Extremely rare cast bronze oil lamp with a peacock oil container from Gujarat.
Birds or peacocks like this were often used as decorative elements on the top of oil lamps and doubled as an oil container for the lamp. In this case an internal mechanism allowed the oil to pass, drop by drop, through a narrow, often faceted, spout on the breast of the bird into the lotus shaped bowl with the wicks beneath. At the base of the balustrade stem is circular drip pan with cut petal edges. The petals are also echoed in the widest portion of the stem.