The most fundamental aspects of life--physical love, conception and birth are depicted on this remarkable lamp. The sculpted relief tells a story, a narrative starting from the embrace of man and woman. Then the man is gone with only the woman standing starkly and defiantly, her extended stomach showing she is very near giving birth. This happy event is shown next with the baby suckling contentedly at the mother's breast. As we view the figures counter-clockwise the scene begins again, round and round in the ceaseless progression of human procreation. This lamp may have been intended for personal use in burning offerings to a deity connected with fertility. All the figures look upwards as if seeing a vision, and each has a blissful expression with their partially closed eyes. A crucial phase in the cycle of life is depicted on this lamp with amazing simplicity of form and depth of feeling. The most fundamental aspects of life-- physical love, conception and birth are depicted on this remarkable lamp. The sculpted relief tells a story, a narrative starting from the embrace of man and woman. Then the man is gone with only the woman standing starkly and defiantly, her extended stomach showing she is very near giving birth. This happy event is shown next with the baby suckling contentedly at the mother's breast. As we view the figures counter-clockwise the scene begins again, round and round in the ceaseless progression of human procreation. This lamp may have been intended for personal use in burning offerings to a deity connected with fertility. All the figures look upwards as if seeing a vision, and each has a blissful expression with their partially closed eyes. A crucial phase in the cycle of life is depicted on this lamp with amazing simplicity of form and depth of feeling.