Nepalese Oil Lamp with Buddha Motif

Light was an offering long before it was a convenience.

This oil lamp with a Buddha motif comes from the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, 20th century, in brass. Lighting oil lamps is a daily act of offering in Nepali temples and homes, Buddhist and Hindu alike. A seated Buddha sits at the rim of a broad, shallow bowl, framed by a flaming arch, with two small attendants beside him. Below, the column steps down through bands of beading and lotus petals. A serpent coils around its middle. The base is domed, with a pierced band of small wheels. Thirty-two inches high and 11.5 in diameter.

The flame goes below. The Buddha stays above it.