Special Antique Interior Lighting Choice, One-Of-A-Kind

Japan, a handsome large antique Signed Temple Lotus Lantern enhanced with new interior paper and new electric light for your dramatic visual enjoyment.

Dimensions: 18 inches high to top of loop handle and 13 inches diameter

Period: Meiji period (1890-1910), signed bottom.

Quality: The antique lantern is crafted from heavy bronze sheet with engraved base and petals by Japanese specialized artisans over 100 years ago. It still retains its pleasant original patina from appropriate age and possesses a signed bottom. The new paper lining combined with its new light fixture is attached to a 48 inch cord and when light makes a romantic, serene statement in your special room.

Provenance: Old Japanese collection.

Many of our customers enjoy these authentic decorative lantern lights for entertaining friends and family. It’s a perfect choice for your special indoor space.

We have been dealing in authentic Japanese antique garden ornaments, lanterns and water basins for many years. Our president personally travels to Japan each year to meet his network partners who assist him in finding best examples. He personally inspects each antique ornament to ensure its old age, authenticity and quality condition.

Lifetime guarantee of authenticity: All of our Asian works of art come with our Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee.

We are members of the North American Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA) specializing for ten years now in old and authentic Japanese stone garden ornaments.

History of Japanese lanterns:
In Japan a tōrō (lantern) is a traditional lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Like many other elements of Japanese traditional architecture, it originated in China. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and illuminated paths and lighted lanterns were then considered an offering. In its complete, original form the lantern represents five elements of Buddhist cosmology: Bottom touching the ground, represents chi, the earth, the next section represents sui, or water, ka or fire, is represented by the section encasing the lantern’s light or flame, while fū (air) and kū (void or spirit) are represented by the last two sections, top-most and pointing towards the sky. These last two sections express the idea that after death our physical bodies will go back to their original, elemental form.

Yukimi-dōrō (雪見燈籠?) or legged lanterns have as a base not a post but curved legs and a wide umbrella with a finial. Relatively low, they are used exclusively in gardens and the traditional placement is near water. The umbrella can be round or have from three to eight sides, while the fire box is usually hexagonal. “Yu” loosley translated means water reflection. It was probably developed during the Momoyama period, but the oldest extant examples, found at the Katsura Villa in Kyoto, go back only to the early Edo period (17th century).