Indian Oil Lamp with Pierced Work

All that lattice, and the flame still gets the last word.

This oil lamp with pierced work comes from India and dates to the 20th century. It is brass. Oil lamps have a central place in Indian religious and domestic life, lit in temples and homes to mark prayer, festivals and the dispelling of darkness. Here a tall column of diamond lattice rises through rings of lotus petals and beading. A small animal clings to the shaft. A wide dish at the top and a broad round foot complete it. Thirty inches high and 14.5 in diameter.

Even unlit, it throws a long shadow.