

There's some more at http://www.havene.org/polycandelon.html too.

Egfroth · Post by **Egfroth** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:25 am

Nice page. A couple of things - though the best examples seem to come from the 6th and 7th centuries, polykandela (the plural of polykandelon) are still in use - I saw several in the Church of the Virgin Kapnikerea [of the lamplighters(!)] when I was in Athens.

And there have been clips found which support the wick floating in the bowl. I made one which works beautifully in the hanging lamp shown here.

Lastly, I was told by a Greek Orthodox lady that the trick with glass oil lamps (and yes, you do use olive oil!) is to put some water in the bottom of the lamp before you pour the oil in. Then, when the oil runs out, the glass doesn't overheat and crack. It's a fail safe system. If you forget to refill the oil in time, the wick simply goes out when it starts to suck water instead of oil.

Mord · Post by **Mord** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:29 am

Thomas,

You need documentation? I think Edgforth and Karen Larsdaughter has probably sent you in the right direction.

Byzantium is my wife's thing, but I'll see what I can do.

Mord.

Thomas Powers · Post by **Thomas Powers** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:42 pm

No I do not need documentation; I lugged 2 copies of that heavy book back from Munich, one for your wife and one for me. So I have very nice pictures of a number of them. They went on the project list and since I just picked up some glass cups for one they shifted considerably higher on that list...

Except for you asking me to spend my only free day in Munich that trip finding the museum and getting copys of the book I would have probably never thought to make one.

Thomas

Mord · Post by **Mord** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:38 am

Thomas Powers wrote:No I do not need documentation; I lugged 2 copies of that heavy book back from Munich, one for your wife and one for me. So I have very nice pictures of a number of them. They went on the project list and since I just picked up some glass cups for one they shifted considerably higher on that list...

Except for you asking me to spend my only free day in Munich that trip finding the museum and getting copys of the book I would have probably never thought to make one.

Thomas

Thomas,

Oops! I'm terribly sorry. I read the post before coffee and after a long weekend of running around. Yes, my wife is enjoying and using the book you sent us. Thank you very, very much.

Mord.