Most lamps are a base with a shade. The ceramic part is just the stand the shade sits on - take the shade away and you'd have half the object. These are different. The ceramic form is the whole thing: base and shade in one, designed to hold its own as a sculptural object before the light even goes on. Switch it on and it does something else entirely.
Built by the same pair of hands at the Bellambi studio in Wollongong, and no two pieces have exactly the same profile.
Because there is no separate shade, what you are looking at is the ceramic itself: the glaze, the profile, the presence of it in space.
As a bedside table lamp
At 23 to 30 cm tall including the globe, each lamp sits below eye level on a standard bedside table. The light goes up through the open top and across the ceiling rather than into your eyes, the inline switch on the cord is within reach from bed, and the LED globe runs cool.
All lamps ship free, tracked, to anywhere in Australia, fully wired - Australian cord, inline switch, LED E27 bulb included. If you've been searching for a ceramic lamp base to wire up yourself, these are finished lamps: set them down and plug in. The glazes are brush-applied in layers - abstract and colourful, not the neutrals that dominate most ceramics. Each colourway sits differently on the form: deeper where the brush moved slow, lifted at the edges.
How each ceramic table lamp is made
Every lamp starts as clay formed by hand - pressed and shaped, tapering up to an open rim. When the form is leather-hard, it's tidied and dried slowly before going into the bisque kiln. Then the glaze work begins: multiple layers of brush-applied colour, built up across the surface so it deepens in some areas and lifts at the edges.
Out of the glaze fire comes a finished ceramic object. What happens next is what makes a lamp different from everything else in this studio. Each one is wired by a licensed electrician at the Bellambi studio - cord through the base, E27 socket, inline switch and Australian plug. Same studio, start to finish.
The open top is part of the design, not an afterthought. Light goes up, washes across the ceiling, and fills the room from above. The ceramic form doesn't need a shade to do its job - it is the job.
Why buy a handmade ceramic lamp from the studio
Ready to Use
Australian cord, inline switch and LED E27 bulb included. Set it down, plug it in. If you want to use your own bulb, go for it, our lighting uses any E27 LED bulb.
Artisan lighting from one studio, not a factory
Every lamp is handcrafted at the Bellambi studio on the NSW South Coast. No industrial factory, just Rhiannon Gill making your lamp.
Unique Glazes
Rhiannon mixes and tests her own glazes before brush-applying them layer by layer across each piece. The colours shift under electric light in a way they don't in daylight - no two pieces identical, and no two moments exactly the same.
Free Tracked Shipping Across Australia
All lamps ship free, tracked, to anywhere in Australia. No minimum order required. Contact us for international shipping.
Ceramic table lamp questions
All our ceramic table lamps use a standard E27 fitting. Each lamp arrives with an LED E27 bulb included - no trip to the hardware store required. The LED globe is low heat and energy efficient, which matters when the ceramic body is sitting close to the light source. When it needs replacing, any standard E27 LED will do.
Yes. Every lamp is wired by a licensed electrician at the studio in Bellambi with Australian-standard components: white linen cord, inline switch and a standard Australian plug. Set it down and plug it in.
Complete, fully wired. Ceramic body, cord, inline switch, Australian plug and LED E27 bulb all included. If you've been searching for a ceramic lamp base to wire yourself, these are finished lamps - set them down and plug in.
No. Each piece arrives as a complete, finished light - no shade required. Unlike a pottery lamp base that needs a shade fitted separately, the ceramic form here is both base and shade in one. The light goes up through the open top and washes across the ceiling
Between 23 and 30 cm tall including the globe, since each lamp is made individually. The exact height is on each product page. If you have a specific height requirement - for a bedside table, a shelf alcove or a console - get in touch at hello@rhiannongillceramics.com and we can tell you what's available.
Yes. The E27 fitting is compatible with most smart bulbs available in Australia. Check the bulb dimensions before buying - some smart bulbs are on the wider side, and these lamps have a standard E27 neck. If in doubt, get in touch and we can confirm the measurements.
Yes - all handmade ceramic lamps in this collection ship free, tracked, to anywhere in Australia. Every lamp is individually wrapped and packed in a double-walled box with custom padding. Orders are typically dispatched within 1-2 business days.
Wipe clean with a damp cloth. Don't submerge - this is a wired lamp. The glaze is hard-wearing and doesn't mark under normal household use. Keep the cord and plug dry. To change the globe, switch the lamp off and let it cool first.
Yes - if you'd like a lamp in one of Rhiannon's other glazes that isn't currently on the website, get in touch and she can discuss what's possible. Commissions depend on kiln scheduling and glaze availability. Send an enquiry to hello@rhiannongillceramics.com with what you're looking for and she'll come back to you.
Yes. At 23 to 30 cm tall they sit below eye level on a bedside table, the light goes up and across the ceiling rather than into your eyes, and the inline switch is within reach from bed.
Yes. Each lamp is wired by a licensed electrician using Australian-standard components: white linen cord, inline switch, standard Australian plug and an E27 LED bulb. The E27 fitting is a standard residential fitting used throughout Australia. The LED bulb included is low heat.
