AN-DON by Kyoko Hoshino (Karakuri Christmas Gift 2015) - RARE

This work was designed as a Christmas present for 2015. An andon was used during the Edo Period to illuminate a room. It was shaped as a square box which held the four-sided paper lantern inside. Candles were too expensive so the lanterns were lit with small containers of oil with wicks in them. Earlier models had handles on top and could be carried through the room. The ari-ake an-don was used as a night light and kept lit with oil all through the night. You could use it two ways; kept in the small box with a minimal amount of light shining through or pulling the paper lantern all the way up out of the box for brighter illumination of the room.