Ceramic wall sconce
Ceramic gives wall-mounted lighting a substance that metal does not have: clay moulded, glazed, sometimes left raw. This selection of wall sconces gathers pieces shaped in this material, where the glaze and the curve decide the final look. Each one carries the traces of its firing.
Clay, glaze and irregularities
A ceramic sconce begins as clay moulded or thrown, then fired at high temperature. The glaze is laid on afterwards in a thin layer and shrinks slightly in the kiln, which creates those variations in thickness, those runs and those fine crazing lines visible in raking light. No two pieces are ever strictly identical.
The finishes run from milky white to sanded stoneware, by way of muted tones of sand, ochre or sea green. A glossy glaze returns points of reflection and underlines the curves; a matt glaze, closer to plaster, rounds the outlines. Our white wall sconces offer neighbouring effects in other materials.
A soft, bounced spread of light
Ceramic is opaque: it does not let the light through, it returns it. The beam leaves through the openings, generally upwards and downwards, and strikes the wall, which in turn becomes a diffusing surface. The result is indirect lighting, with no hot spot in the field of view.
The inside of the cup plays a decisive part here: a pale glaze increases the bounce, a coloured interior tints the halo slightly. With a warm source, an ivory ceramic produces a pleasant amber light in the evening; a more neutral white suits a room that is also used during the day.
Rooms where the material holds up
Glazed ceramic withstands humidity and wipes clean with a sponge, which makes it a logical choice in a shower room, provided the stated protection rating is respected; our bathroom wall sconces set this point out.
In an entrance or a landing, a terracotta sconce breaks the monotony of a long wall. It is also found on either side of a mirror, a console or a bed, where its rounded volume softens angular furniture.
The families in this selection
Cups and half-moons
White ceramic wall sconce
The most common shape: a half-cup that sends the light to the ceiling. Its depth determines the width of the beam, a deeper model concentrating the halo more.
Stoneware and matt surfaces
Glazed stoneware wall sconce
Stoneware rings denser and shows a visible grain. Its mineral tones, sand, clay or grey green, sit well with the renders and the raw woods of a plain room.
Relief and fluting
Ceramic wall sconce with raised motifs
Ridges, gadroons or ribs catch the light and draw fine shadows. The effect shows above all when the source sits close to the wall, as on our hallway wall sconces.
Handle these pieces with care when fitting them: ceramic scratches and chips more easily than metal.