Antique Temple Ewer from Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Bronze Temple Ewer

This elegant ewer sits on a flared foot, has a spherical body and an elongated, gently tapering spout. The handle features an unusual rope-twist handle.

Only a few similar ewers with a rope-twist handle are known to have been published.

Such ewers were used in temples for filling the wells of small oil lamps with oil, the elongated spout being ideal for this task.

The condition of this piece is very good although there is a minor dent/tear on one side of the spout that runs for a few milimetres.

for the other similar ewer to have been published, see Sotheby’s London, ‘Arts of the Islamic World’, October 14, 1999, lot no.: 175.