Andon Collection

Last crawled date: 1 year, 10 months ago

This is a collection of six high resolution models of traditional andon. The andon is a old style Japanese lamp consisting of paper stretched over a frame of bamboo, wood or metal. The paper protects the flame from the wind. The andon became popular in the Edo period. Early on, the andon was handheld; it could also be placed on a stand or hung on a wall. Burning oil in a stone or ceramic holder, with a wick of cotton, provides the light. Rapeseed oil was popular. Candles were used in early times, but their higher price made them less popular. A lower-priced alternative was sardine oil. The okiandon was most common indoors. Many had a vertical box shape, with an inner stand for the light. Some had a drawer on the bottom to facilitate refilling and lighting. A handle on top made it portable. A variety was the Enshū andon. One explanation attributes it to Kobori Enshu, who lived in the late Azuchi-Momoyama Period and early Edo period. Tubular in shape, it had an opening instead of a drawer. Another variety was the Ariake andon, a bedside lamp. The kakeandon under the eaves of a shop, often bearing the name of the merchant, was a common sight in the towns. The expression hiru andon, or “daytime lamp,” meant someone or something that seemed to serve no purpose. In dramatizations of the story of the forty-seven ronin, Oishi Yoshio is often given this description. Two cochin lanterns are included in this set. japan japanese lamp light lantern shine photorealistic traditional furniture