Butter lamp

Museum number:
9-21931a,b
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm210921931a@2cb
Alternate number:
BY.T-19 (previous number) and T-19 (original number)
Description:
This is a large copper butter lamp meant for use in a monastery or other large Buddhist temple. It has a narrow top rather than the more typical flared top, and lacks any ornamentation such as inset jewels or silver chasing. See: T-24,The wick is formed from unprocessed cotton and a straw. The cotton is wrapped around the straw, and the straw set in the small hole in the middle of the basin of the lamp. The top of the wick should be slightly above the rim of the lamp. The lamp is then filled with clarified Dri butter. The dri is the female of the yak. The lamp is placed on an altar as an offering to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Lamas represented there.See: Photo T-09 See also: T-09, T-19
Collection place:
Tibet
Verbatim coll. place:
Tibet
Collector:
Theos C. Bernard
Materials:
Copper, Copper (metal), Lead, and Lead (metal)
Object type:
ethnography
Production date:
19th-20th century
Department:
Asia (except western Russia)
Images:
Hearst Museum object 1 of 2 titled Butter lamp, accession number 9-21931a,b, described as This is a large copper butter lamp meant for use in a monastery or other large Buddhist temple. It has a narrow top rather than the more typical flared top, and lacks any ornamentation such as inset jewels or silver chasing. See: T-24,The wick is formed from unprocessed cotton and a straw. The cotton is wrapped around the straw, and the straw set in the small hole in the middle of the basin of the lamp. The top of the wick should be slightly above the rim of the lamp. The lamp is then filled with clarified Dri butter. The dri is the female of the yak. The lamp is placed on an altar as an offering to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Lamas represented there.See: Photo T-09 See also: T-09, T-19Hearst Museum object 2 of 2 titled Butter lamp, accession number 9-21931a,b, described as This is a large copper butter lamp meant for use in a monastery or other large Buddhist temple. It has a narrow top rather than the more typical flared top, and lacks any ornamentation such as inset jewels or silver chasing. See: T-24,The wick is formed from unprocessed cotton and a straw. The cotton is wrapped around the straw, and the straw set in the small hole in the middle of the basin of the lamp. The top of the wick should be slightly above the rim of the lamp. The lamp is then filled with clarified Dri butter. The dri is the female of the yak. The lamp is placed on an altar as an offering to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Lamas represented there.See: Photo T-09 See also: T-09, T-19

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