Newari Oil Lamp Depicting Salamander

Handled lamp shows a small round cup and a ridged creature curled alongside.

This stone oil lamp depicting a salamander from the Newari people is Newari, from Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. Oil lamps in Nepal are used in homes and temples, and lighting one is a common part of daily worship in Hindu and Buddhist households. Dark dish with a long handle, a small round cup at the center and a curved ridged form wrapped along the rim. The surface is smooth with fine incised lines on the coiled body, and darker patches in the hollow. It is 9.25 inches wide, 3.5 deep and 1.75 high.

Serious little shape work, with a quirky twist.