087 - Oil lamp

IN THE NOT-SO-OLD DAYS, oil lamps were the only illuminating means in the local households. Oil lamps were made of clay or metal and their fuel (oil and, in the case of oil shortage, grease) was put inside. At the edge of the oil lamp, there was an orifice for a cotton wick, which illuminated the surrounding area while it burned slowly. It had an oblong handle at its back, which was used for trans- porting or hanging the oil lamp on the lamp stand: the lamp stand was a pole mounted on a wooden or stone base, with a nail on its top. Lamps were the main illuminating means, especially in remote areas, until the 1960s, when they were gradually replaced by the extensive use of electricity in rural areas. This particular utensil belonged to the grandmother of the donor, Triantafylli Michalakakos.

Donor: Takis Maniatakos