Images(3)

Lamp, Religious

Object number2020.29.5

Datec. 2018

MediumClay; Paint; Paper; Adhesive; Wax(?) or Ghee(?); Fabric

Credit LineGift of Krishna Sharma

DescriptionHeart-shaped Diya lamp. Painted green clay. Rim has ribbed texture and sections painted purple, yellow, and orange. Bowl is filled with colorless wax(?) or ghee(?) or other substance and has off-white fabric wick at center.DimensionsHeight x Width x Length: 1.25 × 2.5 × 2.625 in. (3.2 × 6.4 × 6.7 cm)
Historical NotesDiya lamp used during the religious festival Diwali.Label TextThese small earthenware lamps are central to the religious festival Diwali. The light of the lamp drives away darkness and symbolizes knowledge. Usually filled with oil or ghee (a kind of clarified butter made from bovine milk and used in Indian cooking, medicine, and religious rituals); the lamps have a cotton wick. The lamps light the home, burning away darkness and ignorance, as the flame reaches towards higher spiritual knowledge.

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