“Piquera” lamp fragment from Calatrava la Vieja, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Taifa period (11th century). This artifact was found in the 2018 excavations in the south-east sector of the medina, next to the western wall of the alcázar. This kind of lamps (“qandil” or “misbah” in arabic),inheriting of the roman lamps (“lucernas”), were handle lamps that operated by burning vegetable oils, mainly used for domestic illumination. These elements were part of the trousseau of the medieval islamic houses, and in addition to their functional value had an outstanding symbolic value, as it represented the triumph of light over darkness and the faith of the believer. Catalog No. CV 18 26 998. Proceswed and modeled in Reality Capture from 148 photos.
Retuerce Velasco, M. (1998): La cerámica andalusí de la Meseta. Madrid.
