Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Oil Lamp with Menorah and Christ Crushing the Serpent's Head
Not on view
The earliest production of African red slip ware oil lamps in Tunisia seems to date to the late second to third century. Lamps like these appeared widely throughout the Mediterranean world for more than two centuries, with key centers of production located in northern and central Tunisia. As Christianity spread throughout the region, new motifs appeared, including crosses, angels, and religious symbols such as doves. Some lamps, such as this one, also included a Jewish menorah, exemplifying the rich intermingling of religions and cultures in late antique North Africa.