Igeta (井桁) Lamp

This lantern’s four panels are backed by ginwashi mizutama, an elegant handmade paper whose name means “drops of water” — a motif visible in the organic dot pattern embedded in the sheet. Intriguing fibrous inclusions further texture the light as it passes through.

The kumiko pattern takes its name, igeta (井桁), from the Japanese word for “well frame” — the lattice placed over a community well, a symbol of water, shared resources, and the bonds they sustain. That meaning is made literal here: the kanji 井 itself appears at the center of each panel, so the symbol and the structure become one.

The base is just over 8 inches square, well proportioned for an end table or nightstand, and can be configured for battery or conventional wiring to suit any placement.