A Decanni Bronze Oil Lamp Southern India, 17th/18th century in the form of a bird, with small spout below the chest, and a hinged wick holder below its feet, and incised stylized feathers, a suspension chain attached to a loop on its neck. Measurement: 45cm high (including chain); 25cm long Provenance: Private collection, London. Catalogue note: The tradition of zoomorphic vessels from Islamic India, most commonly lamps or acquamaniles in the form of birds, derives from Middle Eastern objects, the earliest examples dating from Abbasid Mesopotamia. For the early prototypes and examples from India, see Mark Zebrowski, Gold, Silver and Bronze from Mughal India, London 1997, p.96ff