An exquisitely carved stone lamp from the Santhal tribe, among the largest tribal communities of Jharkhand. The lamp is provided with a square-shaped stand upon which the lamp is seated and has a wide circular and flat pedestal base below to ensure stability. In the body, fine engraved designs adorn it, showing the artistic sensibility and cultural depth of the Santhals. At the top of this lamp is an oval-shaped mouth fitted with oil and wick in its traditional use. This particular lamp is an object of use in the home during celebrations of domestic rituals, agricultural festivals, and seasonal celebrations. It takes on the meanings of purity, protection, and lights-sacred presence in tribal spirituality.
To most Santhals, lamps like these are not merely functional tools. Such lamps perform genuinely significant spiritual roles, especially during ceremonies such as Sohrai, Baha, or Makar Parab. The stone material is symbolic of endurance, while the motifs etched usually reflect elements of nature and fertility-derived blessings from ancestors. This lamp, made from simple tools, reinforces the indigenous level of craftsmanship and the link of the tribe with their natural habitat. Each engraving bears symbolic meaning as passed down orally through generations and also artisan lines. Today it becomes very important in modern ethnographic collections to have such lamps because these are the right means to understand the ritualistic and aesthetic traditions of the Santhal - the in-between space of artistry and spirituality.