Oil Lamps

Oil lamps have been used to provide light as well being vial components in religious rituals. Called a diya when it is used daily by Hindus throughout the Indian subcontinent, they are made of clay, brass or other copper/metal alloys and gold and silver for the rich. Clay lamps are usually used with a cotton wick and oil or clarified butter (ghee) as a short term light source for special occasions and ceremonies or on a daily basis for prayer rituals performed in the home or at temples for devotional worship of or showing reverence to Hindu deities (puja). Metal diyas are more permanent fixtures in the home and in temples and are also used to celebrate all kinds of events including a wish to honor a guest’s arrival, celebrate the passing or recall the memory of a loved one, or celebrate almost any important life event. Metal diyas are usually one-of-a-kind hand-cast pieces made using the lost wax method where each mold is hand-made and destroyed in the casting process. Hindus believe that diyas are essential, as light itself is the absence of darkness and where evil forces dwell. Therefore, light and the act of lighting a lamp signifies purity, virtuosity, goodness and brings one good luck and power. Antique oil lamps were found throughout the Roman Empire catacombs as manifestations of the presence of the divine. Our collection also includes carved wood oil lamps.