Japanese Tripod Rice Paper Table Lamp

Rice paper diffuses light more completely than almost anything else. The fibre is thin enough to pass most of what reaches it and irregular enough to scatter all of it, so the shade glows as a single even surface with no hot spot and no visible bulb from any angle at all. Nothing manufactured reproduces the effect exactly, which is why the material is still used.

The tripod base lifts the shade off the surface, which matters more than it sounds. A paper shade sitting flat on a table blocks its own light at the bottom; raised on three legs, the same shade lets light out underneath as well as through, so the surface around it is lit rather than left in shadow.

At 28 x 47 cm it is a proper table lamp rather than a small accent, and the paper makes it light enough to move easily. It suits a bedroom, a living room, a home office or a child's room, where the soft, even output is easier on the eyes than a directional lamp. Bulb not included. Indoor use, and keep the paper away from damp; dust it with a dry soft brush.

• Shade: rice paper
• Base: tripod, lifts the shade clear of the surface
• Dimensions: 28 cm wide x 47 cm high
• Style: Japanese, modern, creative
• Light: soft, even and completely diffused
• Bulb: not included, use a low-wattage LED so the shade stays cool
• Safety: in a child's room, place out of reach and use an LED bulb only, never a hot filament bulb near paper
• Use: indoor, away from damp
• Care: dust with a dry, soft brush