Japanese Paper (Washi) Art Lamp

Description

The handcrafted Japanese Paper Art Lamp comes from from Fukui (Echizen) in Japan, two and half hours away from the old capital Kyoto.  These exquisite art lamps with “Echizen Washi” paper shades still have their paper made using traditional methods.  Paper is created by boiling tree bark, and combined with natural gluing agents, using techniques handed down to families and communities since 6th century.  Functional, durable and beautiful, “Echizen Papers” have always been known for their quality.  Japanese currency notes have been praised for being one of the most difficult money notes to forge.  When Japanese government produced the very first modern paper notes, it was Echizen artisan makers that they have chosen to advise and supervise the process.  The techniques you can see in Japanese notes where patterns are seen through super thin papers originate in the Echizen area of Japan.  The bank of Japan in fact had a regional devision in Echizen and was making 100 yen and 1,000 yen notes here until 1940.

The Osada family have been perfecting the art of making Japanese ‘washi’ paper crafts since 1909.  While they still produce top quality traditional decorative paper doors, and keep challenging their boundaries as a group of artists.  Their innovative efforts have been recognised by top fashion designers.  Their haute couture paper dress has captivated admiring crowds at fashion shows in Paris and Rome, and is now displayed at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  Their large and dynamic paper installations have been decorated in a hallway of a high end Tokyo department store that boasts 70,000 visitors a day.

These lamps are highly artistic and original and they are made to order.  The lamps take about a month to make.  The carefully calculated amount of light coming through beautifully designed patterns is just exquisite and the warm hand crafted white paper is easy to colour-coordinate with any space.  Please note the product photographed is Size Medium.

Specificatons

Size Large
Diameter 30cm × Height 130cm, 4.5kg

Size Medium
Diameter 26cm × Height 95cm, 3.1kg

Size Small
Diameter 20cm × Height 65cm, 2.5kg