Lamp with Lotus Bud Finial

This is an elegant, slender, lost wax cast, brass oil lamp from South India. At the top is a flame or lotus bud like finial. Below this is the oil reservoir with five petal like projections for the wicks. At the base of the sculptural pillar is a circular drip pan on a ring foot.
The ancient art of lost-wax casting dates back nearly 6000 years in India. 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.