French Scalloped Melon Glass Pendant

Cased glass is two layers fused together, a coloured outer over a white inner, and it is why this shade has a depth that a single-layer tinted one never achieves. The colour sits on the surface while the white beneath keeps the shade opaque, so the bulb stays completely hidden and the shade glows as a solid coloured form rather than showing a bright point through it.

The shape is a scalloped melon, ribbed vertically so the silhouette swells and pinches around its circumference, which is where the pumpkin comparison comes from. It is a mid-century French shape, the kind that turns up in preserved Parisian apartments, and the ribbing is what keeps it from being just a coloured ball.

A brass downrod carries it rather than a cord, which fixes the drop and gives the whole fixture a stateliness a flexible cable cannot. Three colours are offered at the same price: yellow is the most period-correct, white the most flexible in a modern room, green the boldest of the three. Bulb not included; a warm white LED suits cased glass. Indoor use. Wipe with a soft dry cloth.

• Material: thick hand-blown cased glass
• Shape: scalloped melon or pumpkin silhouette
• Suspension: brass downrod, fixed drop
• Colours: yellow, white, green, all one price
• Style: mid-century French, retro
• Light: solid coloured glow, bulb fully hidden
• Bulb: not included, warm white LED recommended
• Voltage: 110V-240V
• Use: indoor
• Care: wipe with a soft, dry cloth