68 - LARGE BRONZE OILLAMP INDIA 18TH CENTURY ORISSA

LARGE BRONZE OILLAMP INDIA 18TH CENTURY ORISSA Dimensions: Height 22 cm Wide 11 cm Depth 15 cm Weight: 708 grams An elaborate bronze oil lamp built as a miniature architectural ensemble. A broad, incised bell-shaped foot supports a richly textured elephant, above which rises a columnar shaft and a shallow, projecting oil bowl. Small suspended ornaments and bird-like forms animate the stem, while a taller bird rises from the rim of the upper reservoir. The intricate casting retains a variegated brown surface with lighter, worn highlights that bring out the dense ornament. Light offered before a deity is a central act of Hindu worship, and ritual lamps could be conceived as sculptural objects in their own right. The elephant below the reservoir evokes auspicious strength and ceremonial splendour, while the birds and hanging details lend movement to a structure intended to hold a flame. Its remarkable interest lies in the stacking of animal, architectural and functional elements into a single compact, richly worked form.