So I got it into my head somehow that it'd be cool to have some oil lamps. Or cool to take Lady Kerstyn Gartenier's pinchpot class at Lusty. I did a teensy amount of research (and here's a very basic timeline, look for the Oil Lamp page), and decided I might be able to bring off an Iron Age lamp.
(Interesting historical tidbit I hadn't thought about yet – the Iron Age is later in Britain than other places, but the lamp type is the same. This mushed shallow bowl is an IA lamp, whether it's found in the Mediterranean Near East, or fifteen hundred years later in northwestern Europe. The coolness of the culture clash created by the Romans continues.)
These lamps are hardly A&S-worthy (fortunately I've grown out of the insane idea that everything I make has to be).
- They are stoneware, and will be glazed. Not so all the originals I've seen data on thus far.
- They are pinchpot made, not wheel-thrown. Not so all the originals I've seen data on thus far.
- At least one of them is really too big. Most of the originals I've looked are about 3.5" in diameter, tops. This makes some sense given: oil is expensive, dangerous, and heavy, and the lamps if properly maintained shouldn't be burning terribly quickly. The larger one here was my first attempt, and it's about 5" in diameter. It's tough to make a smaller item! You can't get your fingers in, really.
But hopefully they will work as a test for Living With Oil Lamps, and that's what I want. And I wanted to play with clay again, as it had been since highschool. Plenty of people seem to sell Something Better…I'll upgrade when I think it's important.
I won't see these again for quite a while, as Kerstyn will fire and glaze them. But hopefully I'll have them back by RUM, and can test them out later in the year.
I like this – they are more open thatn I think I feel safe with in a tent, but they’re really kinda cool. Is there a more covered variation?
Gwen, follow the links – you’ll see that all the lamps after the Iron Age are much more complicated in structure. They have the oil contained in sort of a covered chamber, that’s then decorated. Too complicated for a beginner to make in a 2 hour class, so I chose the Iron Age one, but not expensive…you can even buy a real Roman lamp for about 10 pounds on one site. Reproductions seem to sell for 10 dollars.
I’m not sure what the safety comparison is, as both designs feature an open flame…but oil being expensive, the newer design would reduce loss from sloshing.
As for the size of the ones you made… the clay will shrink when fired. It will shrink 5-15% depending on the type of clay and, to what temurature it is fired. If it is fired twice to increasing temperature will will shrink progressively.
As for the lamps in a tent. I don;t like any flame in my tent. If I was going to do anything it would be an olive oil lamp. They will self extinguish if tipped. I use water in the bottom of mine to “save the amount of oil needed, they smell better and they are very nice looking.
We do use them under our dining fly at Pennsic.
Yeah, I intend these for outside…they have three holes in for hanging from stakes. Though I’m going to use olive oil in them; it’s safer, as your friend’s page taught me.
I’d forgotten about shrinkage…well, we’ll see how big they are!
In my research, even the Viking age lamps, commonly soap stone or clay shaped as some form of cup and grove for wick, comply very closely to what you have shown here too, what you have made here would be very at home in a Norse / viking home.