Brynn 1-Light Table Lamp

The glazed ceramic piece that forms the body of this lamp is quite charming, especially in the jade color. The size and shape of the simple shade are nicely proportional with that pretty body. Those two solid core features unfortunately receive no support from the rest of the components of the lamp. The harp that supports the shade is too small to accommodate even a 60 watt equivalent LED. The harp presses dangerously hard on the sides and top of the bulb, if it can even be coaxed into a relatively centered position. I don't know if this lamp is a leftover from the heyday of incandescent light, but at this point the inability to accommodate anything but bulbs based on an obsolete wasteful technology is inexcusable. The other usual features that complement the body of a lamp include the finial, the base, and the electric cord. In this case, each of those usually innocuous components manages to detract. The gold finial capping the shade is a sphere of heavy metal covered with gold paint that was already flaking off upon arrival. The flat rectangular gold base does an excellent imitation of a small piece of plywood covered in the same frail gold paint. But it's the cord and its built-in switch that truly cap the presentation. Made of an improbable whitish translucent plastic, the thick cord produces a negative statement from a feature that one can usually count on to be unobtrusive. The bulky plastic box holding the in-line switch is made from the same unfortunate plastic. The overall effect of this ensemble is to make an otherwise tolerably pleasant lamp look incredibly cheap. A cord covered in colorless translucent plastic may not sound like a fatal flaw, but for the cheapening effect to be fully appreciated, this plastic must be experienced in person. Why the lamp isn't outfitted with a typical brown or white cord remains a mystery. But the common theme of the various supporting elements here seems to be economy. And it shows.