This ethereal ‘paper’ lantern is actually made of blown glass

Japanese rice-paper lanterns are an interior design staple, adding lovely ambiance to indoor and outdoor spaces with their diffuse, warm light. On nighttime strolls down my street, I’m always enamored of the giant paper lantern hanging in the window of a yoga studio that’s housed in an old brownstone, its massive scale giving it the effect of a magical glowing orb.

Such delicate lamps don’t last long, however, prone as they are to rips, punctures and tears. In a clever move, Italian lighting designer Foscarini has created a lamp that evokes the lightness of rice paper but is, in fact, made of Venetian blown glass. Designed by Milan-based architects Ludocvica and Roberto Palomba, Rituals XL is, indeed, an extra-large lamp, albeit one that’s both dramatic and durable.

Surface incisions, created using an ancient technique of grinding blown glass, give Rituals XL an organic feel akin to a Japanese lantern. Inspired by the work of Isamu Noguchi, it would work well in many settings, evoking a mediative mood. Info: www.foscarini.com/us//en/