A BRASS ‘ELEPHANT’ TEMPLE LAMP, INDIA, 19TH-EARLY 20TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A BRASS ‘ELEPHANT’ TEMPLE LAMP, INDIA, 19TH-EARLY 20TH CENTURY Finely cast in the form of a recumbent elephant, the mammal shown with its forelegs folded beneath the body and the trunk raised high to support a shallow circular oil dish. The head is modeled with almond-shaped eyes, gently flared ears, and small tusks, while the trunk is wrapped with a narrow band and rises into a foliate support beneath the burner. The broad back is covered by a rectangular saddlecloth finely incised with scrolling foliate ornament, its borders neatly delineated. The circular lamp dish is edged with scrolling motifs and lotus-petal decoration, creating an elegant transition between the naturalistic animal form and the ritual function of the object. Dimensions: Length 25 cm, Height 16.8 cm Elephant-form temple lamps like the present lot are used in Hindu devotional settings to hold oil and a wick, producing a sacred flame during puja. The elephant, an auspicious emblem associated with strength, prosperity, and royal authority, heightens the ritual significance of the lamp, while the raised burner allows the flame to function as an offering of light before a deity. Such lamps are placed in shrines, temples, or domestic altars and lit during daily worship, festivals, and other ceremonial observances.

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