Ora

Ceramic Lighting, Made by Hand in Portugal and Luxembourg. Which Is Two More Countries Than Most Lamps Can Claim.

Ora makes ceramic lighting by hand, split between Portugal and Luxembourg, an arrangement we suspect involves a good deal of careful packing. The Portuguese half brings a ceramic tradition that goes back rather a long way. The Luxembourg half brings a modern, pared-back eye. Between them they produce wall sconces and lamps with the sort of glaze you want to reach out and touch, which, to be fair, is allowed once they are cool.

The wall lights are the heart of it. They are sculptural enough to earn their place on a bare wall in daylight and soft enough in the evening to make a hallway or bedroom feel considerably more forgiving. The Vintage Edition sconces come in two glazes, Cognac Yellow and Burgundy Brown, both of which sound like something you would order after dinner. Ora has also branched into ceramic tables, for anyone who has decided one ceramic thing is not quite enough.

Each piece is shaped and glazed by hand, so no two are entirely identical. We rather think that is the point. Everything ships in eco-friendly packaging, carefully designed to get it to you in one piece.

See more in our lighting collection, or pair Ora with pieces from our pottery and glass artists. For ideas by room, try the living room and bedroom. Ora also sits among our European brands. And if you have ever wondered what handmade actually means on a label, we wrote a short piece on exactly that.