Design for a Processional Lamp
early 17th century
Medium
lighting
Classification
lighting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors
Accession Number
1901-39-1049
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the early 17th century with intriguing *Design for a Processional*, a rare surviving blueprint from America's colonial beginnings. Created by an unknown artist around the 1600s, this work falls within the Smithsonian American Art Museum's lighting collection, acquired through generous donor gifts. Processional lamps were essential for religious or civic parades, where ornate carriers held flickering candles or oil flames aloft, illuminating nighttime rituals and symbolizing faith or community spirit in a pre-electric era. As a preparatory design rather than a finished object, it off...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...