We love candlelight flickering in a garden and the Tatsu Lantern and Rankei Lantern on our shop patio are some of our favorite concrete pieces. A flamesless battery candle with a timer would be perfect inside these lanterns to enjoy each evening in your garden.
In Japanese, “Tatsu” means “sign of the dragon,” and our Asian-inspired lantern lives up to its name; you can see the beautiful dragon wrapped around its pillar base…so detailed.
Toro is a type of traditional Japanese lantern that is often made of stone and used to decorate gardens and temples.
The Japanese dragon, also called ryū (龍) or tatsu (竜), is a snake-like creature without wings, contrary to the Western dragon. As a symbol of strength and power, the dragon is highly respected and honored in Japanese society.
Japanese stone lantern meaning: In the Japanese language, toro is written as 灯籠 which roughly translates to “light basket”.
The origin of these unique lanterns comes from China with the oldest stone lanterns dating around 200 BC. Toro spread to Japan around 700 AD among the Buddhist temples. They also went to Korea and Vietnam but didn’t get as much popularity as it did in Japan. The toro had a special significance that it was a useful light source. Eventually, these lanterns became decorative element in Japanese gardens.
Each piece takes on weeks-long moldmaking process, and then cast the reproduction from an extremely fine cast-stone aggregate that is strong, weather resistant, and capable of capturing the finest and most minute details. Made to last for centuries. Handmade in North Carolina. Family Owned Business.
