Opium lamp
A hexagonal brass opium oil lamp with a cylindrical rim. On the sides of the lamp is an illegible inscription in Chinese characters. The rim is richly decorated with a net ornament and the symbol of prosperity (lu 祿), stylised coins, and a pattern reminiscent of the stylised character for “long life” (shou 夀). Oil lamps were used by opium users to heat pipes for smoking opium (more specifically, to heat opium bowls), and the decorative light pattern created by the burner’s lattice wall will also have played an important role in the darkened rooms where opium was consumed. (HM)
Material description: brass
Manufacturing technique: metalworking techniques
Dimensions: height: 12.5 cm, radius (top): 4.5 cm
No. of parts: 1
Current owner: Slovene Ethnographic Museum
Date of the last acquisition: 1963
Previous owners and periods of ownership: Ivan Skušek, Jr. and Tsuneko Kondō Kawase - Marija Skušek, National Museum of Slovenia, Slovene Ethnographic Museum
Object condition, handling and damage: The burner is in good condition, only the upper part of the rim is damaged.
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