Indian Lotus Form Candle Holder

Two tiers of petals ruffle around a sunny green circle, set on a fluted drum.

This marble lotus-form candle holder is from Rajasthan, India, and is contemporary. The lotus, which rises clean from muddy water, is a long-standing symbol of purity in Hindu and Buddhist art, and it is a frequent shape for lamps and holders. Visibly, a drum with vertical grooves carries a broad ring of overlapping pointed petals and a smaller ring of beads. A shallow round cup in the middle holds a bright green disc, and a few dark specks mark the pale surface. It is 4 inches wide, 4 deep and 3.5 high.

Tidy and ornamental, with one very loud green opinion.