54 BULLETIX Ul, UNITED STATES NATIOXAL MUSEUM 



used. (PI. 48, fig. 1, Cat. No. 274922, Mrs. Julian James; 35.1 inches 

 (89 cm.) long.) The Tibetan is a deeper saucer mounted on a bell- 

 shape base. (PI. 49(7, fig, 1.) These lamps vary greatly in size, some 

 of them holding 50 pounds of butter. They are often elaborately 

 decorated. (Cat. No. 167286, Eastern Tibet, W. W. Rockhill; 3.5 

 inches (9 cm.) high.) A pair of magnificent bronze temple lamps 

 from Tibet illustrate the gorgeous setting of a primitive lamp, which 

 is a shallow bowl at the top of the column. The form of these lamps 

 would seem to indicate that the artist followed a Persian candlestick 

 in his design. (PI. 496, figs. 1, 2, Cat. No. 216041, Tibet, Rowland 

 collection; 45 inches (114.5 cm.) high.) The Korean lamp is a pot- 

 tery bowl containing sesame oil and a rush pith wick. In shape it is 

 like the Tibetan butter lamp. It is often mounted on a wooden 

 stand having an arm to hold the lamp and another to hold the drip 

 catcher. A ratchet at the back admits of raising and lowering the 

 lamp. The specimen is a model from plans by the late Pom K. Soh. 

 (PL- 48, fig. 2, Cat. No. 203214, Korea; 36 inches (91.5 cm.) high.) 

 Here and there in Asia the saucer lamp has been observed and in the 

 Polynesian Islands of the Hawaiian group stone lamps of this type 

 and of ancient appearance have been found. They, however, appear 

 to be accultural, and are most prevalent in Hawaii, being nonexistent 

 or sporadic in other islands of Polynesia. Of the four specimens in 

 the Museum collection one is a beach stone having a natural circular 

 concavity at one end. (PI. 50, fig. 2, Cat. No. 257876, Hawaii, N. B. 

 Emerson; 6.5 inches (16.5 cm.) long, 4.2 inches (10.5 cm.) wide.) 

 Figure 3 is worked from vesicular volcanic rock. (Cat. No. 5891, 

 Hawaii, S. R. Dowdle; 3.4 inches (8.5 cm.) diameter.) Figure 4 is 

 well worked from dense red porphyry and shows no traces of oil or 

 effects of fire. (Cat. No. 5892^ Hawaii, S. R. Dowdle; 3.4 inches 

 (8.5 cm.) diameter.) Figure 1 is of basaltic rock, somewhat eroded 

 and roughened around the edge of the excavation. (Cat. No. 255723, 

 Hawaii, E. H. Estep; 5.6 inches (14 cm.) diameter.) The Eskimo 

 pottery saucer lamp (pi. 41(2, fig, 3) is of the class described above. 

 It is the Southern Eslrimo form and is not found north of Norton 

 Sound. This lamp is of Asiatic origin and appears to have spread 

 from eastern Asia across the Arctic to America. 



WICK CHANNEL LAMPS 



It is evident that the installation of the wick in the saucer lamp 

 where it could only be drawn up to the edge at any point was the 

 essence of simplicity. Except in lamps remaining stationary the 

 wick would be displaced and the light put out. Yet millions in the 

 Far East used such a lamp. The need for a groove or channel to 

 stabilize the wick appears to have been earliest felt in the Near East 



