Indian Brass Oil Lamp

Teardrop lamp bowl with a pinched spout and a pale mineral crust inside.

This brass oil lamp from Karnataka is from Karnataka, South India, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. Lamps of this kind burn oil, such as sesame or ghee, which is drawn up through a cotton wick that rests in a small spout. Boat-shaped dish with a pointed spout, a rolled rim and a short oval foot. The sides carry shallow incised lines. The inside is lined with greenish and pale crusty deposits, and the outside is dark and rough. It is 1.5 inches wide, 2.5 deep and 1 high.

Small, scarred and clearly well used.