Historic Greco-Roman Mosaic Lamps
Description
PDFChangelog
24.09.2025: initial upload of the collection
Requirements
All lamps have a size of ~ 105mm x 105mm x 174mm, making them printable on almost all printers, even the Prusa Mini. Each lamp requires ~130g of filament (preferably PLA or PLA+) and around 12h of print time.
You have to print a mosaic lamp shade of your choice, a lamp base and a lid to cover the top part of the lamp shade. These three parts are connected with a M100x2 metric thread. Different illumination options are listed below.
Print Settings
There are only a few settings you should tweak in the slicer to print the lamps.
Print in PLA or PLA+
Recommended layer height: 0.20mm
Use the Arachne Perimeter Generator for more precise printing with better details
Set wall count to 5-6 to obtain a solid lamp
Set seam position to Back (hiding it at the rear of the lamp)
No brim required. If you struggle with adhesion, use Inner Brim to avoid visible defects.
No Support required! The lamps print perfectly fine without support. Your slicer may complain about overhanging perimeters but trust me, briding works fine!
Be aware, that slicing and printing may take a very long time. The STL files can take several minutes to slice.
For Bambu Studio users: Bambu Studio seems to struggle with the Arachne Perimeter Generator. If you are unable to slice a lamp with Arachne, use the Classic Perimeter Generator.
Filament
Filament matters. A lot! Depending on your filament choice, your lamp may have more or less contrast or a warmer or cooler color temperature. You can also change the outcome by choosing light sources with different wattage or color temperature. The picture below illustrates this:Filament matters. A lot! Depending on your filament choice, your lamp may have more or less contrast or a warmer or cooler color temperature. You can also change the outcome by choosing light sources with different wattage or color temperature. The picture below illustrates this:
All of the four Panels above were printed with different white PLA/PLA+ filaments but illuminated with the same 1W LED bulb.
Before starting a multi-hour print, I recommend printing a Calibration Panel to test how your print will turn out. You are also by no means limited to white lights and filaments. Check the makes below to get inspired what color and light choices other makers made.
Be aware that RGB(W) lamps usually don't emit the same light intensity for each color channel. For a blue lamp, you may need a much more transluscent filament then for a red or white lamp!
Mosaic Lamps
The list below contains all natural pattern lamps currently available.
Dionysus' drinking contestThis mosaic lamp depicts the wine god Dionysus besting the hero Heracles in a drinking contest. The lid to go along with this lamp also shows Dionysus. it was found in Corinth and dates to ca. 150-225 AD. It is exhibited at the Corinth Archaeological Museum, Greece. |  |
Odysseus and the SirensThis mosaic lamp depicts the greek hero Odysseus as he sails on his ship past the island of the sirens. Odysseus is bound to the mast of his ship so that he cannot be harmed by the Siren's song. The original mosaic can be viewed at the Bardo National Museum, Tunis. The mosaic was found in Dougga, Tunesia and was created ca. 200 AD. The lid to go along with this lamp depicts Medusa, one of the three Gorgons, daughter of the sea gods Phorkys and Keto. Best known for having snakes instead of hair and petrifying anyone looking looking at her face. |  |
The chariot of PoseidonThis mosaic depicts the sea god Poseidon on his chariot drawn by Hippocamps (fish-tailed horses). Poseidon is depicted holding his iconic trident. The mosaic was found in Hadrumetum and to be from around 300AD. It is exhibited at the Sousse Archaeological Museum, Tunisia. The lid to go along with this lamps also shows Poseidon on his chariot. This mosaic was found in Acholla (today Tunisia) and dates to ca. 200 AD. It is displayed at the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, Tunisia. |  |
Lamp Bases and Lids
Printing the lampshade of your choice is only a part of creating your own lithophane lamp. You will additionally need a Base that contains your light source and a Lid for the top of your lampshade. All Bases and Lids currently available are listed below.Lamp Bases and Lids
Some lamp bases or lids may use snap-off support. The supports look like small ring segments, tabs or cylinders that should be removable with very little force and should leave you with a good surface. They are only tested with PLA/PLA+ filament. Using other filaments may make support removal more difficult. Also your layer height should not exceed 0.2mm as this is the separation distance of the support objects.
Lid | |
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A simple screw-on cover featuring the M100x2 thread of the map lamps. There are four different lids available. The three already mentioned lithophane lids, depicting Dionysus, Medusa and Poseidon, or a simple blank lid. The Mosaic lids require support which is already included in the design. These supports can be removed with little effort. They should simply snap off. As a backup, there is also a simple, blank lid available. | |
LED Lamp Kit 001 Base | |
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The LED Lamp Kit 001 Base comes in three different heights: 10mm, 30mm and 60mm. Simply insert the LED Lamp Kit in the base, guide the cable through the bottom hole and through the cable channel. The base features the same M100x2 thread as the map lamps. | |
E14 Puck Base | |
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This Base uses E14 or E27 lightbulbs, making it easy to maintain and switch out lamps. Additionally, you can use differently colored lightbulbs and even color changing lightbulbs. Some electrical knowledge (crimping ferrules, connecting lamp sockets) required. It is available in three different heights as well. BOM:
Printed Parts:
Assembly:
Pull the cable to make sure that the strain relief is seated properly. You should not be able to move the cable. The following shows how it should look like: 
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E14/E27 Adapter | |
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This is a set of simple, yet effective adapters, allowing you to mount the lamps to any lamp base that uses E14 or E27 sockets. The possibilities are endless. BOM:
Printed Parts:
Assembly:
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Assembly
Base, Lampshade and Lid are connected with a simple M100x2 thread. If you experienced a bit of stringing (especially possible for the nut-threads of the map lamps), clean up your threads carefully by cutting loose strings with a knife.
When threading parts together, make sure not to apply pressure to the thread areas. If you deform the threads, they may bind. I recommend to hold the map at the opposite end of where you are screwing your part in. Other than that, assembly and disassembly of the lamps is straightforward.
Your very own lithophane lamp
I published a tutorial that can help you to create your own circular lithophane lamp. The tutorial as well as all files (including files of all bases) are public domain, so you can create your own lamps and license them as you please. Check it out:
https://www.printables.com/model/1213781-minimalist-city-map-lithophane-lamps-tutorial
Other models
If you are interested in Lithophane lamps, consider checking out my other models. Click the links below for the respective models or check my profile.Other models
Acknowledgements
A big shoutout and thanks to:
lithophanemaker for providing an easy to use tool to create lithophanes
Without access to the tools and resources above, I would not have been able to create this collection.
Tags
Model origin
The author marked this model as their own original creation.