Newari Oil Lamp Depicting Salamander

A salamander sleeps in a stone saucer, quite at home.

Newari artisans of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, made this oil lamp depicting a salamander in stone in the late 19th or early 20th century. Stone oil lamps are commonly used for offerings in Newar religious life. A flat, oval bowl with a short, squared handle holds a low, curled animal form within it. The stone is a mottled gray with warm reddish-brown spots, worn at the edges and flecked with pits. Its surface is dry and slightly uneven.

About six and a half inches long and an inch high. Smaller than a sandwich, and calmer than most.