Lantern

A Lantern is a lighting fixture or portable light source which is used to illuminate large areas and tend to be used as general lighting for outdoor spaces. They can also be used as torches or for signaling and also for decoration (lower light level varieties).

Lanterns have been used since antiquity, with them being mentioned in Greek poetry as well as being used in ancient China, where they were made of paper, silk or animal skins on wooden or bamboo frames. Chinese paper lanterns are possibly the most common association with the term.

The simplest form is the candle lantern, which will usually be a form of box or cylinder with transparent panels to protect the candle from being blown out and also diffuse the light. One of the earliest forms of lantern, called a lanthorn, was made out of horn and wood and was first made during the reign of King Alfred the Great (849-899).

Modern lanterns come in a range of designs, and have often been made in the aesthetic of the current artistic style e.g. Art Deco and have used a range of power sources, ranging from fuels (such as kerosene) through gas, electricity, batteries and solar power.

Lanterns today tend to be permanently mounted fixtures used for street lighting, landscape illumination and various interior uses, where the design and style can create or complement a specific aesthetic.