Pareja de linternas de templo de calado Ume en metal fundido de tono bronce, lámparas de altar budista con pátina negra, 95 cm

Nearly a meter tall, these matched temple lanterns are pierced with plum-blossom panels that throw a script of shadow when lit. Quiet and symmetrical, they give a household shrine or prayer room a frame of light, and their cast metalwork keeps its sculptural presence even when the lamps are dark.

The Piece

A matched pair of tall temple lanterns with openwork ume (plum blossom) panels that read like shadow calligraphy when lit. At approximately 95 cm each, nearly one meter, they function as light-architecture for a home shrine or devotional interior, quiet, symmetrical and richly photogenic in the manner of a museum catalog.

The ume motif matters. Plum blossoms open in cold weather, an emblem of endurance, renewal and the first promise of early spring. On altar lamps the pattern becomes a coded atmosphere: illuminated, the openwork casts a moving lace of light against gold leaf, lacquer or the interior of a shrine cabinet, giving the altar depth and living presence without visual noise, while the deep dark patina amplifies the glow of the cutwork.

In a collection these lamps do three jobs at once. They establish scale and hierarchy, so the altar looks complete the moment they arrive; they shape a visual field around the central figure; and they read as historical craft objects even unlit, the columns of a devotional space. The bodies, canopy forms and openwork panels carry the presence of ritual furniture on their own.

The pair shows honest age and use, and one lamp currently lights while the other does not, as pictured. Older wiring and sockets age out long before the metalwork does, so many collectors treat such lamps as metalwork-first acquisitions; rewiring is a straightforward restoration step for a qualified technician, especially for international use.

Details

• Origin: Japan
• Material: Cast metal with bronze-tone finish (probable)
• Color: Deep dark patina
• Measurements: Height approx. 95 cm each
• Weight: Estimated net ~18.0 kg total (pair)
• Included: Lantern lamp pair (2 pieces) only
• Motif: Ume (plum blossom) openwork panels
• Electrical: Vintage wiring, made for Japanese household current; one lamp works, one does not

Condition

• Visible wear consistent with age and long temple or household use.
• Surface scuffs, small scratches and patina variation.
• Function: one lamp powers on; the other currently does not.
• Electrical components should be treated as vintage; professional inspection or rewiring is recommended for regular use.

Freight & Packing Plan

Recommended as two cartons, one lantern per carton, fully immobilized.

• Estimated net weight (pair): ~18.0 kg total
• Estimated packed weight (pair): ~26.0 kg total
• Recommended carton per lamp: 100 × 35 × 35 cm (2 cartons)
• Volumetric weight per carton (air): 24.5 kg
• Total volumetric (2 cartons): 49.0 kg

Authenticity & Care

Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Crated in Japan and shipped insured by air or sea freight. A freight quote is confirmed with you before dispatch through our Museum-Grade Logistics Suite™. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

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