{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O128609"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O128609/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CT2900/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CT2900/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CT2900","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CT2899","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O128609/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O128609","accessionNumber":"9146:1, 2-1863","objectType":"Cresset","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The earliest recorded street-lights, known as cressets, took the form of decorative iron baskets which were fixed on to the walls of some Italian palaces. Light came from coils of rope soaked in pitch which were placed in the cressets and lit. Such lanterns were almost exclusively confined to Italy. Throughout Italy for many centuries street lighting was provided by the individual citizen, sometimes impelled by law. It was not until the eighteenth century that any European city was regularly lit.","physicalDescription":"Wrought iron cresset. A curving stem with long  pointed leaves attached, curls up to support and pierce a cylindrical basket.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wrought iron","id":"AAT11012"}],"techniques":[{"text":"forging (metal forming)","id":"AAT54033"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wrought iron","categories":[{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Lighting","id":"THES48925"},{"text":"Ironwork","id":"THES251837"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2009CT2900","2009CT2899"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"50A (VA)","id":"THES49781"},"free":"","case":"WW","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"AMS","id":"THES49692"},"free":"","case":"BY6","shelf":"FLR","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Street cresset","id":""}],[{"text":"Street cresset","id":""}],[{"text":"Bracket","id":"AAT182005"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Florence","id":"x28848"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1500-1600","earliest":"1500-01-01","latest":"1600-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"70","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approx.","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"45","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approx.","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"50","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"The earliest recorded street-lights, known as cressets, took the form of decorative iron baskets which were fixed on to the walls of some Italian palaces. Such lanterns were almost exclusively confined to Italy. The Victoria and Albert Museum possesses three cressets and others remain in situ in Lucca- on the Bocella and Baroni palaces, at Perugia, Siena and Florence. The best surviving example was made by Nicolò Grosso in 1489 for the Strozzi palace, Florence (where it can still be seen) and, since the nineteenth century, this has been much imitated. \r\n\r\nVassari wrote of the palace \"To the end that everything might be in keeping, he (Filippo Strozzi) caused beautiful pieces of ironwork to be made for all parts of the palace, as adornments for it, and the lanterns that are at the corners...In those marvellous lanterns may be seen cornices, columns, capitals and brackets of iron, fixed together with wonderful workmanship\". \r\n\r\nLight came from coils of rope soaked in pitch which were placed in the cressets and lit. Nightfall imposed very real curbs upon social activity in Renaissance cities and for many centuries street lighting was provided by the individual citizen, sometimes impelled by law. It was not until the eighteenth century that any European city was regularly lit.","briefDescription":"Wrought iron cresset, curving stem with leaves supporting a cylindrical basket, Florence, 16th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Starkie Gardner, J. <font -u>Ironwork Part II. Continental Ironwork of the Renaissance and Later Periods</font> (Board of Education, London 1930) pp 11-12 illu. plate 6"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Campbell, M. <font -u>Decorative Ironwork</font> (V&A Publications, London 1997) p92"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Geerlings, G. <font -u>Wrought Iron in Architecture</font> (General Publishing, Canada) p188"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>The Art Journal</u>. 1869. p.191."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"leaves","id":"x34654"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"CRESSET\r\nWrought Iron\r\nItaly; 16th century\r\n\r\nWall-mounted cressets, an early form of street lighting, seem to have been unique to Italy. It apppears that permission to use them was restricted to noble or wealthy citizens. Coils of rope soaked in pitch were placed in the cradles and lit by burning torches.","date":{"text":"2006","earliest":"2006-01-01","latest":"2006-12-31"}},{"text":"TWO STREET CRESSETS\nWrought iron\nItaly; 16th century\n\nWall-mounted cressets, an early form of street lighting, seem to have been unique to Italy. It appears that permission to use them was restricted to noble or wealthy citizens. Coils of rope soaked in pitch were placed in cradles and lit by burning torches. \n\nMuseum Nos 7384-1861 (left) and 9146-1863","date":{"text":"07/1994","earliest":"1994-07-01","latest":"1994-07-31"}}],"partNumbers":["9146:1-1863","9146:2-1863"],"accessionNumberNum":"9146","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1863,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2020MP0019"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2006-10-13","availableToBook":false}}