Indian Oil Lamp with Man Astride a Feline

A rider on a big cat, perched on a pillar like an ambitious weathervane.

This oil lamp is bronze from India, dated in the record to the 19th century, and shows a man astride a feline. Metal lamps with animal or figure finials were commonly used in domestic and shrine settings in India. The cat is stocky, with a raised head and long tail, and the small rider sits upright on its back. A tall stem with ring-like turnings rises from a round, domed base decorated with an incised border. The brass-bronze has a mellow, golden-green tone.

About twelve inches tall. A tiny parade held up on a pole.