Nepalese Brass Oil Lamp

Wide dish with a beaded rim sits on a fluted bell like a cake stand for deities.

This oil lamp is from Nepal, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is brass. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and its warm gold color and durability made it a standard metal for lamps, vessels and ritual objects across South Asia. Shallow round tray with a heavy beaded edge rests on a narrow dark neck above a bell-shaped body with vertical ribbing. The flaring base has a petal-like border and another beaded rim. The brass surface is dull gold with dark patches. It is 6 inches high and 7 in diameter.

Plenty of metal, and not a smooth edge in sight.