Giving dead lightbulbs a new lease on life

Everything (well, one thing anyway) old is new again, and vice versa with an oil lamp made from a reclaimed incandescent light globe. The work of industrial designer Sergio Silva, the Oyule lamps are his attempt to “send the bulbs back in time”, at a period when the incandescent bulb is itself being replaced by newer lighting technology.

The bulbs are filled with non-flammable paraffin oil, while a fiberglass wick replaces the filament. To ensure the bulbs don’t pose too much of a fire hazard, Silva has placed a spherical neodymium magnet inside the bulb that corresponds to a steel component embedded in the Oyule’s acrylic base. This ensures the bulbs stay upright.

Such industrial design irony doesn’t come cheap, however. Each hand-made set of two Oyule lamps will be sold in a limited edition of 66 sets for US$650 – including shipping – and will be sent with a certificate of authenticity, numbered and signed by Sergio Silva.

Via 66degrees and Craziest Gadgets