Wooden Lantern

Recent archeological surveys have begun to show that lanterns were in common use by the end of the 16th century. Several have been found in wrecks including the Mary Rose (1545) and the Trinidad Valencera (1588). Contemporary illustrations also provide evidence of the shape and use of lanterns at this period.

Lantern from the Mary Rose, c. 1545	Gloomy Day by Pieter Bruegel, the Elder, c. 1565	Artist rendition of Cattewater stave and a possible lantern reconstruction, c. 1530

These lanterns are relatively simple in shape and form. They typically were constructed of a round, flat, wooden base, a domed or turned wooden top with a chimney hole, a turned wooden cup or some iron nails to hold a light source, a set of wooden uprights or staves to connect the base and top, and a set of lights. Lights were often horn panes, but the ships manifest of the Trinidad Valencera also mentions lanterns covered with waxed linen. Lights could also be made of glass or parchment. There is evidence that some lanterns had a handle across the top of leather or iron. Some lanterns had a small door which either swung out or slid up between two staves to provide access to the light source. The light source by this period seems to have commonly been a candle made of wax or tallow, though wooden sticks coated in fat or resin were also used.

The lantern I made is based on a find from the Cattewater wreck off Plymouth, UK, dated c.1530. A single notched stave was recovered and is believed to be part of a lantern or hour glass frame (Rednap, p 76). As there were no groves in the stave to indicate panes of horn or glass, waxed linen has been chosen for the lights. The turned cup for the candle was purchased separately and attached (unfortunately, with a modern screw due to the way the cup came pre-drilled). The top should be turned or domed to match contemporary illustrations and finds, but I did not have the tools or the time to complete this. In retrospect, the diameter of the top and bottom should be bigger to more closely follow the proportions of lanterns from this period.
It is interesting to note that a lantern constructed by this method is completely collapsible. I do not know if this is intended, but it does make it easy to pack for travel.

References
Rednap, Mark, Artefacts from Wrecks, Oxbow Books, Oxford, UK, 1997.
Sherman, Dennis, Domestic Lighting: Candles, Lamps, and Torches in History, The Complete Anachronist #68, The Society for Creative Anachronism, 1993.