Brass Hindu object

I bought this today thinking it was some kind of chandelier hanger perhaps. Just googled it and I was quite pleasantly surprised. Another interesting object. Shame about the damage.

 

An oil lamp. This model is also used in Indonesia, also by non-Hindus. It isn't tied to a specific religious group.
I always liked them, but haven't bought one yet, no room.

 

Okay thanks for info. Google is feeding me lies again. Is there anything else that goes with it or is this the complete item?

 

Oh, dear, what did they say?

This one is complete, which is a bonus, some have lost their chains. Pity about the damage though, but it is still a wonderful item. You could even use it, but you have to watch out for dripping oil.

 

If you scroll down this page, almost to the bottom, you will see some Indonesian examples (text in Dutch):

https://www.indoshop.nl/indisch_antiek/java.html

The first one they show is from Aceh, north Sumatra, which is very much an Islamic province. The others are from Java, which is mostly nominally Muslim.

The term 'nominally' is often used when referring to Indonesian religions, because the Indonesian state only recognizes five religions, and adhering to a recognized religion is compulsory.
The old pre-Hindu religions are not recognized, so those adherents chose one of the five recognized religions for official reasons.
Because Indonesia is mainly Islamic (nominal?), it is usually best to choose Islam. But when there are extremist Islamic attacks, many nominal Muslims are appalled and convert to Buddhism or Christianity.

 

I dont fancy an open burning oil lamp in my house. Could be a hit dodgy. Nice website with some beautiful pieces on it there

 

It is tricky.

 

Are 7 wicks particularly significant, as opposed to an even number?

 

Seven is an auspicious number.

 

A most interesting page, AJ...I did note one other lamp with 7 wicks.
Also, the Ghendi (water bottles) in brass are quite similar to several genuine terra cotta Ghendi I have, and may have shown in the pottery forum a few months ago, 'tho it's hard to recall whether or not...

 

That's right, the terracotta ones are the original type, which goes back over a thousand years, maybe two, but is still being made. The brass ones came later, but also have a long history.