Copper sheep lamp

[Copper sheep lamp]

Copper sheep lamp, Western Han Dynasty, with a height of 11.8 cm and a width of 14.5 cm
The bronze sheep lamp is carved in the shape of a standing horn sheep, with a round body, upright limbs, head raised and eyes fixed, and a charmingly naive manner. The back of the sheep is designed as a movable lamp tray, and the sheep body is hollow to store oil. In ancient China, “sheep” and “auspicious” are common, and the sheep shape is used as a lamp to symbolize auspicious
The lamps in the Han Dynasty mainly used grease as fuel, usually animal or plant grease. When used, the candle is bound into a bundle and dipped in grease to light. The ancients called it “paste candle”. The lamp cone is made of hemp straw (Yinxi) after peeling off the hemp skin, and placed in the lamp panel.