Brass lanterns, pierced by hand
A fanous is a sheet of brass with a pattern punched through it and a light inside. What makes one good is the piercing: how fine the holes are, how evenly they are spaced, and what shape they throw on the wall.
How the brass is cut
Each lantern begins as flat brass sheet. The pattern for that size is traced onto it from a master template, so that the stars, petals and scales line up when the sheet is rolled into a body. Then the piercing starts: a narrow chisel is held upright on the line and struck with a small hammer, again and again, until the shape drops out. A medium lantern takes several thousand strikes. A punch press would be faster, and you would see it in the result — pressed holes have a crushed, rounded edge, while chiselled holes are clean and slightly irregular, with a bright rim that catches the light.
After piercing, the sheet is rolled and soldered along one seam, the base and cap are spun and fitted, and the whole body is chased: lines and dots are pressed into the brass between the holes so the surface carries pattern even when the lantern is unlit. Finally it is cleaned, polished and given a thin coat of clear lacquer that slows the darkening of the metal.
Because every hole is struck by hand, two lanterns of the same size are never quite twins. The spacing may drift by a millimetre; one star may sit slightly wider than its neighbour. We do not treat that as a fault. It is the mark of the method, and it is why we describe the pattern as a family rather than promising an exact copy.
The lantern sizes and their prices
Heights are measured from the base to the top of the cap. The hanging chain and ring are extra length on top and come with every size.
- Brass lantern, small (32 cm)Pierced brass, candle or buyer's fitting$68
- Brass lantern, medium (48 cm)Pierced brass, hanging chain and ring$118
- Brass lantern, large (70 cm)Pierced brass, two-part body, glass inner$195
Small, 32 cm — $68
A table or shelf lantern, also light enough to hang from a hook. The body is about 16 cm across, the pattern is a tight eight-point star repeated in three bands. It suits a hallway niche, a bedside or a windowsill. It takes one tealight in its glass cup or a small plug-in pendant set.
Medium, 48 cm — $118
The size most people choose for a single hanging lantern. Its body is around 22 cm across and the pattern opens up into larger petals between the stars, so the shadow on a ceiling is bold and easy to read from across the room. It comes with 60 cm of brass chain and a ceiling ring.
Large, 70 cm — $195
A floor lantern or a centre-piece for a high ceiling. The body is built in two parts that lock at the waist, which lets us crate it safely, and it has a clear glass inner cylinder that keeps the flame or bulb away from the brass. It throws a pattern several metres wide on a plain wall.
Candle, or a plug-in fitting you supply
Every lantern leaves Alexandria with a removable glass cup sitting on a brass plate inside the base. That is the candle route: a tealight in the small size, a pillar of up to 7 cm across in the medium and large. Use the cup, keep the door closed while it burns, and never leave a flame unattended.
If you would rather use electric light, lift the cap: there is an open collar at its centre, sized for an ordinary plug-in pendant set with a cord, a switch and a lamp holder. Buy that set where you live, so it carries your local plug and meets your local rules, and thread it down through the collar. A warm-white bulb of low wattage gives the clearest pattern. We do not supply, fit or connect any electrical part, and lanterns are not sold as wired lamps.
Whichever you choose, the light source should sit at the centre of the body. Too high and the pattern smears across the ceiling; too low and only the floor lights up.
Polishing, lacquer and how brass ages
Polished bright
The finish we send by default. A thin clear lacquer holds the shine for many months indoors. Dust with a dry cloth; never use water or a wet wipe on the lacquer.
Antique-toned
Ask for it on the order form and the brass is darkened before lacquering, so the chased lines stand out in brown against the raised surface. Same price, same lantern.
Letting it age
Lacquer wears slowly where hands touch the lantern. Where it does, brass turns a warm brown over the seasons. Brass cream brings back the shine whenever you want it.
Ready to choose a size? The order form adds the crate for your region to the lantern price before you send anything.