Barro Lampada

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Made from Oaxacan Barro Negro clay and blown glass, Barro Pendant Lamp is not only a meeting point of ancestral traditions and contemporary design, it is also an exploration where the limits of traditional materials and techniques are pushed and the clay’s essence is brought to a modern setting. The clean lines of the cylindrical clay structure are circled by a blown glass dome -a symbolic protection for precious objects- rendering a soft, filtered light. Barro pendant lamp is available in two versions: red with a transparent dome and charcoal with a smoke gray dome.

Dimensions & Packaging

Overall product dimensions are 165 mm in diameter x 350 mm in height.

Tags

Lamp, clay lamp, pendant light, contemporary lighting, interior design, Mexican traditional techniques, hand-blown glass

Production Technology

A clay cylindrical structure sits inside a glass-blown glass cylindrical dome that envelops and lends the lamp its main form. Oaxacan Black Clay is a technique dating back from Pre-Hispanic times and has withstood the passage of time, perfected through trial and error to create such perfect pieces we enjoy today. Only in the small community of San Pedro Coyotepec on the outskirts of Oaxaca City, this technique is mastered by sourcing local clay and hand-burnishing each piece before firing using a smooth stone in order to achieve its characteristic iridescent sheen and smooth feel. The pieces are then set in a special two-vent kiln on a process known as reduction of atmospheres where in a precise moment, close to the end of the firing the vents are shut down to reduce oxygen intake and so generating a chemical reaction that will produce a deep black color in the natural color of the clay. The red clay is fired for a shorter time and the oxygen reduction technique is not used.
The outer part of the lamp is a blow-glass shade made by a local craftsman we have worked with before. He created a textured glass dome of sorts that surrounds the clay structure, rendering soft, filtered light.

Design Challenge

Since both components of the lamp are made by experts in trades passed along through many years –centuries in the case of Oaxacan Black clay, in general, Barro Lamp is a product of empirical knowledge and age-old technology. The methods have been tried and perfected through the craftspeople's work and learned from their experience and intuition, ingrained in their technique like second nature.

Research

This has been mostly an empiric project, since both components of the lamp are made by experts in a trade that has been passed along through many years –centuries in the case of the Black clay. Some of the methods have been explained to us and some shown but many of the details of the craftspeople’s work are made from experience and intuition and ingrained in their technique like second nature. We did several trials of materials but again, all the work was very intuitive.

Inspiration

The city of Oaxaca, its beauty, culture, art, and tradition have inspired this lamp. Barro negro (Oaxacan Black clay) is admired throughout the world for its peculiar method of preparing and firing it. We love the richness of its satin-like feel and the small tell-tell signs of the fire marked on its sheen. We have found a local glass blower in the city whose work we love, so we married the two materials, playing with the elements of fire, earth, and air, where both clay and glass are born.

Project Duration

We started drafting for this project in July 2019 in Guadalajara, after a visit to Oaxaca to source another project. There, we visited the community of San Pedro Coyotepec and met the Amando family. We started prototyping in June 2020 and working on the glass dome in June 2020. The design was finished by March 2021

Operation Flow

Barro was conceived as a pendant lamp. The height can be adjusted through the wiring, which is very basic in itself. The glass dome serves both as an encasing for the clay structure as well as a shade to soften the light.

Image Credits

Image #1: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos.

Image #2: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos.

Image #3: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos.

Image #4: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos.

Image #5: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos.