Our natural fiber table and floor lamps are hand made in the Philippines. Most of the materials used to create these beautiful light shades are native to the Philippines and neighboring countries, these include:

• Bamboo
• Abaca plant
• Arorog
• Jute
• Capiz shell
  

Bamboo: is a woody grass grown in tropical areas. It has a hard hollow stem and is commonly used for its flexibility, durability and aesthetic qualities. Bamboo plants are perennial evergreen ornamental grasses (Gramineae). There are approximately 280 species. In Chinese philosophy the stem symbolizes the path towards enlightenment, the segments of the stem being the steps along the way. The seeds and shoots are used as food and the stems are used for building purposes, furniture, pipes, buckets, wickerwork, and weaving.

Abaca plant: is found in the southern parts of the Philippines. Abaca (Musa textiles) is family to the banana tree and resembles many features of the banana plant including a similar leaf shape and also bears fruits and flowers similar to the bananas. This hard fiber is used for woven matting, carpets, wall coverings, ropes and clothing. It is also used to make the light-brown paper commonly known throughout Manila.

Arorog: is a heavy vine which is a member of the rattan family. Rattan is the name for approximately 600 species of the Genera Calamus used for making furniture, baskets, mats and masks. While rattan is very similar to bamboo, it has one distinct characteristic,  it is solid rather than hollow.

Jute: is a long, soft, shiny vegetable that can be spun into strong coarse threads. Its stem contains a woody inner core and is commonly found in warm and humid climates. Natural Jute is extremely durable and is used for making ropes, sacks, mats, yarns, twines, burlap and carpet backing.

Capiz shell: is also known as a windowpane oyster. Because of it's large, thin, flat translucent shell it was traditionally used in windows. Now, this versatile shell is used in a variety of household accessories and handicrafts. The scientific name for this shell is Placuna Placenta. This mollusk is found in the coastal waters of the Philippines. The capiz shells are gathered from the muddy, shallow coastal waters and then dried to open the shells. The meat inside the shell is removed and the empty shells are soaked in fresh water then scraped to produce the desired luster. Some of the handcrafted merchandise produced from these shells, include; lampshades, wind chimes, photo frames, door and window shutters as well as room dividers.