Two Tibetan Miniature Engraved Silver Yak Butter Lamps, & a Tiny Brass Lamp

This trio of lamps were used on a personal altar in Tibet (and by Tibetans in Nepal). The trio comprises a matched pair of miniature silver lamps that are finely engraved with Buddhistic scrolling, and a tiny brass lamp that is unadorned and might be significantly earlier than the silver pair.

Their form is reminiscent of the Christian chalice and they would have been used on an altar, filled to the brim with yak butter oil and with a single wick floating in each.

The silver pair have baluster-form stems and have particularly elegant proportions.

The brass example is heavy for its size. It is the smallest butter lamp we have seen.

Typically, such lamps are found today as single lamps, but across the Himalayas in temples and monasteries, they are always used in pairs. The trio is in a fine, stable condition without losses, dents or repairs. Their age is obvious as is their patina.