subject: Using Southwest Antler Lamps In Your Rustic Home [print this page] The white tail deer is a distinctive American animal, and southwest antler lamps are part of the southwestern style. These intricate natural sculptures recall the wild nature of America's west. They will fit in well with your collection of painted hides, rawhide lampshades, and Kokopelli rugs. Although the southwest often conjures images of Native American pueblos, tough as nails cowboys, fast horses, and buffalo; a proud stag is also part of that imagery. They can often be seen bounding through the foothills of the Rockies, stopping to drink at a sagebrush stream, or startled from a cottonwood grove by a group of buck-skinned hunters.
A lamp made of antlers is normally small in size and placed on a table. It is made out of antlers fastened together to form a stable base. Some of the first things we think of when we consider the southwest are its outstanding natural wonder. These include sandstone buttes and mesas, to the desert scenery of saguaros and cholla cactus as well as the wide expanses of grassland to the winding silver rivers and pine-clad foothills of the Rocky Mountains. For this reason, natural items, whether their source is animate or inanimate, always fit well with southwestern decor, and antler lamps are no exception.
Antler lamps can be made out of several different kinds of antlers. The antlers of the White Tail Deer are found most often since they are the most common deer in the country. Mule deer are typical southwestern deer, and their distinctive antlers are also used for striking, interesting lamps.
Spectacular elk antler lamps are also available, making use of the huge, graceful antlers of these noble animals to make a larger than average lamp that is sure to be a conversation piece. Some antler lamps also include moose antlers, although this is not a particularly southwestern animal.
These lamps are made from antler sheds so you need not worry about animals being harmed to produce your lighting treasure. All antlers are slightly different, and they bleach to different colors depending on how long they remain on the ground before they are found. Depending on the condition where they were shed, can make a difference. So this ensures that every antler lamp is different. Both man and nature is involved in creating these wonderful and unique natural sculptures. A nice southwestern touch is to use a rawhide or painted leather lampshade on your antler lamp. Both types of lampshade will look amazing with an antler lamp and will add beauty and a sort of ruggedness to your home. With an antler lamp adorned with a rawhide lampshade in your living room or at your bedside, you will feel that you have brought a genuine piece of the old west into your own snug cabin.
