Lucerne di ceramica e di bronzo della Sardegna nuragica

In the manifacture of nuragic age particularly significant is the bronze production of weapons, tools and bronzetti, miniatures of people, animals, buildings and objects of daily use. Within this category stand out more than one hundred and fifty boat models characterized by a basin shaped as a ship hull with the bow adorned with a animal head. The religious value of these bronzes, as well as by the location in temples and holy places, was emphasized by the value of ex-voto of particular prestige and importance and the use of the object as a votive lamp inside the sanctuaries. Indeed, their functional use has been assumed on the basis of the comparison with the similar clay artifacts, for which it is widely documented use as lamps within domestic or cultual spaces. Are known several hundred clay lamps that generally appear less detailed than the metal ones and only evocative of the shape that inspired. In fact the nature of the clay could not allow the execution of a detailed modeling what is possible with the lost-wax bronze casting, which allows to reproduce details and decorative elements made with finesse and precision.