bronze oil lamp with papyrus motif decoration

The bronze oil lamps at It's All Greek are beautiful, decorative pieces in their own right, and will enhance any surface. Should you wish to use them, please do so with great care and at your own risk!

Suggestions:

• place on a slate placemat or stone surface NOT on wood, since the bronze may heat up a little

• use clear paraffin odour-free lamp oil and a slow-burning wick, specifically designed for hurricane lamps or vintage lamps

• do not leave unattended

In Minoan Art, the papyrus lily is a symbol of nature’s vitality and renewal. Originally adopted from Egyptian iconography, in the Minoan worldview, this hybrid plant came to embody regeneration, fertility, and the exotic nature of the landscape. Its presence symbolised a deep reverence for the life-giving forces of the natural world and for the changing of the seasons.

In Minoan murals and frescoes, the papyrus lily transformed sacred spaces into divine landscapes. Frescoes from palaces like Knossos and high-end villas at Amnisos depict these tall, stylized plants almost swaying in the breeze. Archaeologists have suggested that these rooms with these gloriously colourful walls served as backdrops for religious ceremonies, creating an eternal spring indoors.

Minoan potters, painters and craftsmen frequently adapted the papyrus motif to decorate luxury trade goods. The plant’s elegant, fan-like crown and slender stalks beautifully suited the curved surfaces of Palace Style amphorae, stirrup jars, and ritual stone vessels. On pottery, the papyrus lily was often represented with native crocuses or palm trees, showcasing a unique artistic synthesis of foreign luxury and local ecology. These beautifully adorned vessels were highly prized across the Mediterranean, exporting Minoan religious prestige and sophisticated aesthetic taste.

As Minoan culture influenced the wider Aegean, the papyrus lily symbol survived on the Greek mainland and on Cycladic islands like Thera. Mycenaean rulers adopted the motif for their pottery and inlaid daggers, though they rendered it in a more rigid, stylized form. By the time Classical Greece emerged centuries later, the literal papyrus lily had faded from prominence, but its structural legacy endured. Its elegant curves inspired the development of classical architectural ornaments, such as the palmette and the volutes of the Ionic column order.

Hephaistos would be amazed by the craftsmanship and quality of this wonderful collection!

These superb bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted, the base is of black marble.

Please note that there may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time, and that accessories such as spears, tridents or javelins may vary in length or height! If you need precise dimensions and weight, email me!

If you need a piece to fit a very specific space, or if you want me to take a photo of a couple of pieces so you can pick the one you want, I will do so with pleasure.

Every piece is deliciously tactile.

It's All Greek is so grateful and so proud to have been working closely with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege and a joy to handle, live with, to photograph and describe these gorgeous pieces, before passing them on to passionate and grateful customers all over the world.

If you already own one of these pieces, cherish it!