Small Wooden Japanese Desk Light

6 x 6 x 12 cm, which is small enough to sit in the palm of a hand. That is a deliberate scale rather than a limitation: a lamp this size is not lighting a room, it is marking a spot, and it belongs on a shelf, a windowsill, the corner of a desk, or beside a bed where anything larger would be intrusive rather than useful.

Wood at this size behaves differently from wood at any other scale. There is not enough surface for the grain to become a pattern, so what you see is a single warm tone and a clean edge, which is exactly what Japanese design does with small objects: reduce until only the material and the proportion are left to look at.

It is described as a decoration lamp and that is honest. The output is low and localised, closer to a candle than to a reading light, which is the point of an object like this. Bulbs are not included; energy-saving LED or incandescent bulbs of 60 W or less are recommended, and an LED is sensible so the wood stays cool. Indoor use. Wipe the wood dry, never damp, since water marks raise the grain.

• Material: natural wood
• Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 12 cm
• Purpose: decorative accent light rather than a reading lamp
• Style: Japanese, rustic, natural
• Suited to: shelves, windowsills, desk corners, bedsides
• Bulb: not included, max 60 W, LED recommended
• Voltage: 110V-240V
• Use: indoor
• Care: wipe dry, never damp