Barro

Lamp for Graypants

Barro Lamp captures the warmth of nature in a composition of clay and glass. This pendant lamp is made of two elements where the Mexican city of Oaxaca is the main character. Molded by San Bartolo Coyotepec craftspeople who have mastered Barro Negro since pre-Columbian times; a blown-glass dome covers the clay structure: symbolic protection guarding precious objects. Barro lamp is available in two versions: red clay and transparent shade and black clay with a gray shade.

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Barro by Caterina Moretti

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Lamp by Caterina Moretti

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Caterina Moretti Barro

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Caterina Moretti Lamp

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Caterina Moretti Designer Portrait Photo

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GraypantsBrand Logo

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Barro Lamp Press Releases

For Barro, we offer press releases in multiple languages, including: English.

Barro Lamp Translations

Proudly offering Barro project translations in several languages: Lamp AF, Llambë SQ, መብራት AM, المصباح AR, Լամպ HY, Lampa AZ, Lanpara EU, Лямпа BE, বাতি BN, Lampa BS, Лампа BG, မီးအိမ် MY, Llum CA, Lampara CEB, Nyali NY, 燈 ZY, 灯 ZH, Lampa CO, Lampa HR, Lampa CS, Lampe DA, Lamp NL, Lampo EO, Lamp ET, Lamppu FI, Lampe FR, Lampa GD, Lámpada GL, ნათურა KA, Lampe DE, Η Λάμπα EL, દીવો GU, Lanp HT, Fitila HA, Kukui HAW, מנורה HE, दीपक HI, Teeb HMN, Lámpa HU, Lampi IS, Oriọna IG, Lampu ID, Lampa GA, Lampada IT, ランプ JA, Lampu JV, ದೀಪವು KN, Шам KK, ចង្កៀង KM, Itara RW, 램프 KO, Çira KU, Чырак KY, ໂຄມໄຟ LO, Lucerna LA, Lampa LV, Lempa LT, Lampe LB, Светилка MK, Jiro MG, Lampu MS, വിളക്ക് ML, Fanal MT, Rama MI, दिवा MR, Чийдэн MN, बत्ती NE, Lampe NO, ପ୍ରଦୀପ OR, څراغ PS, لامپ FA, Lampa PL, Lâmpada PT, ਦੀਵਾ PA, Lampa RO, Лампа RU, Lamepa SM, Лампа SR, Rambi SN, چراغ SD, ලාම්පුව SI, Lampa SK, Svetilka SL, Nalka SO, Lebone ST, Lámpara ES, Lampu SU, Taa SW, Lampa SV, Lamp TL, Чароғ TG, விளக்கு TA, Лампа TT, దీపం TE, โคมไฟ TH, Lamba TR, Lampa TK, Лампа UK, چراغ UR, چىراغ UG, Chiroq UZ, Đèn VI, Lamp CY, Lamp FY, Lamp EN, Isibane XH, לאָמפּ YI, Atupa YO, Isibani ZU, tailored for your needs.

Barro Lamp Media Articles

Leverage our ready-to-publish articles on Barro, offered in a range of languages: Italian, Turkish, Arabic (Standard), Korean, Japanese, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Dutch, Spanish, English, Indonesian, Portuguese, French and German.

Unique Properties

Made from Oaxacan Barro Negro clay and blown glass, Barro Pendant Lamp is not only a meeting point of ancestral traditions and contemporary design, it is also an exploration where the limits of traditional materials and techniques are pushed and the clay’s essence is brought to a modern setting. The clean lines of the cylindrical clay structure are circled by a blown glass dome -a symbolic protection for precious objects- rendering a soft, filtered light. Barro pendant lamp is available in two versions: red with a transparent dome and charcoal with a smoke gray dome.

Tags

Lamp, clay lamp, pendant light, contemporary lighting, interior design, Mexican traditional techniques, hand-blown glass

Production Technology

A clay cylindrical structure sits inside a glass-blown glass cylindrical dome that envelops and lends the lamp its main form. Oaxacan Black Clay is a technique dating back from Pre-Hispanic times and has withstood the passage of time, perfected through trial and error to create such perfect pieces we enjoy today. Only in the small community of San Pedro Coyotepec on the outskirts of Oaxaca City, this technique is mastered by sourcing local clay and hand-burnishing each piece before firing using a smooth stone in order to achieve its characteristic iridescent sheen and smooth feel. The pieces are then set in a special two-vent kiln on a process known as reduction of atmospheres where in a precise moment, close to the end of the firing the vents are shut down to reduce oxygen intake and so generating a chemical reaction that will produce a deep black color in the natural color of the clay. The red clay is fired for a shorter time and the oxygen reduction technique is not used. The outer part of the lamp is a blow-glass shade made by a local craftsman we have worked with before. He created a textured glass dome of sorts that surrounds the clay structure, rendering soft, filtered light.

Design Challenge

Since both components of the lamp are made by experts in trades passed along through many years –centuries in the case of Oaxacan Black clay, in general, Barro Lamp is a product of empirical knowledge and age-old technology. The methods have been tried and perfected through the craftspeople's work and learned from their experience and intuition, ingrained in their technique like second nature.

Project Duration

We started drafting for this project in July 2019 in Guadalajara, after a visit to Oaxaca to source another project. There, we visited the community of San Pedro Coyotepec and met the Amando family. We started prototyping in June 2020 and working on the glass dome in June 2020. The design was finished by March 2021

Operation Flow

Barro was conceived as a pendant lamp. The height can be adjusted through the wiring, which is very basic in itself. The glass dome serves both as an encasing for the clay structure as well as a shade to soften the light.

Research

This has been mostly an empiric project, since both components of the lamp are made by experts in a trade that has been passed along through many years –centuries in the case of the Black clay. Some of the methods have been explained to us and some shown but many of the details of the craftspeople’s work are made from experience and intuition and ingrained in their technique like second nature. We did several trials of materials but again, all the work was very intuitive.

Inspiration

The city of Oaxaca, its beauty, culture, art, and tradition have inspired this lamp. Barro negro (Oaxacan Black clay) is admired throughout the world for its peculiar method of preparing and firing it. We love the richness of its satin-like feel and the small tell-tell signs of the fire marked on its sheen. We have found a local glass blower in the city whose work we love, so we married the two materials, playing with the elements of fire, earth, and air, where both clay and glass are born.

Image Credits

Image #1: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos. Image #2: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos. Image #3: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos. Image #4: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos. Image #5: Design by Caterina Moretti for Graypants, Photo: Andrés Alejos.

Project Overview

Barro Lamp has been a Silver winner in the Lighting Products and Fixtures Design award category in the year 2022 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.

Silver Recognition

Caterina Moretti was recognized with the coveted Silver A' Design Award in 2023, a testament to excellence of their work Barro Lamp.

Caterina Moretti Press Releases

Discover Caterina Moretti's journey through our press releases, available for all press members and journalists to use without restrictions. For immediate journalistic use: 2 press releases are available right now.

Introducing Barro: A Unique Fusion of Oaxacan Black Clay and Blown Glass in a Pendant Lamp

Caterina Moretti's Barro Pendant Lamp is a fusion of ancestral traditions and contemporary design, inspired by the beauty, culture, art, and tradition of Oaxaca, Mexico.

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