Mid 19th Century Antique Asian Mongolian Temple Oil Lamp

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This traditional Mongolian oil lamp was made using sections of cast iron, which were then "welded" together.
From the seam … Read more This traditional Mongolian oil lamp was made using sections of cast iron, which were then "welded" together.
From the seam marks, it appears that the base was made from 3 parts which were joined and hammered into shape. The stem was a long square length of rod which was twisted during heating. Typically, these lamp stands would have a shallow bowl with a short dull spike for a candle, or a tripod oil bowl could also be placed on the top bowl according to the owners resources and preferences. This particular lamp stand has had the oil bowl welded into place the top. The term "oil" actually refers to a piece of animal fat...
The lamp stand is 25 inches tall, and 7 inches across at the bottom of the base. The weight and proportions give it stability. Though this particular lamp came out of a Mongolian monastery, lamps of this type have been used for the past 200 years to light the family Ger (nomadic home of the Mongolians similar to the middle eastern Yurt) as the Mongolians move across the land. With it's age and patinated surface, it is a handsome display piece and as an ethnographic artifact, it tells a story..
Like many many of us ...it is a bit bent with age and use ... See less