OIL LAMP IN THE SHAPE OF A NAGA (SERPENT DEITY)
On this lamp, the head of the naga (divine serpent) supports a flat, petal-shaped dish that would have held oil and a small wick that would have provided a flame. Nagas in South Asia and Southeast Asia are believed to connect human and divine worlds, and they are especially associated with water.
Oil lamps like this one are both ornamental and functional. Relief carvings on Indonesian temples show similar lamps illuminating both sacred and palace interiors.
Object Number
LTS2015.3.2
Date
14th century
Place of Origin
Indonesia
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
H × W × D (without chain):
33 × 17.2 × 6.5 cm
(13 × 6 3/4 × 2 9/16 in.)
Credit line
Promised gift of Ann and Gilbert Kinney to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery