Rare Buddhist Antique Altar Lamp- First We’ve Seen

Japanese rare Early Taisho Period Circa 1920’s Buddhist temple altar lamp in the shape of the ‘hoju’ -the sacred buddhist symbol of wish granting and good fortune.

This impressive large lamp which once would have housed a candle, has been enhanced with new interior transparent plexiglass and a new electric light for dramatic visual enjoyment.

Dimensions: 18 inches high and 12 inches diameter

Notice the finely crafted “hoju” canopy and simple but detailed well designed base

Hand crafted copper.

Dimensions: 18 inches tall and 12 inches diameter

Provenance: Old Japanese collection

Lifetime guarantee of authenticity: All of our Asian works of art come with our lifetime authenticity guarantee.

We have been dealing in authentic Japanese and fine Asian art, garden ornaments, lanterns and water basins for 25 years. Our president personally travels to Japan and Europe each year to meet his network partners who assist him in finding best examples. He personally inspects each antique work of art to ensure its old age, authenticity and quality condition.

Japan’s lantern and lamp tradition was originally conceived as entrance lighting and guardians to temples and pagodas and when lit served as an offering to Buddha. Some of the earliest lanterns were carved with Buddhist images on the firebox and usually had compartments for an oil lamp or candle. Later on, they became more secular in nature, and their use evolved as functional and decorative elements in traditional Japanese tea gardens where they served as a spiritual source of light for evening tea ceremonies. Today’s vintage survivors serve as fashionable aesthetic elements in modern day Japanese and Asian inspired gardens. During festivals and ceremonies, rice paper is often cut to fit lantern windows to increase reflection of candles placed inside them. Soon these paper lenses disappear and for one special evening and event, the glow is surreal.