This work is known as a Lanthorn. It is a lantern believed to have been used during the mid –to-late sixteenth century in the area of England. I chose to construct this piece because it is one of the more rare finds in the SCA. I wanted to share this piece of history with SCAdians who may have never seen (or heard) of a lanthorn, as well at those who desire a period form of illumination. The numerous events I've attended all seem to break down in (as far as illumination is concerned) when the sun sets, and mundane light sources abound. The thing that inspired me the most was the novelty of the lanthorn. Weather it is the lack of available information, or the fact people don't realize it existed (both of which I hope to change), you don't see them very often.
A lanthorn would have been used in everyday life for rudimentary illumination. Because of the opacity of the horn lens, the amount of light emitted by the candle within was diffused to such an extent that the only real value (presumably) was to cast a glow to see ones way in the dark. It would also have made a good beacon for a foot man on a road or path to make his presence know and avoid being run down by a carriage or horse men at night, providing they came from opposite directions.
The materials and tools originally required to construct a lanthorn would have allowed it to have been used in virtually any time period where leather tanning and hard metal use was known. It is theoretically possible for bone tools to have been used to construct a lanthorn, however great skill would have been required to keep the tools from breaking. The general design encompasses simple geometric shapes, which also lend themselves to cultures earlier in history. The reference piece I used as a guide however, is believed to have been made during the mid fifteen hundreds.
I used the period materials of vegetable tanned leather for the raw material of the lanthorn , and although not entirely period in terns of social class, waxed linen to stitched the parts together. What I mean by this statement is the lanthorn would have been much less expensive then its metal counter part, and therefore would have been used more among the peasant class. The expense of linen would have likely kept a good percentage of them using sinew over the waxed linen. This is of course is speculation on my part as my research has only turned up one (1) lanthorn in existence, and I have no comparisons. I chose linen over sinew because linen is much more durable and can be drawn tighter without snapping. I have found it easy to snap sinew by pulling to hard while working on previous projects. The tools I used were modern as well. Better blade control can be accomplished using an x-acto blade rather then the tile knife-type tool shown in the plate on the title page of the attached pamphlet. The pattern I used also deviated slightly from the original shown in the attached pictures, but these small changes could be considered artistic interpretation, or craftsmen style.
I am already planning to make another lanthorn as I found several problems in the design and methods of construction I used. Upon using the lanthorn for the first time, I found the candle within burned very dimly. I tried a few different methods to allow more air into the body including cutting two holes in the body at its base below the handle. This was not a good idea as the candle wax now has two drain holes to drain out and cover everything under the lanthorn. The holes did allow more "fuel" for the flame but also increased the temperature as well as the light level. I found the vent hole in the lid should also be increases in diameter. Unfortunately the design forbids this after assembly. I also learned the interior should be coated to protect it from wax penetration in the event the lanthorn in knocked over while lit. A rosin coating would seal the leather and be quite period as well. While trying to remove wax from within the body, I found the horn lens is very susceptible to heat. The rosin I plan to line the body with will have to be applied before the lens is mounted. Dying or staining the interior to reflect more light through the lens may also be a future option, however I need to do more research to ascertain the validity of this operation for the mid 1500's. Fabricating the lens was also a learning experience. To reduce the soaking time of 3-4 weeks, I heated the water on a stove, as hot water penetrates faster then cold. As I was involved in other projects while performing this step, I inadvertently allowed the water to boil the horn. This plasticized the horn and caused it to require a longer soaking time, and severe efforts to delaminate it. Of an entire horn, I was only able to get one usable piece, just large enough to cover the lens opening, and that was only after hours of sanding the lens to smooth and thin it.
Additionally another reference to the lanthorn was realized in "Leather and Craftsmanship". The following caption (in reference to plate XXII) was not known prior to my first fabrication attempt “…an inner cylinder, attached to the top, which will slide out, holds candle”. Although nothing else has been found concerning this inner cylinder, by examining the lid using modern amenities (several scanned photographs, Adobe Photoshop 5, and Macromedia’s Freehand 8), Lord Gawain Kilgore and myself have discovered (at 300 – 500% magnification) it appears as though the handle on the lid actually extends down through it rather then being stitched to the exterior as I have done (this is not yet 100% verified). With these new “discoveries”, it is logical to assume the two lid handle runs support the inner cylinder. This cylinder also provides insight into the problems of lighting the candle, wax saturation and airflow I have encountered. During closer inspection to the scanned photos, several inconsistencies from the illustrations offered in “A Tudor Lanthom: The Making of a Horn and Leather Lantern” and the actual design of the existing model at the Museum of Leathercraft were discovered. A few examples are the hanging loop attachment, the lid design and the lens flange.
I have attempted to research the lanthorn, but found little success other then stumbling on to a reference to John W. Waterer's "Leather and Craftsmanship"..Unfortunately I could not get hold of this book before competition of the work before you. urrently my resources have been derived from a lanthorn class at 'Auxillium et Concillium' taught by Lord Gawain Kilgore (Gregory Stapleton). I have relied on a pamphlet written by Allen Emery entitled "A Tudor Lanthom: The Making of a Horn and Leather Lantern" for construction techniques and patterns and Lord Gawain Kilgore for knowledge on horn lens craft, handle reinforcement and the supply of photos from the Museum of Leathercraft, London, England, as reference for this project.
Although Waterer makes the statement (again referencing plate XXII), “Leather lanthorn with horn window, probably 18th century …”, William Shakespeare references the use of a lanthorn in his play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream “ (written in his 1594-1608 styling) further helping to locate, and or broaden, the time of its use in history.
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