ticketsMember | Make a donation

Lamp with Nine Branches

Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Multibranch lamps were popular in ancient China. The present example has a surmounting oil tray in the shape of a waterbird, possibly a duck. Its nine branches are arranged in three tiers, each carrying a small heart-shaped tray with a spike at the center to hold a wick. The lamp was discovered in a large, lavishly furnished tomb, possibly that of a government official, in the far southwest of the empire. Found together with a complete set of ritual vessels, costumes, and lacquerwares, the lamp demonstrates the reach and influence of the central government.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 西汉 青铜多枝灯
  • Title: Lamp with Nine Branches
  • Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: H. 33 7/16 in. (85 cm); Diam. of base 7 7/8 in. (20 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Museum
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art