Vintage Hand-Woven Rattan Jar Table Lamp, 1980s

Hand-woven rattan table lamp from Burma (now Myanmar), 1980s, in the form of a lidded storage jar rooted in the country's basketry tradition. The body is woven in fine, even cane that has aged to a deep honey-amber, with the subtle tonal variation that develops as rattan oxidizes slowly — darker in places, lighter in others, a patina that no new piece can replicate. The lid sits separately on the shoulder in the traditional manner, trimmed with a twisted-rope coil; the socket and stem rise through its centre.

Generous in scale at 58 cm / 23 in. Works equally well as a table lamp on a large surface or as a floor lamp. Suits coastal, bohemian, Mediterranean, and organic interiors. Very good condition throughout. Newly rewired for US use.

Lidded basket forms of this kind are well documented in Burmese craft, historically woven from rattan or bamboo for the storage of rice and grain — a tradition practiced across many of the country's ethnic communities, with the eastern Shan hills among the centres most closely associated with the craft.