PLANTATION is a lantern shaped like a pineapple. Not metaphorically — the body is a faceted, clear optic-glass shade with a diamond relief that reproduces the fruit's skin, crowned by cast metal leaves. The whole thing hangs from a decorated scrolled arm on an ornamented wall plate. Height 54.1 cm, width 20.3 cm, projection 27.5 cm.
A pineapple over the door is not an arbitrary motif
In colonial architecture the pineapple is the traditional symbol of hospitality; it was set over entrances, on gate posts and roof gables to say the house welcomes guests. Hinkley — the American brand whose European distribution Elstead handles — takes the motif literally and builds the whole Plantation collection around it. Which gives this lantern one natural place: beside the front door.
Optic glass, or light broken into dozens of points
The shade is neither frosted nor opal. It is clear optic glass — thick, pressed with a regular diamond pattern that refracts light rather than diffusing it. A lit bulb is visible straight through it and breaks into dozens of bright reflections across every facet. The practical consequence is unambiguous: which bulb you fit matters, because it is on full show. A decorative LED with a visible filament gives exactly the effect the fitting is built for; a frosted LED globe kills the glass pattern, and a bare bright diode will dazzle.
IP44 and protection class I — what that means by a door
The manufacturer classes the fitting as Exterior, rated IP44. IP44 is resistance to splashing water from any direction — rain, driving rain, snow — but not to a pressurised jet or immersion. In practice: against a house wall, ideally under an eave or a canopy, yes. On an open wall taking the full force of a storm, or within reach of a pressure washer, no.
The lantern is protection class I, so it requires a protective earth conductor. On a metal outdoor fitting that is not a formality — it is a requirement. Mains supply 220–240 V, 50 Hz.
A 3-year anti-corrosion guarantee — precisely the one that counts
Hinkley backs this fitting with a 3-year anti-corrosion guarantee rather than a general product guarantee. The distinction matters and it works in the buyer's favour: aluminium outdoor lanterns fail at the surface, not electrically — the coating cracks, moisture gets underneath, and white bloom and rust streaks appear around the screws. That is the scenario the manufacturer covers. The body is aluminium, so the metal itself does not rust; the finish is the risk, and the finish is what is warranted.
E27 socket, 40 W max — the bulb is not included
Inside there is one E27 socket rated at a maximum of 40 W. No light source is supplied. The 40 W ceiling is practically irrelevant if you fit an LED: a decorative 4–7 W E27 LED gives 400–800 lm, more than the old 40 W incandescent, and puts a fraction of the heat into a closed glass body. The fitting is compatible with dimmable lamps, which makes sense when the filament is on show — dimmed, the lantern by the door glows like a lamp in a paper shade.
Mounting and size — mind the word "medium"
"Medium" in the name is a size within the Plantation family, not an absolute one. 54 cm tall is a large lantern — over half a metre on the wall and 3.85 kg of it. Masonry needs proper expansion anchors; this weight does not go onto ordinary plastic plugs in thin render or a composite board. The shipping carton is 36 x 26 x 79.5 cm and weighs 6.21 kg.
Specification
- Brand and distributor: Hinkley (distributed by Elstead Lighting)
- Manufacturer code: HK-PLANTATION-M-MB; family: Plantation
- Type: exterior wall lantern
- Dimensions: height 54.1 cm, width 20.3 cm, projection 27.5 cm
- Cap: 1 x E27, maximum 40 W
- Bulb included: no; fitting compatible with dimmable lamps
- Supply: 220–240 V, 50 Hz (mains)
- Ingress protection: IP44; protection class I (earth conductor required)
- Suitable location: exterior
- Materials: aluminium, clear optic glass
- Finish: Museum Black
- Net weight 3.85 kg; gross 6.21 kg; carton 36 x 26 x 79.5 cm
- Anti-corrosion guarantee: 3 years
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