Changxin Palace Lamp, Western Han Dynasty

The Changxin Palace Lamp, one of the greatest treasures of the Hebei Museum, is a gilded bronze oil lamp from China's Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). Unearthed in 1968 from the tomb of Dou Wan, wife of Prince Jing of the Zhongshan state, it is celebrated for its ingenious design. Fumes produced by the burning oil are drawn through a hollow sleeve of the kneeling palace maid and collected inside her body, helping to keep the surrounding air clean. The lamp can also be taken apart for easy cleaning, while inscriptions on its surface record its changing ownership among Western Han palace households. Blending sophisticated metallurgy, refined craftsmanship, and remarkable ingenuity, the Changxin Palace Lamp stands as an enduring symbol of the technological and artistic achievements of the Han Dynasty.

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