Lamp Oil Container

This elegant, lost wax casting and engraved brass lamp oil container is from North India. The body of the piece is pear shaped with a stylised engraved design of a peacock feather on both sides. The two curved handles culminate in lotus bud finials. The long, tapering spout unscrews so it can be refilled. At the top and bottom of the spout is the stylised design of the petals of an opening flower. On the ring foot base are lappets or a petal like design. These vessels were used in palaces and elsewhere to refill oil lamps and torches.
This piece was created using the lost wax technique also called cire perdue. The ancient art of lost-wax casting dates back nearly 6000 years in India, and the oldest example in the world is from the Indus Valley Civilization. First, an artist creates an original model from wax. Everything is then encased with layers of clay, thus becoming a mould for the molten metal that will be poured inside it. When this is poured in, the wax melts and the original is lost. Once the metal hardens, the outer layer of clay is smashed, which is what makes each piece unique.