Terracotta Diya Set of 6 — Handmade Natural Clay Diyas with Swastika Design

A diya is a small open clay lamp that holds oil or ghee (clarified butter) and a cotton wick, and it is lit in Indian homes every evening and in large numbers at Diwali, the autumn festival of lights. Each of the four diyas in this set sits at the centre of a square swastika design, with the lamp and the symbol formed from a single piece of natural terracotta. No paint or glaze is used.

The swastika is one of the oldest auspicious symbols in South Asia. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism it stands for good fortune and well-being, and it is drawn at doorways, on new account books, and at the start of ceremonies. Many buyers outside South Asia know the shape only from its twentieth-century misuse in Europe, but in its original use it is a sign of good luck that is thousands of years older and carries no hostile meaning.

On this lamp, the four arms of the symbol are worked as curved leaves, each marked with fine veins, and they fan out in a pinwheel to form a square outline. The lamp itself is a rounded teardrop with a border of small beads along its edge, a ring of fine vertical flutes inside the bowl, and a flower medallion at the centre, with the wick lying in the pointed end.

Because the outline is square, four diyas line up in a neat grid or diamond and can be placed edge to edge as tiles within a rangoli, the floor pattern of flower petals or coloured powder that families lay out for Diwali. They also suit a puja shelf, the home altar area used for daily prayer, and the entrance of a home, where the swastika is traditionally drawn to invite good fortune. Soak the diyas in water for at least 30 minutes before the first use so the bare clay absorbs less oil.

Made by Rajasthan artisans and finished by hand, the leaf arms and bead borders vary slightly from lamp to lamp. As with any unpainted terracotta, the clay tone can differ a little across the four diyas.

• Set includes — 6 natural terracotta diyas, unpainted
• Material — 100% natural terracotta clay, no paint or glaze
• Craft — Teardrop lamp with beaded border and fluted bowl, set in a four-armed leaf swastika design, finished by hand
• Origin — Handcrafted by artisan potters in Rajasthan, India
• Best for — Diwali, daily puja, home entrances, rangoli, gifting

Four natural terracotta diyas, each set in a raised swastika of curved leaves, a traditional sign of good fortune.