How is a 3D-printed lampshade made?

A printer lays down porcelain in fine layers, ring by ring, until the whole shade stands. Then it is fired, the way porcelain has always been fired. Building it up instead of pouring it into a mould is what allows the scales, petals and ribs you see here, shapes that are close to impossible to throw by hand.

Is it porcelain or ceramic?

Porcelain, and the difference matters. Porcelain is fired hotter and is denser and finer than ordinary ceramic, which is why the wall can stay thin enough for the light to come through it rather than only escape at the top and bottom. That glow from inside the shade is the whole reason we use it.

How does porcelain change the light?

It carries the light instead of framing it. Where glass throws a defined pool and shows the outline of the shade, porcelain lights up along its own relief, so the pattern only appears once the lamp is on. In daylight it is a white object; in the evening it is a lantern.

Which bases can I choose?

rubberwood, travertine in Travertino Classico, Silver and Red, and marble in Dark Emperador, Nero Marquina, Rosso Levanto, Verde Alpi, Bianco Statuarietto and Calacatta Vionaro. The stone is named on every product page.

Does the shade fit other Tavellio lamps?

Yes. This is the same modular fitting we use across the range: a quarter turn and the shade lifts off, so a porcelain shade goes onto a Rijks or Nordic base just as well. All the shades are sold on their own in the lampshades collection, and the system behind it is the modular collection.

How long does one last on a charge?

Every lamp here carries a 5000 mAh battery and runs 10 to 100 hours, depending on how bright you set it. At full brightness that is about 10 hours; dimmed right down it runs for days. Charging is over USB-C, and there are three light colours: candle light at 2200K, ambient light at 2700K and task light at 4000K.

How do you clean a porcelain shade?

A soft dry cloth, or a barely damp one, and dry it afterwards so nothing settles in the relief. Keep abrasive pads and scouring cream away from it, because the surface is glazed and a scratch stays visible once the lamp is lit.

What is the difference with the Rijks Collection?

Which part carries the lamp. In the Rijks Collection it is the stone: marble or travertine, in three sizes, with a top in frosted glass or linen. Here it is the shade, and the base can be wood as well as stone. Both use the same fitting, so a shade you buy for one goes on the other.