Lot 440
440
A PAIR OF FINELY-INCISED SILVER BUTTERLAMPS AND COVERS WITH THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS
A PAIR OF FINELY-INCISED SILVER BUTTERLAMPS AND COVERS WITH THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS
A PAIR OF FINELY-INCISED SILVER BUTTERLAMPS AND COVERS WITH THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS
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A PAIR OF FINELY-INCISED SILVER BUTTERLAMPS AND COVERS WITH THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS
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Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE NORTH AMERICAN COLLECTION
A PAIR OF FINELY-INCISED SILVER BUTTERLAMPS AND COVERS WITH THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS

TIBET OR MONGOLIA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

Details
A PAIR OF FINELY-INCISED SILVER BUTTERLAMPS AND COVERS WITH THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS
TIBET OR MONGOLIA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
Each 13 3⁄4 in. (34.9 cm.) high
Literature
Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 24757.
Special notice
Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Lot Essay

Placed on an altar with various sacred offerings, butter lamps are an essential part of Buddhist ritual worship. This resplendent pair, still retaining their original covers, are richly molded in precious silver, and ornately incised with a rich, overall foliate design. The bowls of the lamps rise from ritual amrita vases, symbols of long life, and the sides of the bowls and the tops of the covers are ornamented with the Eight Auspicious Symbols. The crests surrounding the openings at the top of the cover depict arhats or lamas seated within a verdant landscape, and their openwork design would have allowed the smoke to billow through their apertures.

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