Indian Brass Oil Lamp

Slim, bulbed and topped with a needle-like finial, this one stands tall and trim.

This oil lamp is from India, and dates to the early 20th century. It is brass. Oil lamps burn a wick that draws oil upward by capillary action, so the flame feeds steadily from the reservoir below. Small metal stand rising from a wide flaring foot through a thin stem to a rounded, ringed body. Above it a tapering cap ends in a thin spike. The surface is mellow golden brown, softly rubbed and slightly uneven. It is 8.5 inches high and 3 in diameter.

Elegant in profile and a little stern in outlook.