Bronze Lamp in the Shape of a Kneeling Man, bronze, c. 2,000-1,700 BP.
Bronze Lamp in the Shape of a Kneeling Man, bronze, c. 2,000-1,700 BP.
This artefact was discovered by Swedish archaeologist Robert Ture Olov Janse, during the excavation of a brick grave in Lach Truong, Hoang Hoa district, Thanh Hoa province and was moved to the Museum in 1935. The lamp is made in the shape of a male figurine who has his upper body bare and who wears a loincloth. He is kneeling and his two hands are holding an oil plate. The figurine has spiral hair and wears a turban and earrings. His eyes are open wide, his eyebrows raised, his nose is slender, his lips are thick and he is shown smiling faintly. These elements make many scholars believe that the statue reflects Indian influences. Three S-shaped branches are attached to his shoulders and back, each holding a dish for the lamp oil and are attached to a kneeling small figurine. The figurine’s collar is decorated with geometric patterns as if he wears ornaments; his waist is decorated with bands of lotus petals and he wears bracelets on his arms. The Lach Truong bronze lamp is unique and representative for the distinctive ancient arts, not only manifests interactions between local and Chinese and Indian cultural traditions in the late Dong Son period in the early centuries AD., but also reflects the artistic talent and refined bronze casting technique, especially bronze statue making, of the ancient people in this period.