A JAPANESE BRONZE RAT AND LACQUERED WOOD OIL LAMP, TODAI

There are a variety of traditional Japanese lighting devices, however the present lot is rather unique example. As oil was less costly than wax it was typically used for fueling lighting. Interestingly, the self-regulating system within these traditional oil lamps in Japan is quite similar to the bird-fountain lamps of India being imported during heightened foreign trade of the Momoyama period (1573-1600). In this present lot, the rat is the main oil reservoir, a decided choice for adornment given the rat is a symbol of the midnight hour in the Japanese culture.