Lamp in the form of a male head

This bronze oil lamp was found in tomb B 47 (room 3) in the necropolis of Ballana. The body of the object represents a head of a young man in the round with a pouring hole in the forehead which served to store the oil, and in the place of the neck, the nozzle from where the wick emerged.

The big open eyes, pointed nose, small ears and mouth outlining a very light smile give the character a slight air of haggardness. The curly hair is rendered by an overlap of strands resembling scales but evoking perhaps a frizzy hairstyle. The facial features are nonetheless more of a Mediterranean type. The eyes are encrusted with silver and garnet. Read more about this object on the UNESCO Museums for Intercultural Dialogue website.