Baja Table Lamp [Totem series]

Baja, in Hindi and Urdu, often points to a brass band, the kind that leads a wedding procession through the street, all instruments and rhythm and colour stacked one on top of the other. There's something of that same energy in this piece, each section a little different from the one below it, all of it holding together in one column.

The base is a black glazed ceramic, mold cast and hand finished, sitting on a low silver metal foot. Above it sits a piece thrown on the pottery wheel, its speckled surface catching the light differently from every angle, wrapped with a soft band of pink. From there the lamp moves into wood, turned on the lathe in a deep olive tone, before narrowing into a pale, tapered neck that carries the light up toward the shade.

Baja comes with a choice of two shades, each with its own printed design. The larger shade carries a study built around a vintage car and layered, overlapping type. The slimmer shade holds a close portrait, a face looking back at you, most visible once the lamp is lit. Both designs are my own, drawing on years in graphic design, printed in reverse onto a clear sticker and set on the inside of the shade, so the image stays hidden until the light is switched on.

This is a one-of-a-kind piece, part of the Totem series I design, shape, and finish entirely myself. No two pieces in this series are the same. Because it is one of a kind, once this lamp is gone, it will not be made again.

If you have a question, or would like to talk about a custom piece or a different shade pairing, reach out through our contact form or write to us directly at info@tahirmahmood.com.

Tahir Mahmood, Designer & Founder