Product Description
17.5" H x 4.25" W 7.5" D This Handmade Vintage Bolivian Miner’s Oil Lamp is an authentic iron tool traditionally used by miners working in the dangerous mines of Potosí, Bolivia. This rare example includes symbolic forged details such as a pick, shovel, and cross, representing both the miner’s trade and the deep spiritual protection they relied upon before entering the mines.
These lamps were carried into extremely hazardous conditions, and their religious motifs expressed a miner’s hope for safety and survival. Pieces like this are highly collectible as they capture the harsh history of mining in the Andes and the blend of faith, culture, and daily labor.
This lamp was reportedly sourced in the late 1980s from a small tool stand in Potosí, a region famous for centuries of silver extraction. It features a hooked top for suspension, a conical oil reservoir, and attached wick-trimming scissors—typical of functional lamps used underground.
A striking example of functional folk art, mining history, and Andean craftsmanship.
