Indian Brass Oil Lamp

Dark, round-bellied vessel with a wide flared mouth and a spout like a short beak.

This brass oil lamp is from India, and dates to the 19th century. Oil lamps have been used in India for thousands of years, burning ghee or vegetable oil with a cotton wick for light and for worship. Heavy body with a beaded rim, a band of twisted-bead decoration at the neck and shoulder, and a raised rosette where the spout joins. The surface is brown-black and smooth, with patches of red-brown around the base. It is 3.25 inches wide, 5.5 deep and 4 high.

Plump, dark and proud of its beaded trim.