Like the brightest beacon imitating the sun, a spot of gentle white light stands out among the dark clouds of the stormy night. The light of the small lantern does more than just light the way – it brings hope to those traveling in the darkness of night. Those homes that are situated in areas that have heavy cloud cover and long winters are considered the best matches for lanterns. The old world charm of most lanterns comes from the fact that we rarely see a working one in an age when electricity is so prominent, and the charm of an oil fueled lantern is unparalleled in the lighting world. The battery powered lanterns seen so commonly during family camping trips don’t come anywhere close to the rustic spirit of an old world lantern. The fact that batteries are so cheap and easy to carry around, combined with the fact an electric lantern can be molded after an older lantern, makes the electric lantern a good choice.

For those who wish for a more authentic feel or a more decorative feel, a lantern that is made of metal and runs on oil is a delightful choice to brighten a home with a little mechanical history. Because they are so small, a lantern will never overwhelm or overshadow another piece of art in the room, and serves only to enhance other decorative pieces. Iron is one of the most common metals a lanterns were made out of in the mountains or rugged valleys, while brass resisted sea salt corrosion and was more suited for ocean going lanterns. Many lanterns were originally engraved with names, dates, or places of origin. Because of the way dowries worked in the old days, many a wife would bring a family lantern with her as part of her heritage.

Because of the close proximity to the sea, many an ocean village would keep lanterns outside their homes, and these would act as guides for sailors on the water. Evidence uncovered in the waters of North Africa and the Middle East suggest many coastal towns did the same in the ancient times. The towns situated deep in the mountains were also sure to keep these vigils for those wandering in the forest and beset upon by extremely thick mist. The incredible endurance and longevity of a lantern made for the wealthy stands as testament to the blacksmith that created them – most of them have lasted into this age. A single lantern on the front of many old world carriages was considered the standard by which to travel at night. One could distinguish extremely expensive carriages by the number of lanterns they had on them – four at each corner of the square that was the carriage’s body was often the maximum number. Read the rest of this entry »