2000-year-old bronze lamp full of ingenious design

At first glance, this Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) bronze lamp looks simple, devoid of ornate decoration, forming a hollow cylindrical container with a base, a lid, and a layered interior when closed. But once disassembled, it is transformed into three interconnected bronze lamps – arranged left and right, staggered in height. More than 2,000 years ago, someone was already thinking about compact design.

Excavated in Qin'an county, Tianshui, Gansu province, this lamp is now housed in the Gansu Provincial Museum.