AN INDIAN TEMPLE BRONZE OIL LAMP, DECCAN OR SOUTH INDIA, 16TH-17TH CENTURY

The lamp is suspended by a chain with linked rings. The bulbous central body of the lamp would have held oil, its rounded form tapering elegantly above and below into ringed tiers. A horizontal spout extends from the base of the oil reservoir, with its open lip slightly flared. Just behind the spout is a beautifully cast head of a caparisoned elephant—or possibly a yali (a mythical creature), a common motif in Hindu temples. The top section of the lamp is composed of progressively smaller, flaring tiers. Height ca 50 cm.

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