Bastar Wrought Iron Spiral Tealight Holder

The Lohshilp tradition of Bastar, Chhattisgarh began in utility, iron beaten into farming tools, hunting implements. Then something shifted: the smiths began making things that had no use except to be looked at. This spiral tealight holder is part of that turn. Heat it from above and it becomes a different object.

Hand-forged from wrought iron in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, this tealight holder is a product of the Lohshilp tradition, India's oldest iron craft, born in communities that once made implements for the jungle. The spiral form is achieved by heating the iron rod and twisting it by hand. There is no shortcut to that geometry.

At rest it is a sculpture. Lit, it is something else, the iron warms, the shadows rotate with the flame, the spiral becomes the point of everything in the room. Tall enough to stand alone on a surface or among other things without disappearing.

Lohshilp Wrought Iron · Hand-Forged · Bastar, Chhattisgarh · Tribal Craft

Care Instructions

• Wipe with a dry, soft cloth.
• Do not immerse in water or use liquid cleaners.
• Remove wax residue with a soft cloth while still warm.
• Polish metal surfaces occasionally with a soft brass cloth.