Museum Updates
2,000-year-old bronze lamp in phoenix design
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
China Bound
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What looks like a spoon at first glance is actually a bronze lamp!
Designed in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) for people on the move at night, this ingenious lamp takes the form of a phoenix. Its deep bowl held oil and a wick, while its openwork tail is adorned with tiny bronze bells that chimed softly as it swayed.
Blending the aesthetics of Chu and Han culture, it turns everyday lighting into a work of art.
Unearthed in Changsha, Hunan province, in 1982, the lamp is now housed at the Changsha Museum.
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