Title
Chettiar temple lamp
Year/Period
19th century
Region
Europe
Object Type
Dimension
Object size: H:7.0 x Dia:24.0
Accession No.
1999-00073
Collection of
This hand-blown glass lamp is found in a Chettiar temple. Chettiars are a Tamil-speaking, moneylending business community who are also staunch Shaiva-Skanda (worshippers of Shiva and Murugan) devotees.The lamp's glass is made from lead oxide (instead of the standard lime) added to the potash, which is derived from burned wood and bracken. Blown glass can be shaped entirely by hand. Here, the lamp is made by blowing into a mould, which provides the entire shape of the final product. Moulds are usually made of iron, but today they can be brass, wood or aluminum.
