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X2001.11.26a-c Lamp
Object Name: Lamp
Place of Origin: Rajasthan, India
Dimensions: Total Height: 13.80 cm, Total Width: 19.50 cm, Total Depth: 15.30 cm, H: 9.00 cm, W: 7.80
Medium/Materials: Brass
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Pal Family.
Accession Number: X2001.11.26a-c
Small lamps with handles at the back are intended for use in the arati ritual, in which the lamp-grasped firmly in the right hand-is moved in a clockwise circle in front of an image of a deity. The lamp circles first the head of the deity, then the torso, and finally the feet, all the while accompanied by the ringing of a small hand bell held in the left hand. This ritual is performed millions of times daily across India in both temple and home settings.
Source: Exhibition wall text, Flames of Devotion: Oil Lamps from South and Southeast Asia and the Himalayas.
