Japanese Style Lamp – Cranes

In Japan, the crane has long been associated with good fortune, happiness and a long life. It’s a bird that appears in traditional Japanese paintings, textiles and decorative art, often alongside cherry blossom, mountains and water. I think there’s something particularly elegant about the way Japanese artists depict them, with just a few carefully placed details doing much of the work.

That’s the inspiration behind this Japanese Style Lamp, which brings together a pair of Japanese cranes, delicate pink cherry blossom, Mount Fuji and a soft red sun hanging over the landscape.

I wanted to keep this design quite restrained. Some of my lights are full of colour and intricate detail, but this one is deliberately different. The background is a soft ivory white, with gentle pinks, muted greys and touches of black in the cranes’ feathers. The whole scene has something of the appearance of a traditional Japanese watercolour painting and wraps around the entire shade so you see something different from every angle.

When the light is switched on, the white background glows gently through the artwork, giving the scene a lovely warmth. The red sun becomes more prominent, while the cranes and cherry blossom retain their delicate detail.

I particularly like the contrast between the simplicity of the artwork and the soft illumination. It’s a light that doesn’t need to shout for attention.

The shade sits on a dark olive, ribbed base, which I think works particularly well with the Japanese-inspired design. It gives the light a slightly more contemporary appearance without taking anything away from the traditional artwork.  Each base is finished with a stained wooden disc.

Because it’s rechargeable, you can put your Japanese table lamp wherever it looks best, rather than wherever there’s a convenient power socket. It would look lovely on a bedside table, a bookshelf or a sideboard alongside a few favourite books. And if you decide it would look better somewhere else tomorrow, you can simply pick it up and move it. No trailing cables to worry about.

A full charge gives around 12 hours or more of use, so you won’t need to charge it every evening.

The included remote control lets you choose from 13 LED colours, adjust the brightness across five levels or set the light to slowly fade between colours. There are also 30 and 60 minute timers, which are particularly handy if you enjoy having a light on while you’re falling asleep.

Personally, I think the warm white setting suits this Japanese crane lamp best. It brings out the gentle colours without changing the character of the original artwork.

For anyone who appreciates Japanese art, cherry blossom or simply a more understated style of lighting, I think this one makes a rather nice alternative to a conventional table lamp.

And it’s one of those designs that I think looks just as good switched off during the day as it does glowing in the evening.

The shade is 3D printed using PLA, a plant-based plastic commonly made from corn starch. I then UV print the artwork directly onto its surface.

The original artwork for this design was created with the assistance of AI and then used as part of my process to create the finished light. Each light is personally made and finished by me.