National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

This lamp stand consists of three parts: the pedestal, the prop and the reflector. An oil-lamp dish is to be placed on the iron circle placed at the center of the reflector. The surface of the reflector is painted with white pigment to enhance the reflection and three children are pictured on that white base. Each of them shows a lovable posture: one looking at an unfolded scroll, one writing something with a writing brush and one sleeping face down. The common name of this piece, "sleeping lamp stand," perhaps came from this amusing combination of a sleeping child and a lamp stand, a tool which is for reading and writing at night.