Nepalese Bronze Panas Ritual Lamp

Panas ritual lamp in bronze or brass, Nepal, late 18th – 19th century. It was intended to hold a wick fueled by oil or ghee (ghi, clarified butter). Its silhouette combines a wide circular base, friezes of lotus petals, beaded borders, and a partially openwork body. A beautiful amber patina and numerous traces of use and calcined butter attest to its ritual function. This type of lamp is notably linked to the Newar traditions of Nepal.

• H: 18.5 cm x base diameter 14.5 cm
• Weight: 1485 grams
• Slight deformations of the cup (normal wear).
• This lamp comes from the former Claude de Marteau collection and is sold with a certificate of provenance.

Panas, Nepalese ritual oil or ghee lamp

This bronze Panas ritual lamp belongs to an ancient Nepalese tradition where light holds an essential place in religious and ceremonial practices. The term Panas refers to a lamp designed to hold a wick fueled by oil or ghee, also known as ghi or clarified butter. These lamps are used in Nepal in domestic settings as well as in temples and during various ceremonies.

In the Newar culture of the Kathmandu Valley, light accompanies numerous rites and propitious moments. Lighting a lamp is both an offering and a symbolic gesture: the flame dispels darkness and contributes to the opening of the ritual. The Panas thus belongs to a universe where Hindu and Buddhist traditions closely coexist, particularly in the art of Nepal.

A bronze structure adorned with lotus petals

The example presented here features a relatively elaborate construction. A wide circular base ensures the lamp’s stability and rises towards a body strongly articulated by its decoration. Several concentric registers follow one another: beaded borders, fine ornamental friezes, and long leaves or lotus petals modeled in the metal.

The foot of the butter lamp, adorned with lotus petals.

The slightly flared lower part of the shaft is punctuated by long vertical flutes that terminate in a series of small openings. This interplay of openwork visually lightens an otherwise massive piece, adding rhythm to its silhouette.

At the center, a baluster-shaped element creates a transition between the foot and the upper part. This section widens again into a substantial corolla decorated with lotus petals, emphasized by a particularly prominent beaded border. At the summit, the cup intended for the combustion of oil or ghee is situated.

The vocabulary of the lotus is not merely decorative. Omnipresent in Buddhist art as well as in Hindu iconography, it truly structures the form here: the lamp appears composed of several superimposed corollas that symbolically support and elevate the flame.

Patina and traces of ritual use

The bronze retains a deep brown patina, irregular, revealing warmer metal tones in places as well as some areas of verdigris oxidation. The upper cup also shows significant wear and traces related to its use.

Ancient Panas temple lamp for oil or ghi, its patina and calcined areas bear witness to repeated ritual use over many years.

These marks fully contribute to the object’s interpretation. Unlike a purely decorative object, the Panas is designed to be used: filled with oil or ghee, fitted with a wick, and then lit during the ritual.

The repetition of ornaments, the thickness of the metal, and the balance between the different parts give this lamp a particularly strong presence, even when unlit. It constitutes both a functional object and a true piece of crafted metal belonging to the ancient bronzes of Tibet and Nepal.

Panas and Hawadar Panas

Some comparable Nepalese examples, particularly large bronze lamps featuring openwork sections, are sometimes described as “Hawadar Panas”. This designation, however, remains much less documented than the generic term Panas. Nevertheless, the form, lotus decoration, upper cup, and openwork character allow this example to be associated with this particular family of Nepalese temple lamps.

This Nepalese Panas lamp constitutes a particularly evocative testimony to Himalayan ritual arts; it is literally imbued with them. It is not a decorative object; it has held a flame, received oil or ghee, and accompanied ritual gestures for decades. Its worn bronze, lotus decorations, and powerful silhouette still convey this function today, lending the piece an immediately palpable presence.