Aurora Table Lamp

Here is an Aurora Table Lamp captured courtesy of DigitalNative at Flickr.

He notes:

Before electricity was available these Japanese lanterns played a huge role in everyday life. They had to be practical and durable as well as fitting in with traditional Japanese design.

They were very simple boxes or rectangles built from wood and covered in rice paper just like the sliding shoji doors in the house. The rice paper gave the light a beautiful luminous glow that would emulate the sunrise and sunset outside - two of the most aesthetically pleasing times of day. A candle would be placed carefully inside and kept within close watch.